Anne Lennard, Countess of Sussex
Encyclopedia
Anne Lennard, Countess of Sussex (25 February 1661-2 – 16 May 1721-2), formerly Lady Anne Palmer, alias Fitzroy, was the eldest daughter of Barbara Palmer
née Villiers, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, and most likely Charles II of England
or Philip Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Chesterfield
.
, England
. She was the first child of Barbara Palmer
, who was the wife of Roger Palmer
, 1st Earl of Castlemaine
, and who was also a mistress
of Charles II
. According to legend, Anne was conceived on the night of Charles's Coronation
. Both Palmer and the king acknowledged Anne as his daughter and she later took on the surname of Fitzroy, meaning "son of the king," but she is generally assigned to the 2nd Earl of Chesterfield
, "whom," says Lord Dartmouth, "she resembled very much both in face and person."
to the King. On the same day her younger sister, Lady Charlotte Fitzroy
, was contracted at the age of ten, to Sir Edward Lee
, raised from an early baronetcy to the Earldom of Lichfield two months before. He also was a Gentleman of the King's Bedchamber. Both the wedding and the dowry were paid for by Charles II. Dacre was subsequently created Earl of Sussex
.
At some point she had an almost certainly lesbian
relationship with Hortense Mancini
, a mistress
of Anne's father, Charles II, and therefore a rival of her mother, his maîtresse en titre. To put an end to the affair, Anne's husband, Lord Sussex, removed his wife to the country. In the summer of 1678, Lady Sussex was abducted from a convent in Paris
and seduced by Ralph Montagu
(afterwards 1st Duke of Montagu). She was 17 years old. He was successively the lover of mother and daughter (the Duchess of Cleveland and Lady Sussex). In a letter to King Charles, dated "Paris, Tuesday the 28th, 1678," her mother wrote:
Anne's husband the Earl of Sussex was a "popular but extravagant man" who, by extravagance and losses by gambling
, had to sell the estate of Herstmonceaux
and others. Lord and Lady Sussex separated in 1688. She was widowed in 1715.
:
Her descendants include:
Anne Lennard, Countess of Sussex should not be confused with her daughter, Anne Barrett-Lennard, 16th Baroness Dacre.
The Countess of Sussex died May 16, 1721 or 1722, and was buried at Linsted, County Kent
.
Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland
Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland was an English courtesan and perhaps the most notorious of the many mistresses of King Charles II of England, by whom she had five children, all of which were acknowledged and subsequently ennobled...
née Villiers, 1st Duchess of Cleveland, and most likely Charles II of England
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
or Philip Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Chesterfield
Philip Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Chesterfield
Philip Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Chesterfield PC was a peer in the peerage of England.-Personal life:He was the son of Henry Stanhope, Lord Stanhope and his wife, Katherine Wotton. He inherited the title of Earl of Chesterfield on the death of his grandfather in 1656...
.
Biography
She was born Anne Palmer on 25 February 1661 or 1662 at WestminsterWestminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. She was the first child of Barbara Palmer
Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland
Barbara Palmer, 1st Duchess of Cleveland was an English courtesan and perhaps the most notorious of the many mistresses of King Charles II of England, by whom she had five children, all of which were acknowledged and subsequently ennobled...
, who was the wife of Roger Palmer
Roger Palmer, 1st Earl of Castlemaine
Roger Palmer, 1st Earl of Castlemaine PC was an English courtier, diplomat, and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1660. He was also a noted Catholic writer...
, 1st Earl of Castlemaine
Earl of Castlemaine
The Earldom of Castlemaine was a title created in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created for Roger Palmer, the husband of Barbara Palmer , mistress to King Charles II. The Earl was also given the title Baron Limerick....
, and who was also a mistress
Royal mistress
A royal mistress is the historical position of a mistress to a monarch or senior Royal. Some mistresses have had considerable power. The prevalence of the institution can be attributed to the fact that royal marriages were until recent times conducted solely on the basis of political and dynastic...
of Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
. According to legend, Anne was conceived on the night of Charles's Coronation
Coronation
A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...
