Louisa Jenkinson, Countess Of Liverpool
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Louisa Theodosia Jenkinson, Countess of Liverpool (; February 1767 – 12 June 1821) was a British noblewoman and the first wife of
Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool Robert Banks Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool (7 June 1770 – 4 December 1828) was a British Tories (British political party), Tory statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1812 to 1827. Before becoming Prime Minister ...
, who served as
prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
from 1812 to 1827.


Biography


Early years and marriage

Louisa Hervey was born in February 1767, the youngest daughter of Frederick Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol and
Bishop of Derry The Bishop of Derry is an episcopal title which takes its name after the monastic settlement originally founded at Daire Calgach and later known as Daire Colm Cille, Anglicised as Derry. In the Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in ...
, and Elizabeth Davers Countess of Bristol. She had three brothers, including John, Lord Hervey and Frederick, 1st Marquess of Bristol; and two sisters, Lady Mary Erne and Elizabeth Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire.Burkespeerage.com. Hervey family.
/ref> In 1777, the family visited Italy. Here Louisa, then aged 10, contracted severe
malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...
and, due to the need to convalesce, only returned to England in September 1779. In December 1779, she became Lady Louisa Hervey on her father's elevation to Earl of Bristol on the death of his
brother A brother (: brothers or brethren) is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a family, familial relationship, it is sometimes used ende ...
. In 1782, when Louisa was aged 15, her parents separated, after which she lived her mother at Ickworth in Suffolk. Here she had an isolated existence, with no companions her own age. Most of her time was spent with her mother, who sought to instill strong religious and moral principles; for example Louisa made clothes for a poor girl she was maintaining at school. In 1785, Louisa and her mother moved to London, which widened her social circle. She also had regular correspondence with her father. In 1793, Louisa met Robert Jenkinson, a Member of Parliament and the son of Lord Hawkesbury, the future Earl of Liverpool. Robert frequently visited Louisa and her mother in
Wimbledon Wimbledon most often refers to: * Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London * Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships Wimbledon may also refer to: Places London * W ...
, Surrey, where they had recently moved. By November 1794, they had agreed to marry. Louisa's father consented to the marriage and promised a dowry of £10,000. However. Robert's father was strongly opposed, preferring his son, still only 24, unmarried until he was thirty unless 'he should marry a fortune indeed'. Louisa was a friend of the wife of Henry Dundas, then serving in the cabinet of William Pitt. Pitt was sympathetic and, after both Pitt and the
King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
intervened, Lord Hawkesbury finally gave his consent. Robert and Louisa were married on 25 March 1795. He was aged 24, and she 28.


Statesman's wife

In the years after their marriage, Robert held various political posts, entering the cabinet in 1801. He continued to sit in the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...
until 1803 when, as Baron Hawkesbury, he was elevated to the
House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...
. He became 2nd Earl of Liverpool on the death of his father in December 1808. Louisa, who had been Baroness of Hawkesbury since 1803, now became Countess of Liverpool. Robert was appointed prime minister in June 1812, succeeding the assassinated
Spencer Perceval Spencer Perceval (1 November 1762 – 11 May 1812) was a British statesman and barrister who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 1809 until his assassination in May 1812. He is the only British prime minister to have been as ...
, and would remain in that post until after Louisa's death in 1821. Although Lady Louisa often found the role of politician's wife tiring, she relished the excitement of attending functions and being close to great events. Loyal and supportive of her husband, she took a keen interest in his political work, and sometimes helped him by copying confidential documents, while his friend
Thomas Lawrence Sir Thomas Lawrence (13 April 1769 – 7 January 1830) was an English people, English portrait painter and the fourth president of the Royal Academy. A child prodigy, he was born in Bristol and began drawing in Devizes, where his father was a ...
thought Robert communicated much information to his wife and asked her opinion on many of his letters. She was known to dislike George Canning, who finally succeeded Robert as prime minister, and was fearful of his influence over her husband. The couple clearly had a close relationship, with Louisa being a 'constant solace' to Robert among the pressures of high office. Their lack of children was, however, a disappointment to her. In addition, Louisa involved herself in charity work, providing relief to the poor and infirm and helping to comfort the dying. This was largely motivated by her strong religious convictions, speaking to her sister Lady Erne of the large number of needy "who I can not assist who are sick and destitute and suffering, whilst I am surrounded with comforts far beyond my deserts". In one letter she wrote that she hoped the people she helped were instilled with "a sense of religious duty and religious comfort". In 1809, the couple moved to Fyfe House, in
Whitehall Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London, England. The road forms the first part of the A roads in Zone 3 of the Great Britain numbering scheme, A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea, London, Chelsea. It ...
, London where they continued to live, even after Robert became prime minister in 1812. They also spent much of their time at their country estate at Coombe House, near
Kingston upon Thames Kingston upon Thames, colloquially known as Kingston, is a town in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, south-west London, England. It is situated on the River Thames, south-west of Charing Cross. It is an ancient market town, notable as ...
in Surrey. The Liverpools employed architect
John Soane Sir John Soane (; né Soan; 10 September 1753 – 20 January 1837) was an English architect who specialised in the Neoclassical architecture, Neo-Classical style. The son of a bricklayer, he rose to the top of his profession, becoming professor ...
to improve and extend the property, where Louisa was hostess to a number of important visitors, including the
King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
in 1805 and Tsar
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in 1814.


