Elizabeth Campbell, 1st Baroness Hamilton of Hameldon
Elizabeth Campbell, 1st Baroness Hamilton of Hameldon (* 7. December 1733 in Hemingford Gray , Huntingdonshire , † 20th December 1790 in Argyll House in London ) was a British aristocrat and Oberhof Lady ( Lady of the falconer ) of the Queen Consort Sophie Charlotte of Ireland, Great Britain and Hanover .
Life
Elizabeth Gunning was the youngest daughter of Irish soldier Colonel John Gunning, of Castle Coote, and his wife, the Hon. Bridget Bourke, a daughter of the politician Theobald Bourke, 6th Viscount Mayo , and Mary Browne. Together with her older sister Maria (1732-1760) Elizabeth grew up in poor circumstances. At an early age, the mother urged her daughters to take up a job in order to earn a living.
Elizabeth and Maria Gunning traveled to Dublin where they worked for some time at the City Theater. There they met the Irish actress Margaret Peg Woffington (1720-1760) and became friends with her. Many actresses at the time were courtesans of wealthy benefactors. While many stayed that way for a longer period of time, others used this situation to look for a wealthy and, if possible, noble marriage candidate. The young women were encouraged to take part in social events in order to find a potential marriage candidate. In the summer of 1750, the two sisters received an invitation to such an event at Dublin Castle , the host was the then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland , William Stanhope, 1st Earl of Harrington (1690-1756).
The following year Elizabeth and her sister traveled to England. The two found employment in London's West End theater district and in Vauxhall Garden. In no time at all, Elizabeth Gunning rose to become the darling of London society.
Her sister Maria, married Countess of Coventry, died at the age of 28 as a result of leaded make-up products. Elizabeth Champbell, Baroness Hamilton, was Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Charlotte between 1761 and 1784 . After the death of her father-in-law, her second husband was awarded the hereditary title of Duke of Argyll . Six years later, on May 20, 1776, King George III. the Duchess of Argyll, whom he adored, the title of Peer Baroness Hamilton of Hameldon ( Peeress in her own right ).
Marriage and offspring
On February 14, 1752, Elizabeth Gunning married the Scottish aristocrat and politician James Douglas-Hamilton, 6th Duke of Hamilton (1724-1758), the only son of James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton , and his first in Bedford House , London Consort of Lady Anne Cochrane. Three children emerged from the joint relationship:
- Elizabeth Hamilton (1753–1797) ⚭ 1774 Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby (1752–1834)
- James George Hamilton (1755–1769), 7th Duke of Hamilton
- Douglas Hamilton (1756-1799), 8th Duke of Hamilton
- ⚭ 1778–1794 Elizabeth Anne Burrell (1757–1837)
- 1795 Love affair with the actress Harriet Pye Bennett (1765–1865)
After the early death of her husband, Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater (1736-1803), the later founder of British inland shipping, courted the Duchess. It is not known why there was no wedding.
On February 3, 1759, she married the attractive Field Marshal John Campbell, Marquess of Lorne (1723-1806), the second son of General John Campbell, 4th Duke of Argyll , and Mary Bellenden. Five children emerged from the mutual connection:
- Augusta Campbell (1760–1831) ⚭ 1830 Brigade General Henry Clavering
- George John Campbell (1763–1764), Earl of Campbell
- George William Campbell (1768–1839), 6th Duke of Argyll ⚭ 1810 Lady Caroline Elizabeth Villiers (1774–1835)
- Charlotte Susan Maria Campbell (1775–1861), writer
- ⚭ 1796 Colonel John Campbell († 1809)
- ⚭ 1818 Reverend Edward John Bury (1790–1832)
- John Douglas Edward Henry Campbell (1777–1847), 7th Duke of Argyll
- ⚭ 1802 Elizabeth Campbell († 1818)
- ⚭ 1820 Joan Glassel († 1828)
- ⚭ 1831 Anne Colquhoun Cuninghame (1801–1874)
Name in different phases of life
- 1733–1752 Elizabeth Gunning
- 1752-1758 Elizabeth Hamilton, Duchess of Hamilton
- 1758-1759 Elizabeth Hamilton, Dowager Duchess of Hamilton
- 1759-1770 Elizabeth Campbell, Baroness Hamilton
- 1770-1790 Elizabeth Campbell, Duchess of Argyll
- 1776–1790 Elizabeth Campbell, 1st Baroness Hamilton of Hameldon ( Peeress in her own right )
literature
- Thomson Willing: Some Old Time Beauties. After Portraits by the English Masters, with Embellishment and Comment . Tredition, Hamburg 2012, ISBN 978-3-8491-6605-2 (reprint of the Boston edition, Mass. 1895).
- Horace Bleackley: The Story of a Beautiful Duchess. Being an Account of the Life and Times of Elizabeth Gunning . Kessinger Publ., Whitefish, Mont. 2005, ISBN 1-4326-1738-9 (reprint of London 1907 edition).
Web links
- Elizabeth Gunning, Baroness Hamilton of Hameldon, on thepeerage.com , accessed August 12, 2015.
- The Gunning family ( Memento from September 5, 2004 in the Internet Archive )
Remarks
- ↑ The Gunning Family ( Memento from September 5, 2004 in the Internet Archive )
- ^ Bayntun History
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| New title created |
Baroness Hamilton of Hameldon 1776-1790 |
Douglas Hamilton |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Campbell, Elizabeth, 1st Baroness Hamilton of Hameldon |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Gunning, Elizabeth; Hamilton, Elizabeth, Duchess of Hamilton; Campbell, Elizabeth, Duchess of Argyll |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British aristocrat, lady-in-waiting to the Queen Consort Sophie Charlotte of Ireland, Great Britain and Hanover |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 7, 1733 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Hemingford Gray , Huntingdonshire |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 20, 1790 |
| Place of death | London |