Lady Edward FitzGerald
Encyclopedia
Lady Edward FitzGerald was married to Lord Edward FitzGerald
, and was an enthusiastic supporter of Irish
independence, scarcely less celebrated at the time than Lord Edward himself.
; it is usually assumed that she was an unacknowledged daughter of the comtesse and Louis Philip II, Duke of Orléans. However, there is a tradition in Fogo
, Newfoundland
, that she was the illegitimate daughter of an English naval
officer, was taken to England and ended up in the Genlis household.
, the Genlis family fled to England. Pamela, by then an attractive young woman, became engaged to Richard Sheridan
, but the engagement was quickly ended. She instead married at Tournay
, on 27 December 1792, Lord Edward FitzGerald
, the radical revolutionary and leading United Irishman
. They settled at his home in Kildare
and had four children.
As the country seethed with rebellion, Fitzgerald was hunted by the government and forced into hiding. He was betrayed a few days before the date set for the planned rising
he was to lead and was wounded resisting arrest on 19 May 1798. Although his wound was to the shoulder and relatively minor it was left untreated and he died of his wounds on June 5. As a "traitor" to the British crown, his estates were confiscated, and Pamela was compelled to leave the country to avoid possible charges of treason.
Pamela fled to Hamburg, where in 1800 she married Joseph Pitcairn
, the American consul to Hamburg
. Although she had been greatly beloved and esteemed by the whole FitzGerald family, after her second marriage her intimacy with them ceased. She remained to the last passionately devoted to the memory of her first husband and died in Paris
in November 1831 where a portrait of her hangs in the Louvre
. She had four children by Lord Edward FitzGerald: Edward Fox (1794-1863); Pamela, afterwards wife of General Sir Guy Campbell; Lucy Louisa, who married Captain Lyon, RN and Jane, who married Lt. Col. Christopher Hamilton.
Lord Edward FitzGerald
Lord Edward FitzGerald was an Irish aristocrat and revolutionary. He was the fifth son of the 1st Duke of Leinster and the Duchess of Leinster , he was born at Carton House, near Dublin, and died of wounds received in resisting arrest on charge of treason.-Early years:FitzGerald spent most of his...
, and was an enthusiastic supporter of Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
independence, scarcely less celebrated at the time than Lord Edward himself.
Background
She was born Stephanie Caroline Anne Syms and was known as Pamela. Her origins are uncertain. She was described as an adopted daughter of Stéphanie Félicité Ducrest, comtesse de GenlisStéphanie Félicité Ducrest de St-Albin, comtesse de Genlis
Madame de Genlis, full name Stéphanie Félicité Ducrest de St-Aubin, comtesse de Genlis, or Madame Brûlart, was a French writer, harpist and educator.-Biography:...
; it is usually assumed that she was an unacknowledged daughter of the comtesse and Louis Philip II, Duke of Orléans. However, there is a tradition in Fogo
Fogo Island, Newfoundland and Labrador
Fogo Island is the largest of the offshore islands of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It lies off the northeast coast of Newfoundland, northwest of Musgrave Harbour across Hamilton Sound, just east of Change Islands. The island is about 25 km long and 14 km wide...
, Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, that she was the illegitimate daughter of an English naval
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
officer, was taken to England and ended up in the Genlis household.
Revolution
During the French RevolutionFrench Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, the Genlis family fled to England. Pamela, by then an attractive young woman, became engaged to Richard Sheridan
Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Richard Brinsley Butler Sheridan was an Irish-born playwright and poet and long-term owner of the London Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. For thirty-two years he was also a Whig Member of the British House of Commons for Stafford , Westminster and Ilchester...
, but the engagement was quickly ended. She instead married at Tournay
Tournay
Tournay may refer to:* Tournai , a municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut* Tournay, a commune of the Hautes-Pyrénées département, in southwestern France...
, on 27 December 1792, Lord Edward FitzGerald
Lord Edward FitzGerald
Lord Edward FitzGerald was an Irish aristocrat and revolutionary. He was the fifth son of the 1st Duke of Leinster and the Duchess of Leinster , he was born at Carton House, near Dublin, and died of wounds received in resisting arrest on charge of treason.-Early years:FitzGerald spent most of his...
, the radical revolutionary and leading United Irishman
United Irishman
The United Irishman title has been a very popular newspaper title in Ireland and a number of newspapers have been published under the title.*...
. They settled at his home in Kildare
Kildare
-External links:*******...
and had four children.
As the country seethed with rebellion, Fitzgerald was hunted by the government and forced into hiding. He was betrayed a few days before the date set for the planned rising
Irish Rebellion of 1798
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , also known as the United Irishmen Rebellion , was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against British rule in Ireland...
he was to lead and was wounded resisting arrest on 19 May 1798. Although his wound was to the shoulder and relatively minor it was left untreated and he died of his wounds on June 5. As a "traitor" to the British crown, his estates were confiscated, and Pamela was compelled to leave the country to avoid possible charges of treason.
Pamela fled to Hamburg, where in 1800 she married Joseph Pitcairn
Joseph Pitcairn
Joseph Pitcairn was an American diplomat, landowner and the American consul to the free Hansa city of Hamburg. The town of Pitcairn in New York State is named in his honour....
, the American consul to Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. Although she had been greatly beloved and esteemed by the whole FitzGerald family, after her second marriage her intimacy with them ceased. She remained to the last passionately devoted to the memory of her first husband and died 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...
in November 1831 where a portrait of her hangs in the Louvre
Louvre
The Musée du Louvre – in English, the Louvre Museum or simply the Louvre – is one of the world's largest museums, the most visited art museum in the world and a historic monument. A central landmark of Paris, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement...
. She had four children by Lord Edward FitzGerald: Edward Fox (1794-1863); Pamela, afterwards wife of General Sir Guy Campbell; Lucy Louisa, who married Captain Lyon, RN and Jane, who married Lt. Col. Christopher Hamilton.