Tart of the Week: Elizabeth Lady Holland

This wild beauty was born in Jamaica in 1771, the only child to the extremely wealthy Richard Vassall. As was common in rich families who only had a daughter, anyone who was to marry their precious Elizabeth would have to take their last name in order to receive the money that came with her. It also ensured that the family name would be carried on. Because of her upbringing on the tropical island, Elizabeth developed a fondness for the exotic and penchant for discovery. She "devoured" books and was absolutely fascinated by science; specifically geology and chemistry. Elizabeth also had a sunny personality but was known to be blunt in her opinions and ambitious. Her one weakness was thunderstorms which she remained deathly afraid of throughout her life. Even lighting many candles and not even having one inch of widow showing in order to avoid seeing lightning.

When it came time for Elizabeth to marry, her parents settled upon a baronet in England, Sir Geoffrey Webster who just happened to be 23 years older than fifteen year old Elizabeth. The teen was carted away to the opposite hemisphere to become mistress to the imposing Battle Abbey, it must have been quite the shell shock for a plantation girl from Jamaica.

Sir Geoffrey himself was no prize. He was a depressed fellow (quite opposite from his young bride) who was prone to jealousy, drink, and gambling. Children followed the marriage but so too did physical abuse. It wouldn't be risky to say this could have been the result of Elizabeth's stubborn, acid-tongue ways. She was not the type of lady to refrain from defending herself or at least stating her opinions! Sir Geoff also came with baggage: his mother. Elizabeth hated the old bag. The feeling was reciprocated. Open warfare soon developed between the two Lady Websters. Elizabeth would inquire daily as to whether the "old hag was dead yet." Harsh! She would also try and scare her out of the house with ghostly pranks. There is even a story of Elizabeth going so far as to stage a prank that the French had invaded the cost, employing friends and such, dressed as commoners, to run toward the abbey with carts, screaming bloody murder. The dowager Webster invited them in for food and drink and told them to let the French know they would be treated the same and she could be found there until her death. Ha!

Is it any surprise then, that Elizabeth was always begging her husband to travel? He was a stick in the mud, and therefore never interested as leaving the house which Elizabeth saw as her prison. By 1791 Elizabeth was finally satisfying her need to travel, sometimes with her husband and sometimes without. It was in her travels on the continent that she met up with Harriet Lady Duncannon and the two women became fast friends. Despite their different temperaments they had a common interest in (Whig) politics and partying. While abroad the broads traveled, partied, and flirted together in what appears to have been a really fun time. It also just happened to be where they both met the men they would come to cheat on their husbands with.

At first it was Granville Leveson-Gower who was constantly flirting with Elizabeth. But when his attention was turned to Harriet, Elizabeth began paying more attention to her suitor, Henry Richard Fox, Baron Holland. Like Caroline Lennox with Henry's grandfather before him, Elizabeth initially found Henry to be "not in the least bit handsome" and with many "personal defects." But you know how those Foxes are, women can't resist them! Henry's rakish father died when he was a baby so he was raised by his uncle, Charles James Fox, which should be explanation enough into his personality. Soon the gay party (Elizabeth, Harriet and the boys) were taking fun day trips and exploring together, prompting love to bloom between the couples. When Elizabeth finally was ready to return to England and her husband in 1796 she was accompanied by Henry. Later that year she gave birth to his baby and soon a divorce proceeding was underway.

At first Sir Geoffrey was enraged about being cuckolded. Then he would claim that he would go through with the proceedings, then he would be angry again, then he would claim he still loved Elizabeth. It just got ridiculous when he began considering a duel with Henry, not for banging his wife but for commissioning Romney to paint a portrait of her. At last it was decided that he would divorce Elizabeth, and what a doosey he presented her. She had to give up her whole fortune and children, only to receive a mere £800 a year and that was on top of suing Henry for £10,000 in damages (which was later decreased). Perhaps anticipating the disastrous divorce, Elizabeth had written to her husband on her way back from the continent to inform him that their daughter Harriet had died of measles. This was a desperate act of a mother, done in order to stay with her two year old daughter. The trick worked but Elizabeth was in constant fear of discovery. Meanwhile, she was denied any access to her other children.

Now a fallen woman Elizabeth was scared at her prospects and that of her baby. Luckily, Henry loved her and married her. Polite society excommunicated Elizabeth but as they tended to do with their fallen friends, Harriet and Georgiana remained loyal and continued to see Elizabeth. Eventually her home, Holland House, became the next Devonshire House, a political epicentre. Like a captain running a tight ship, Elizabeth relished her role as political hostess, and even began to rival Georgiana. The scandalous couple, in the tradition of all Foxes, had a happy marriage and threw fabulous parties. She died five years after her husband, in 1845 after bearing tremendous death pains for three days. Proving, once again, that she was a tough broad even up to the end.

Devonshire Progeny: Harryo

When Georgiana gave birth to her second child in 1785 everything was set up grandly for the birth of the Devonshire heir. What came out was another girl, to be named after her aunt, Harriet; although she would henceforth almost always be referred to as 'Harryo.' Not only was a girl born but a typical middle child. Harryo lacked the physical charms of her famous mother. She may have been fashionably pale but she lacked her mother's figure and her chubbiness was constantly commented on. She also decided to lack her mother's love of fashion, but this was more an act of defiance. In fact, Harryo seemed to be more cynical and perhaps a little bitter than her siblings Little G and Hart were. What physical charms Harryo lacked she made up with her cleverness and intelligence. Many would comment through the years on her interesting conversation and obvious smarts. Put all these aspects together and we have some very interesting perspectives on living with the Devonshires. We also have a big Bess-hater. All in all, Harryo's appeal and complexity lies in her contemporary edge. Clearly, she was born in the wrong century.

Every Cavendish reacted to their mother's exile in a different way. Harryo reacted with typical teenage bitchiness. She managed to make peace with her mother before her death in 1806 but afterward was left feeling alone and isolated. To make matters worse she was trapped in her home without her siblings and with her father and...Bess. Bess whom Harryo claimed to always hate despite her always being around. To make matters worse, Bess took over Georgiana's place, sitting at the head of the table; a position reserved for the next lady of the household, not the head of the household's mistress. Aunt Harriet took pity on Harryo and spent more time with her to rescue her from her bad home life. Bess was also attempting to aid Harryo in finding a husband. Bess' choice was Granville Leveson-Gower, a man who had been involved with Harriet and was the father of two of her children. Harryo sneered at the match, despite Granville's good looks. Instead, she went through a series of other suitors, the first being Harriet's son, John. Just as Harryo began to fall in love with the cousin he became interested in Lady Jersey's daughter, Elizabeth. Harriet, hating the idea of becoming in laws with such a woman, tried to convince him to go for his cousin.

Eventually, John's indecisiveness lost him the option of Harryo who moved on to various other suitors including other cousins and friends of her brother. But it all came back to her aunt's boyfriend, Granville. The tall dark and handsome had taken an interest in the short and "stout" Cavendish spinster but she still talked about him with disdain. Although, it was becoming apparent that this disdain was only a facade to mask her true feelings. The truth was Harryo attempted to hate him because she knew he was attached to Aunt Harriet. One time Bess was giving a dinner with the Bessboroughs and invited Granville too. Lord Bessborough and his youngest son showed up but all waited for Harriet and Granville to appear. Things became more and more awkward while everyone waited and Bess continued to wink at Harryo across the table. Finally, a note came saying neither would show up. The men were cranky but Bess and Harryo were enraged, knowing the cause of the no-shows.

Eventually Granville began showing more interested in Harryo (after all he needed a wife) than in Harriet. At first Harriet was unhappy with this, but she slowly began to realize she would rather have him marry someone she loved than any ol' snotty heiress. After a roller coaster of a courtship Granville nervously got on one knee and asked Harryo to be his wife, and she gladly accepted. Granville and Harriet were never to renew their romantic relationship again, but she forever remained his trusted friend and correspondent. Harryo quickly began having children and even accepted her aunt's illegitimate children with her husband into her family where they were raised lovingly. Granville continued to get ambassador positions across Europe, including Paris and the Hague, good thing Harryo was fluent in other languages! In the end, Harryo turned out to be quite like her mother, hosting fabulous get-togethers in whatever city she was stationed in and inspiring all with her intriguing conversation.

Tart of the Week: Lady Hester Stanhope

Hester was the first child born to the Earl of Stanhope. Her mother had died after giving birth to her 3rd daughter, leaving three young girls and a devastated, and unfatherly husband. Life in the Stanhope house was not the ideal situation. The earl, needing an heir, quickly remarried a woman who could care less about the daughters from his first marriage. The earl himself was reportedly unkind to his children and busied himself in his work. It's no wonder Hester grew up to be a rebellious teenager. By the age of twenty she managed to get herself kicked out of her house for her various rebellions. Hester had nowhere to go - except of course, Uncle Pitt's House.

Yes, the Prime Minister just happened to be Hester's uncle by way of her mother. You would think the rebellious and striking young lady and the stuffy politician may not have been the best combination but the odd couple actually worked. Pitt was notoriously asexual and never had a wife or children but Hester's presence brought out out his fatherly side and he loved having Hester around. Hester, in turn, loved living with her uncle and her intelligence and wit made her a welcome asset to his home. She soon proved herself to be a great political hostess, much like Georgiana and the Duchess of Gordon. This new position also allowed her to meet many new people.

One of those people just happened to be Granville Leveson-Gower, Harriet's longtime beau. The dashing Tory was flirtatious and Hester fell hard for him. She had been courted by many of her uncle's friends but Granville was a hard man to resist, with his blue eyes and dark hair. Unfortunately, Granville was just flirting and had no serious intentions for Hester; yes she had great political connections, but what he needed was a wife with money. Hester flew into a rage at his rejection. As Granville was preparing to depart for his new ambassadorial mission in Russia Hest sent him a frantic letter threatening suicide if he refused to marry her. Granville, did was any typical man would: he showed the letter to his girlfriend (Harriet) and left anyway. Hester promptly poisoned herself but survived. Forever afterward she despised Harriet and had no problem showing it. Like any rejected, love-sick woman, she wrote twenty page letters to Granville telling him how horrible he was and when that didn't seem to get his attention she claimed she was pregnant...to just about everyone.

But more pressing matters were soon to distract Hester from heartbreak. Pitt was ill. Hester tended to him night and day but it was becoming obvious that the former prime minister was dying. After Pitt's death, Hester was once again homeless and bored. A series of illness and lousy men caused her to make the rash decision to leave England and travel through exotic lands.

Hester's entourage consisted of her doctor (who was secretly in love with her), her faithful maid, and 20 year old Michael Bruce who later became her lover. Many adventures met our heroine in these eastern lands and news would constantly reach England of Lady Stanhope's scandalous escapades. Once, a shipwreck in Rhodes left the party without any clothes so they were forced to adopt Turkish garb. Hester chose to wear men's clothing since she refused to veil her face. Feisty! Eventually she stopped traveling and settled down to live in Turkey with her party. Vistitors from Europe began to visit the eastern lands knowing they could safely stay with Lady Stanhope. Life was good.

Unfortunately good things cannot last forever. First, Michael returned to England to help his dying father, promising daily letters and money. Neither arrived. Next her faithful maid died and her doctor returned to England to settle down and have a family. A life of isolation brought Hester back into the same state of crazy that Granville put her in years earlier. She became eccentric like a female Howard Hughes and plunged into debt. Guests were only allowed to see her hands and face, she shaved her head and wore a turban, she only appeared at night, Hester had finally lost it. While her servants stole her possessions from under her nose, Hester became ill and died penniless and alone in 1839.

Tart of the Week: Harriet Lady Bessborough

I have been waiting quite a while to present this much-awaited tart her week. The youngest child of Lord and Lady Spencer was born in Wimbleton 16 June 1761 and named Henrietta Frances Spencer. Although her birth name was Henrietta, she was rarely ever referred to as such and was known as Harriet throughout her life. The Spencer household was very devoted to their children, however Harriet did not receive as much attention as her older brother and sister. Georgiana, the eldest was her mother's favorite, and George, as the Spencer heir also was doted upon. So the youngest Spencer child was commonly left out of many things including certain family vacations. Despite her lack of family contact, Lady Spencer made sure Harriet had the best education. Instead of being schooled at home like her siblings, Harriet was sent to convents in France for her education where she met the dauphine, Marie Antoinette. Still, Harriet grew up to be rather frail and quite soft spoken and always looking for love and approval.

By the time Harriet came of age she was a ravishing beauty with connections to the Devonshires, a very good match for any suitor. The man who won her hand in marriage was a cousin of the Duke of Devonshire, Frederick Ponsonby, the Viscount Duncannon. The naive Harriet was happy with her husband at first and children followed promptly. As time went on Duncannon's true nature appeared. He was extremely jealous of the attentions his wife attracted from other men and would sometimes degrade her in public. At home, the abuse continued and family members worried it was physical. Harriet was already under a lot of strain due to poor health and this increased every time she had a child. It is also quite possible she may have made a failed suicide attempt at one point which left her partially incapacitated. Meanwhile debts began to pile up around her because of both her and her husband's gambling habits.

It may come as no surprise to you that all these stresses caused Harriet to find relief in other men's arms and there was no shortage of other men. Harriet's beauty and charm along with her weak disposition made her irresistible to many men. The first of her many affairs was Lord John Townsend, a Foxite. He was soon followed by the rakish Charles Wydham, a friend of the Prince of Wales. Her affair with Wydham culminated at the same time as Harriet's third pregnancy which would produce the future Caroline Lamb. Given the different attitudes and appearances of brothers and their sister, it is highly probably this was not her husband's legitimate daughter. Naughty must run in the family!

It was her affair with the unpredictable Richard Brinsley Sheridan that Harriet found herself in way over her head. The two were friends before lovers but their affair but Sheridan haunted Harriet over, years after the affair had ended. Sheridan was known to show up to her unannounced and make demands. Their relationship was also the final blow to Sheridan's lovely wife, Elizabeth who soon died (prematurely) afterward, likely of a broken heart. The affair was exposed to the public and Duncannon instantly flew into a rage. He threatened to divorce Harriet and leave her to a life of social ostracism. Harriet was horrified but was saved by her brother in law, the Duke of Devonshire, who cooled his cousin's rage. William always did seem to like Harriet.

It was a while before Harriet had another affair. In the meantime she still suffered through bad health and her daughter, Caroline or Caro proved to be quite a handful. Her next affair was with the much younger Tory, Granville Leveson-Gower. This one lasted over 15 years and was deep-rooted, loving relationship that withstood Granville's many ambassadorial missions to far away countries. The two were each other's confidants and trusted advisers. Two children were the result of the relationship, they both conveniently slipped under Duncannon, now Lord Bessborough's radar. Dummy. When it came time to for Granville to marry the affair instantly ended and Granville's bride to be was none other than Harriet's niece and namesake, Harryo, Georgiana's second daughter.

Granville's marriage to Harryo was a happy one. Eventually, Harriet and Granville's children became part of Granville and Harryo's family. Harriet dealt with the loss of her true love stoically and settled down to being a grandmother and even made amends with her stupid husband. When she died in 1821, she requested her eternal resting place to be next to the person she loved the most in life, her sister, Georgiana.