Mary Bertie, Duchess of Ancaster and Kesteven (1730–19 October 1793), formerly Mary Panton, was a British courtier. She was the second wife of

Peregrine Bertie, 3rd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven General Peregrine Bertie, 3rd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven (171412 August 1778), styled Lord Willoughby de Eresby from 1715 to 1723 and Marquess of Lindsey from 1735 to 1742, was an English peer. Early life Bertie was born in 1714 and, begi ...

. She was the daughter of

Thomas Panton Thomas Panton (1731 – 29 November 1808) was an English racehorse owner. He was the son of Thomas Panton (1697–1782), master of the king's running-horses at Newmarket, Suffolk. A sister, Mary, married in 1750 Peregrine Bertie, 3rd Duke of Anca ...

of Newmarket (1697–1782), who was an equerry to King George II and master of the Thurlow Hunt, and his wife Priscilla (though she may have been illegitimate). The duke's first wife, Elizabeth Blundell, died in 1743. Mary Panton married the duke on 27 November 1750. They had six children: *Lady Mary Catherine Bertie (14 April 1754 – 12 April 1767) *Peregrine Thomas Bertie, Marquess of Lindsey (21 May 1755 – 12 December 1758) *An unnamed son, who was born and died on 14 September 1759 * Robert Bertie, 4th Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven (1756–1779) * Priscilla Barbara Elizabeth Bertie, Baroness Willoughby de Eresby (16 February 1761 – 29 December 1828) * Lady Georgina Charlotte Bertie (7 August 1761 – 1838), married

George Cholmondeley, 1st Marquess of Cholmondeley George James Cholmondeley, 1st Marquess of Cholmondeley, ( ; 11 May 1749 – 10 April 1827), styled Viscount Malpas between 1764 and 1770 and known as the Earl of Cholmondeley between 1770 and 1815, was a British peer and politician. Backgrou ...

and had children. Following her marriage to the duke, Mary Panton's father Thomas obtained the post of Master of the King's Running Horses,G.E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume I, page 128. and his son, also Thomas, later inherited this position. In 1757, Sir

Joshua Reynolds Sir Joshua Reynolds (16 July 1723 – 23 February 1792) was an English painter who specialised in portraits. The art critic John Russell (art critic), John Russell called him one of the major European painters of the 18th century, while Lucy P ...

painted the couple, and another portrait by Reynolds of the duchess was painted between 1765 and 1771. A watercolour miniature, by

John Smart John Smart (1 May 1741 – 1 May 1811), was an English painter of portrait miniatures. He was a contemporary of Richard Cosway, George Engleheart, William Wood and Richard Crosse. Biography Smart was born in Norfolk, but not much is know ...

, dating to 1763, is held by the

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is an art gallery, art museum in Kansas City, Missouri, Kansas City, Missouri, known for its encyclopedic collection of art from nearly every continent and culture, and especially for its extensive collection of A ...

. From 1761 to 1793, the duchess held the position of

Mistress of the Robes The mistress of the robes was the senior lady in the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, who would, by appointment, attend on the Queen (whether queen regnant or a queen consort). Queens dowager retained their own mistresses of the robes. In ...

Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Sophia Charlotte; 19 May 1744 – 17 November 1818) was List of British royal consorts, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland as the wife of King George III from their marriage on 8 September 1761 until her ...

, Queen Charlotte. On the birth of the future King

William IV of the United Kingdom William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded h ...

, the duchess recommended as wet-nurse a woman called Sarah Tuting, who was later acknowledged as her father's mistress. The duchess died in Italy. File:Mary, Duchess of Ancaster and Kesteven.jpg, Mary Bertie, Duchess of Ancaster and Kesteven, after Joshua Reynolds

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bertie, Mary, Duchess of Ancaster and Kesteven 1730 births 1793 deaths Ancaster and Kesteven Mistresses of the Robes Court of George III Household of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz 18th-century British women