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299:. She considered him "handsomer than an angel," and they felt an instant attraction for each other. She wrote to a friend, "I will own it, and never deny it that I do love Spencer above all men on Earth." Spencer was uncertain if he would have his family's approval for the match and opted to spend several months travelling until his twenty-first birthday, when their approval would no longer be necessary. On his return they recognised their love had persisted, and shortly after his birthday they married in a secret ceremony on 20 December 1755 at
388:. Lady Spencer stayed with them for ten days to help care for the child, finding that Caroline only slept when sleeping with her grandmother. Lady Spencer departed when she was satisfied that mother and daughter were "vastly well," although she often returned to visit the family. She took an active role in Caroline's upbringing. Lady Spencer died on 18 March 1814 at St. Albans, and was buried twelve days later at Brington, Northamptonshire.
311:
360:." Lady Spencer was known as a philanthropist among her contemporaries, and was a founding member of the Ladies Society, "one of the first philanthropic organisations systematically to investigate the characters and circumstances of those who appealed to them for assistance." She communicated with philanthropists such as
380:
A lifelong sufferer of ill-health, Lord
Spencer died on 31 October 1783 in Bath at the age of 48. An extravagant man, he left their son with enormous debts, but, according to Richard Milward, also "greatly increased his family estates and its prestige by being the employer of leading architects, the
355:
The
Spencers were generous patrons of writers and artists, and often hosted plays and concerts at Spencer House. According to biographer Donna T. Andrew, Lady Spencer was "exceptionally intelligent and well educated"; she was fluent in French and Italian, possessed some knowledge of Greek, and was
381:
collector of
Italian paintings." Lady Spencer had liked to gamble but gave up the habit during her widowhood; she cautioned her daughters of the dangers of incurring large debts, although her warnings largely went unheeded.
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230:
Lady
Spencer was a noted philanthropist, and was in communication with a large network of charitable organisations. Her correspondence with a friend represents the largest private collection of letters in the
37:
321:
The marriage was made public five days later, and the couple was presented at court during the following year. Their early years together were happy, and their eldest child,
283:. Georgiana had four siblings, three brothers and one sister. Stephen Poyntz died when Georgiana was thirteen, leaving the family, never rich, in comfortable surroundings.
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and Anna Maria
Mordaunt. Her diplomat father, the son of a successful linen draper (though distantly descended from an old landowning family), had been sent to
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333:(born 1761). The Spencers owned many lavish estates, but preferred to reside at Althorp. In 1764, the family moved to their newly built London residence,
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356:"accomplished in botany." Her correspondence with the Hon. Mrs Howe "is reputed to be the largest single private collection of letters in the
352:. Newcastle's party fell into opposition in 1762, and Spencer's loyalty was rewarded with an earldom on the duke's return to power in 1765.
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215:, one of the wealthiest men of the era. A love match, the marriage resulted in the births of three surviving children, who included
337:. Intended to be worthy of Spencer's large collection of antiquities, the lavish residence took seven years and ÂŖ50,000 to build.
307:. The ceremony, held in an upper bedroom, occurred during a ball held in Spencer's honour with five hundred guests in attendance.
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325:, was born in 1757 at Althorp. Georgiana preferred her firstborn, "Dear little Gee", to her younger children,
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and charitable organisations, often advising them on how best to use the resources given to them.
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as MP for
Warwick, and in 1761 was awarded a viscountcy by the leader of the party, the
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Andrew, Donna T. (2004). "Spencer, (Margaret) Georgiana, Countess
Spencer (1737â1814)".
279:, was the daughter of Brigadier-General the Hon. Lewis Mordaunt and a granddaughter of
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Margaret
Georgiana Poyntz, known as Georgiana to her family, was born on 8 May 1737 at
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as a boy to begin a career in society, and eventually became the steward to the young
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400:, Georgiana Poyntz had five children (including two daughters who died in infancy).
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Privilege and
Scandal: The Remarkable Life of Harriet Spencer, Sister of Georgiana
684:
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199:; 8 May 1737 â 18 March 1814), was an English philanthropist. She was born at
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Milward, Richard (2004). "Spencer, John, first Earl
Spencer (1734â1783)".
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Lady Spencer's three surviving children, Georgiana, George, and Henrietta
219:. The Spencers became earl and countess in 1765, a reward granted by the
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Woodfine, Philip (2004). "Poyntz, Stephen (bap. 1685, d. 1750)".
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In 1754, seventeen-year-old Georgiana Poyntz met twenty-year-old
295:, who had inherited enormous wealth from his great-grandmother,
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Lady Charlotte Spencer (1765–1766), died in infancy.
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Lady Louisa Spencer (b. & d. 1769), died in infancy.
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788:(online ed.). Oxford University Press.
761:(online ed.). Oxford University Press.
671:(online ed.). Oxford University Press.
190:Margaret Georgiana Spencer, Countess Spencer
433:Frederick Ponsonby, 3rd Earl of Bessborough
157:Henrietta Ponsonby, Countess of Bessborough
217:Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire
147:Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire
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409:William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire
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132: 1755; died 1783)
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415:George John Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer
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223:for John's political loyalty to the
203:as the daughter of a diplomat and a
423:Charles Bingham, 1st Earl of Lucan
407:(7 June 1757–1806), married
14:
719:. Random House Trade Paperbacks.
251:, the fourth surviving child of
152:George Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer
695:Lady Caroline Lamb: A Biography
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429:Lady Henrietta Frances Spencer
398:John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer
118:John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer
1:
303:, the Spencer family seat in
802:UK public library membership
775:UK public library membership
685:UK public library membership
239:, which they built in 1764.
855:English patrons of the arts
431:(1761–1821), married
417:(1758–1834), married
344:, in 1756 John entered the
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106:Brington, Northamptonshire
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845:British patrons of music
713:Foreman, Amanda (2008).
271:. Georgiana's mother, a
42:Lady Spencer painted by
835:English philanthropists
734:Gleeson, Janet (2008).
692:Douglass, Paul (2004).
211:. In 1754, she married
794:10.1093/ref:odnb/22694
767:10.1093/ref:odnb/38713
740:. Three Rivers Press.
698:. Palgrave Macmillan.
677:10.1093/ref:odnb/39563
405:Lady Georgiana Spencer
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161:Lady Charlotte Spencer
16:English philanthropist
850:Patrons of literature
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419:Lady Lavinia Bingham
314:The Earl Spencer by
30:The Countess Spencer
26:The Right Honourable
368:Widowhood and death
316:Thomas Gainsborough
263:'s household and a
209:Caroline of Ansbach
179:Anna Maria Mordaunt
164:Lady Louisa Spencer
44:Thomas Gainsborough
830:British countesses
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261:Duke of Cumberland
800:(Subscription or
773:(Subscription or
683:(Subscription or
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346:House of Commons
329:(born 1758) and
305:Northamptonshire
265:Privy Councillor
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86:(1814-03-18)
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825:1814 deaths
820:1737 births
716:The Duchess
658:Works cited
479:Andrew 2004
814:Categories
804:required.)
777:required.)
687:required.)
446:References
243:Early life
225:Whig party
67:8 May 1737
63:1737-05-08
331:Henrietta
323:Georgiana
172:Parent(s)
97:, England
91:St Albans
76:, England
386:Caroline
287:Marriage
140:Children
301:Althorp
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392:Family
327:George
197:Poyntz
112:Spouse
74:London
396:With
128:(
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742:ISBN
721:ISBN
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342:Whig
81:Died
57:Born
790:doi
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673:doi
275:to
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194:nÊe
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