. Both Palmer and the king acknowledged Anne as his daughter and she later took on the surname of Fitzroy, meaning "son of the king," but she is generally assigned to the 2nd Earl of Chesterfield
Philip Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Chesterfield
Philip Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Chesterfield PC was a peer in the peerage of England.-Personal life:He was the son of Henry Stanhope, Lord Stanhope and his wife, Katherine Wotton. He inherited the title of Earl of Chesterfield on the death of his grandfather in 1656...
, "whom," says Lord Dartmouth, "she resembled very much both in face and person."
Marriage
On 11 August 1674, at the age of thirteen and a half, Lady Anne was married, at Hampton Court, to the 15th Baron Dacre, a Gentleman of the BedchamberGentleman of the Bedchamber
A Gentleman of the Bedchamber was the holder of an important office in the royal household of the Kingdom of England from the 11th century, later used also in the Kingdom of Great Britain.-Description and functions:...
to the King. On the same day her younger sister, Lady Charlotte Fitzroy
Charlotte Lee, Countess of Lichfield
Charlotte Lee, Countess of Lichfield , formerly Lady Charlotte Fitzroy, was the illegitimate daughter of King Charles II of England by one of his most notorious mistresses, Barbara Villiers, 1st Duchess of Cleveland-Family:She was the fourth child and second daughter of Barbara Palmer née Villiers,...
, was contracted at the age of ten, to Sir Edward Lee
Edward Lee, 1st Earl of Lichfield
Sir Edward Henry Lee, 5th Baronet, of Ditchley and of Quarendon, created 1st Earl of Lichfield was an English peer. He was a staunch tory and followed James II to Rochester, Kent after the king's escape from Whitehall in December 1688...
, raised from an early baronetcy to the Earldom of Lichfield two months before. He also was a Gentleman of the King's Bedchamber. Both the wedding and the dowry were paid for by Charles II. Dacre was subsequently created Earl of Sussex
Earl of Sussex
Earl of Sussex is a title that has been created several times in the Peerages of England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. The early Earls of Arundel were often also called Earls of Sussex....
.
At some point she had an almost certainly lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
relationship with Hortense Mancini
Hortense Mancini
Hortense Mancini, duchesse Mazarin , was the favourite niece of Cardinal Mazarin, chief minister of France, and a mistress of Charles II, King of England, Scotland and Ireland...
, a mistress
Mistress (lover)
A mistress is a long-term female lover and companion who is not married to her partner; the term is used especially when her partner is married. The relationship generally is stable and at least semi-permanent; however, the couple does not live together openly. Also the relationship is usually,...
of Anne's father, Charles II, and therefore a rival of her mother, his maîtresse en titre. To put an end to the affair, Anne's husband, Lord Sussex, removed his wife to the country. In the summer of 1678, Lady Sussex was abducted from a convent in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and seduced by Ralph Montagu
Ralph Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu
Ralph Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu was an English courtier and diplomat.-Life:He was the second son of Edward Montagu, 2nd Baron Montagu of Boughton and Anne Winwood, daughter of the Secretary of State Ralph Winwood...
(afterwards 1st Duke of Montagu). She was 17 years old. He was successively the lover of mother and daughter (the Duchess of Cleveland and Lady Sussex). In a letter to King Charles, dated "Paris, Tuesday the 28th, 1678," her mother wrote:
I was never so surprised in my whole life-time as I was at my coming hither, to find my Lady Sussex gone from my house and monastery where I left her, and this letter from her, which I here send you the copy of. I never in my whole life-time heard of such government of herself as she has had since I went into England. She has never been in the monastery two days together, but every day gone out with the Ambassador (Ralph MontaguRalph Montagu, 1st Duke of MontaguRalph Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu was an English courtier and diplomat.-Life:He was the second son of Edward Montagu, 2nd Baron Montagu of Boughton and Anne Winwood, daughter of the Secretary of State Ralph Winwood...
), and has often lain four days together at my house, and sent for her meat to the Ambassador; he being always with her till five o'clock in the morning, they two shut up together alone, and would not let my maitre d'hôtel wait, nor any of my servants, only the Ambassador's. This has made so great a noise at Paris, that she is now the whole discourse. I am so much afflicted that I can hardly write this for crying, to see a child, that I doted on as I did on her, should make me so ill a return, and join with the worst of men to ruin me.