Health and death

Lady Louisa was not strong physically and while she enjoyed her position, including attending official events and entertaining, she easily tired and was prone to colds and headaches. As early as 1801 she sometimes took opium based draughts to help her sleep. In 1816, aged 49, she became sufficiently ill for the
Prince Regent A prince regent or princess regent is a prince or princess who, due to their position in the line of succession, rules a monarchy as regent in the stead of a monarch, e.g., as a result of the sovereign's incapacity (minority or illness) or ab ...
to express concern. Although her health improved, she did not fully recover, and by early 1818 reports of her ill health began to appear in the newspapers. From the summer of 1820, her condition deteriorated further, and was nursed by her sister Lady Erne at Coombe House. Louisa died at Fyfe House in London on 12 June 1821 aged 54, and was interred in the Jenkinson family vault at the Church of St Mary, Hawkesbury, Gloucestershire. Very distressed at his loss, Robert received support from other members of the ruling establishment – for the first part of her journey to Hawkesbury, Louisa's cortège was followed by over seventy carriages of sympathetic peers and gentry, including the Royal Dukes of
York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...
and Clarence, and the Duke of Wellington. Robert was remarried in September 1822 to Lady Mary Chester, a long-time friend of Louisa. He retired as prime minister on 9 April 1827 due to poor health, and died on 4 December 1828. He was also interred at St Mary's Church Hawkesbury. Lady Louisa has a memorial in All Saints Church, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, where she had been a regular worshiper. It consists of a seated life-size marble statue of Louisa as a young woman, sculpted by Sir Francis Chantrey. The pedestal bears the inscription: ''Louisa Theodosia, Countess of Liverpool, born February, 1767, died June, 1821. She visited the fatherless and widows in their affliction and kept herself unspotted from the world''. The memorial was originally placed in Lord Liverpool's residence at Coombe House, and moved to the church after his death.


Portraits of Lady Louisa

File:Bittio, Antonio de - Elizabeth Davers, Countess of Bristol, and her daughter Louisa Theodosia Hervey.jpg, In 1773, aged 6, with her mother. Painted by Antonio de Bittio File:Tischbein, Lady Louisa Hervey@Weimar Schlossmuseum.JPG, In 1778, aged 11. Painted by Johann Tischbein File:Louisa, Countess of Liverpool by George Romney.png, In 1793, aged 26. Painted by George Romney File:Bust of Lady Hawksbury, later Countess of Liverpool, by Joseph Nollekens.jpg, In 1801, aged 34. Sculptured by Joseph Nollekens File:Countess of Liverpool memorial, All Saints, Kingston 02.JPG, Memorial by Sir Francis Chantrey File:Countess of Liverpool memorial, All Saints, Kingston 05.JPG, Memorial by Sir Francis Chantrey File:Countess of Liverpool memorial, All Saints, Kingston 06.JPG, Memorial by Sir Francis Chantrey


References


Bibliography

* Accessed 21 March 2020 * Accessed 21 March 2020 * * *


Further reading

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Liverpool, Louisa Jenkinson, Countess of 1767 births 1821 deaths 18th-century British nobility 19th-century British people 18th-century British women 19th-century British women Daughters of British earls Louisa
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
Spouses of prime ministers of the United Kingdom Wives of knights Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool