Country Homes: Knowsley Hall

Location: Merseyside
Famous Inhabitants: Lady Elizabeth Derby, Elizabeth Farren
Website: www.knowsley.com

On the Seventh Day of Christmas Elizabeth Farren Gave to Me...

Seven merry monologues...

Elizabeth Farren was a pretty tame tart. Well, she did steal the Countess of Derby's husband and then take her title as soon as she croaked. But otherwise, she was a very professional actress, staring in a long list of plays. She was a very good one too, she was the comedic starlet of Drury Lane and rival to Mrs Abington. This Irish actress' specialty: portraying aristocratic ladies.

The Wrightsman Galleries Are Pretty Sweet

Well, Lauren and I just got back from from our rendez-vous in the big apple. We had a very successful trip that I just thought I'd share some of our discoveries. This time we hit up The Met for the reopening of the Wrightsman Galleries. These galleries consist of late French interiors taken from various hotels and homes of period to save them from renovations. They contain much of the original furniture and decoration. Plus, they are lit by electric candles that have fake flames that wiggle every once in a while. This entertained me more than you'll ever know. But enough of that, here are some of the pictures I snapped to entice visitors to The Met.
















I also met up with some old friends:

Rose Adélaïde Ducreux's Self Portrait with Harp was on display in the first room of the Wrightsman galleries.

Gainsborough's full-length of Grace was on display in all its glory.

The two Countesses of Derby were side by side.

Madame Grand was looking angelic of course.

And who doesn't love David's enlightened portrait the Lavoisiers.

Tart of the Week: The Honourable Mrs. Anne Damer

The adventurous life of Mrs. Damer began in 1748 when she was born to a prominent Whig family as Anne Seymour Conway. Her father, Henry Seymour Conway was a cousin of Horace Walpole and her mother was the extremely Scottish, Caroline Bruce, Lady Ailesbury. While her parents were abroad little Anne experimented with the art of sculpture, as encouraged by her godfather, Horace Walpole. Life seemed pretty normal and boring for young Anne but luckily a dumb husband changed all that (as they usually do for many of our tarts of aristocracy).

John Damer was a drunk and a gambler, which wasn't so unusual for the time. He was also the son of an earl who provided a generous annual income which had to have looked good to 19 year old Anne. This on top of this Anne brought in some fortunes of her own from inheritances. Well, John, being the idiot he was, gambled away most of their money in first six years of their marriage. What he didn't gamble away he spent on his wardrobe. In the seventh year of marriage, he lost it all in one night. He then retired to a room above the Bedford Arms in Covent Garden and shot himself through the head. Anne was now a widow. A widow in a lot of debt.

This put Mrs. Damer in an awful situation. But believe it or not, it was probably the best thing that could happen to her. Walpole not only took her in at his home in Strawberry Hill but he helped to get her on her feet again and allowed freedoms that her marriage lacked. The old bachelor loved her as his own and even willed his Strawberry Hill home to her. Anne took up her childhood hobby of sculpture and honed her skills until she was a reputable artist. Her work reflects the Neoclassicism of the period which helped to gain her many allegorical commissions such as the heads of Isis and Tamesis which still grace the keystones of Henley Bridge today. Her friendships that developed between Sarah Siddons and Elizabeth Farren also earned her some theatrical commissions including reliefs for Boydell Shakespeare Gallery. By 1784 Anne was an honorary exhibitor at the Royal Academy and remained so until 1818.

Her new freedom also allowed her many friendships. Due to her Whig roots, she was naturally drawn to the Devonshire House Circle and became a close friend of Georgiana. She was one of the many devoted canvassers in the 1784 Westminster Election. Mrs. Damer also frequented the masquerades quite often; not the best way to keep a good reputation. In fact, many rumors of Mrs. Damer being a lesbian surfaced, although this could be due to her affinity for male clothing. In truth, Anne was, in all likelihood, a lesbian and enjoyed the company of her female friends. It is thought that Walpole introduced her to the author, Mary Berry, with whom she had a long-standing romantic relationship.

Anne also enjoyed her widowhood because it allowed her travel. She was good friend and regularar guest of the expat, William Hamilton, (of Emma notariety) the ambassador to Naples. At one point in her travels to Europe she was captured by a privateer but released. She also happened to be in Paris during the Treaty of Amiens and met Napoleon himself.

Anne died a happy old lady in 1828. As requested, she was buried with her sculptor's tools and apron as well as with the ashes of her favorite dog.

Tart of the Week: Elizabeth Farren

Hot! Elizabeth Farren was an Irish actress of humble origins. She excelled at her art and was even dubbed The Queen of Comedy by Horace Walpole, the social authority of the time. Given that Elizabeth was the starlet of Drury Lane Theater, the title was probably not flattery. She excelled at playing aristocratic ladies, even portraying Lady Teazle in Sheridan's School of Scandal, a part based upon The Duchess of Devonshire.

It was likely these parts that got Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby's attention. The earl fell in love with Elizabeth, despite the fact that his wife, Elizabeth Hamilton, was still very much alive. The secret affair was once again very public in satirical prints and therefore a widely followed affair. When Lady Derby died, the earl wasted no time making Elizabeth his wife (and the new Lady Derby). They were married two months after his first wife's death. The couple continued to be ridiculed in satires with Elizabeth portrayed as as the tall and skinny gold-digger and the earl as short and squatty. They amused and inspired satirical artists throughout the rest of their marriage. A typical celebrity union.