Anne's husband the Earl of Sussex was a "popular but extravagant man" who, by extravagance and losses by gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
, had to sell the estate of Herstmonceaux
Herstmonceux Castle
Herstmonceux Castle is a brick-built Tudor castle near Herstmonceux, East Sussex, United Kingdom. From 1957 to 1988 its grounds were the home of the Royal Greenwich Observatory...
and others. Lord and Lady Sussex separated in 1688. She was widowed in 1715.
Children and Descendants
The children of her union with Sussex were two sons, who died in infancy; and two daughters, who lived to adulthood, co-heirs of the Barony DacreBaron Dacre
Baron Dacre is a title that has been created three times in the Peerage of England, every time by writ. The first creation came in 1321 when Ralph Dacre was summoned to Parliament as Lord Dacre. He married Margaret, 2nd Baroness Multon of Gilsland, heiress of a large estate in Cumbria centred on...
:
- Barbara Lennard: born 12 July 1676 at Westminster, London; died 1741 at ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Married Charles Skelton, Esq., Lieutenant-General in the French service, and Grand Croix de St. Louis. Died without issue. - Charles Lennard: born 25 May 1682 at Windsor CastleWindsor CastleWindsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
; died 13 March 1684. Lord Dacre. - Henry Lennard: born about 1683 at Herstmonceaux, SussexSussexSussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
; died in infancy. - Anne Lennard: born 17 August 1684 at Sussex; died 26 June 1755 at London. 16th Baroness Dacre in her own right. Married thrice;
-
- (1) First, to Richard Barrett-Lennard, Esq. (died 1716), son of Dacre Barrett-Lennard and his wife Jane, eldest daughter of Arthur Chichester, the second Earl of DonegalArthur Chichester, 2nd Earl of DonegallArthur Chichester, 2nd Earl of Donegall was an Anglo-Irish politician.Chichester was the son of Lieutenant Colonel John Chichester, of Dungannon, County Tyrone, the latter being the younger brother of Arthur Chichester, 1st Earl of Donegall...
. Died a few months after his marriage to the Lady Anne in 1716, leaving his wife with child. Their son was Thomas Barrett-Lennard, 17th Baron Dacre (1717 – 12 January 1786), who died without issue. - (2) Secondly, to Henry Roper, 8th Baron TeynhamBaron TeynhamBaron Teynham, of Teynham in the County of Kent, is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1616 for Sir John Roper. His great-great-grandson, the fifth Baron, served as Lord Lieutenant of Kent. The latter's third son, the eighth Baron, married, as his second wife, Anne...
(died 16 May 1723). Had, among other children, Charles, who m. Gertrude, sister and co-heir of John Trevor, esq. of Glynd, in Sussex, and left at his decease, in 1754,- Charles Trevor-Roper, eighteenth Baron Dacre (1745-1794). Died without issue, and the title devolved upon his nephew.
- Gertrude (d. October 3, 1819), who succeeded her brother, as Baroness Dacre. The Hon.The HonourableThe prefix The Honourable or The Honorable is a style used before the names of certain classes of persons. It is considered an honorific styling.-International diplomacy:...
Gertrude Roper m. Thomas Brand, esq. of the Hoo, in the county of HertsHertfordshireHertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
; by whom she had issue,- Thomas, 20th Baron DacreThomas Brand, 20th Baron DacreThomas Brand, 20th Baron Dacre was a British peer and Whig politician.-Background:Dacre was the eldest son of Thomas Brand, of The Hoo, Hertfordshire, and Gertrude, 19th Baroness Dacre, daughter of the Hon...
- Gertrude.
- HenryHenry Trevor, 21st Baron DacreHenry Otway Trevor, 21st Baron Dacre, CB was a British peer and soldier.Born Henry Otway Brand, he was the second son of Thomas Brand and the 19th Baroness Dacre. In 1806, he married Pyne Crosbie and they had six children:*Hon...
, C.B., major-general in the army, who distinguished himself during the war in SpainPeninsular WarThe Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
; m. Pyne, daughter of the Honorable and Rev. Dean or Maurice Crosby of Brandon, and sister of the fourth Lord BrandonEarl of GlandoreBaron Brandon, in the County of Kerry, was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1758 for Sir Maurice Crosbie, who had previously represented County Kerry in the Irish House of Commons for over forty years. He was succeeded by his son, the second Baron. He was a member of the Irish...
. General Brand assumed by sign manual, in 1824, the surname of "Trevor" only; he had issue,- 1. Thomas, 21st Baron Dacre, b. 15 March 1774, m. Nov. 1819, Barbarina, 2nd daughter of the Admiral Sir Chaloner Ogle, Bart.Sir Chaloner Ogle, 1st BaronetSir Chalonor Ogle was an Admiral in the British navy.He was the son of Nathaniel Ogle of Kirkley Hall, Northumberland....
, and widow of Valentine Wilmot, Esq. - 2. Henry, 1st Viscount HampdenHenry Brand, 1st Viscount HampdenHenry Bouverie William Brand, 1st Viscount Hampden GCB, PC , was a British Liberal politician. He served as Speaker of the House of Commons from 1872 to 1884.-Background and education:...
. - 3. Pyne-Jessy, m. 12 August 1828, to John-Henry Cotterell, Esq., eldest son of Sir John-Greers Cotterell, Bart.Cotterell BaronetsThe Cotterell Baronetcy, of Garnons in the County of Hereford, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 2 November 1805 for John Cotterell, Member of Parliament for Herefordshire for many years. The third Baronet also represented this constituency in the House of Commons...
- 4. Julia, m. 28 June 1824, to Samuel-Charles Whitbread, Esq., M.P.Member of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, 2nd son of Samuel Whitbread, Esq., by Lady Elizabeth Grey (sister of Charles Grey, 2nd Earl GreyCharles Grey, 2nd Earl GreyCharles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, KG, PC , known as Viscount Howick between 1806 and 1807, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 22 November 1830 to 16 July 1834. A member of the Whig Party, he backed significant reform of the British government and was among the...
). - 5. Gertrude, m. 21st July, 1831, to Sir George-Hamilton Seymour, K.C.H. son of Lord George SeymourSeymour familySeymour, or St. Maur, is the name of an English family in which several titles of nobility have from time to time been created, and of which the Duke of Somerset is the head.-Origins:...
of HertfordMarquess of HertfordThe titles of Earl of Hertford and Marquess of Hertford have been created several times in the peerages of England and Great Britain.The third Earldom of Hertford was created in 1559 for Edward Seymour, who was simultaneously created Baron Beauchamp of Hache...
. - 6. Thomas, b. 5 December 1808, m. 12 January 1837, Susan-Sophia, eldest daughter of Charles-Compton Cavendish, 1st Baron CheshamCharles Cavendish, 1st Baron CheshamCharles Compton Cavendish, 1st Baron Chesham was a British Liberal politician.Cavendish was the fourth son of George Augustus Henry Cavendish, 1st Earl of Burlington, third son of the former Prime Minister William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire, and his wife Lady Charlotte Elizabeth Boyle,...
.
- 1. Thomas, 21st Baron Dacre, b. 15 March 1774, m. Nov. 1819, Barbarina, 2nd daughter of the Admiral Sir Chaloner Ogle, Bart.
- Thomas, 20th Baron Dacre
- (3) Thirdly, to Roger Moore, Esq., fifth son of Henry, Earl of DroghedaEarl of DroghedaThe title Earl of Drogheda was created in the Peerage of Ireland in 1661 for the 3rd Viscount Moore, and is extant.Lord Drogheda also holds the titles Viscount Moore, of Drogheda , and Baron Moore, of Mellefont in the County of Louth in the Peerage of Ireland and Baron Moore, of Cobham in the...
, in IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, by whom she had one son, Henry.
- (1) First, to Richard Barrett-Lennard, Esq. (died 1716), son of Dacre Barrett-Lennard and his wife Jane, eldest daughter of Arthur Chichester, the second Earl of Donegal
Her descendants include:
- Alexander Murray, 8th Earl of DunmoreAlexander Murray, 8th Earl of DunmoreAlexander Edward Murray, 8th Earl of Dunmore, VC, DSO, MVO, DL was more commonly known as Viscount Fincastle...
- Colonel Sir William Robert CampionWilliam CampionColonel Sir William Robert Campion KCMG, DSO, TD, DL was a British politician and Governor of Western Australia from 1924 to 1931....
- Thomas Coke, 3rd Earl of LeicesterThomas Coke, 3rd Earl of LeicesterThomas William Coke, 3rd Earl of Leicester GCVO, CMG, TD , known as Viscount Coke until 1909, was a British peer and soldier....
- William Legge, 7th Earl of DartmouthWilliam Legge, 7th Earl of DartmouthLieutenant-Colonel William Legge, 7th Earl of Dartmouth, GCVO, TD was a British peer and Conservative politician, known from 1891–1936 as Viscount Lewisham....
- Gerald Legge, 9th Earl of DartmouthGerald Legge, 9th Earl of DartmouthGerald Humphry Legge, 9th Earl of Dartmouth FCA was a British peer and businessman.Legge was the only son of the 8th Earl of Dartmouth...
- Lady Elizabeth BassetLady Elizabeth BassetLady Elizabeth Basset, DCVO was born Lady Elizabeth Legge, the daughter of the 7th Earl of Dartmouth....
- Patrick Anson, 5th Earl of LichfieldPatrick Anson, 5th Earl of LichfieldThomas Patrick John Anson, 5th Earl of Lichfield was an English photographer. He inherited the Earldom of Lichfield in 1960 from his paternal grandfather. In his professional practice he was known as Patrick Lichfield.- Career :Lord Lichfield was educated at Harrow and Sandhurst, and joined the...
- Nigel Forbes, 22nd Lord ForbesNigel Forbes, 22nd Lord ForbesNigel Ivan Forbes, 22nd Lord Forbes, KBE, JP, DL , known as the Master of Forbes until 1953, is a Scottish soldier, businessman and Conservative politician....
- Dermot Chichester, 7th Marquess of DonegallDermot Chichester, 7th Marquess of DonegallDermot Richard Claud Chichester, 7th Marquess of Donegall LVO was an Irish soldier, landowner and member of the House of Lords....
- Lavinia Fitzalan-Howard, Duchess of NorfolkLavinia Fitzalan-Howard, Duchess of NorfolkLavinia Mary Fitzalan-Howard, Duchess of Norfolk LG CBE was a British peeress....
- Richard Lyon-Dalberg-Acton, 4th Baron ActonRichard Lyon-Dalberg-Acton, 4th Baron ActonRichard Gerald Lyon-Dalberg-Acton, 4th Baron Acton and Baron Acton of Bridgnorth was a British Labour politician....
- Reginald Manningham-Buller, 1st Viscount DilhorneReginald Manningham-Buller, 1st Viscount DilhorneReginald Edward Manningham-Buller, 1st Viscount Dilhorne PC, QC , known as Sir Reginald Manningham-Buller, Bt, from 1954 to 1962 and as The Lord Dilhorne from 1962 to 1964, was an English lawyer and Conservative politician...
- Windham Wyndham-Quin, 5th Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl
- Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of SalisburyRobert Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of SalisburyRobert Michael James Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury, PC, DL , is a British Conservative politician. During the 1990s, he was Leader of the House of Lords under his courtesy title of Viscount Cranborne...
- Max Wyndham, 2nd Baron EgremontMax Wyndham, 2nd Baron EgremontJohn Max Henry Scawen Wyndham, 7th Baron Leconfield, 2nd Baron Egremont , generally known simply as Max Egremont, is a British biographer and novelist....
- Sir Hugh Barrett-Lennard, 6th BaronetSir Hugh Barrett-Lennard, 6th BaronetSir Hugh Dacre Barrett-Lennard, 6th Baronet was a Catholic priest. He previously served in the British Army in the Second World War, being mentioned in dispatches and ending the war as a Captain...
Anne Lennard, Countess of Sussex should not be confused with her daughter, Anne Barrett-Lennard, 16th Baroness Dacre.
The Countess of Sussex died May 16, 1721 or 1722, and was buried at Linsted, County Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
.