Biography of Henrietta Frances Spencer Countess Bessborough 1761-1821

On 20th December 1755 [her father] John Spencer 1st Earl Spencer [aged 21] and [her mother] Margaret Georgiana Poyntz Countess Spencer [aged 18] were married at Althorp House, Northamptonshire [Map]. He the son of [her grandfather] John Spencer and [her grandmother] Georgiana Caroline Carteret [aged 39].

On 16th June 1761 Henrietta Frances Spencer Countess Bessborough was born to [her father] John Spencer 1st Earl Spencer [aged 26] and [her mother] Margaret Georgiana Poyntz Countess Spencer [aged 24].

On 1st November 1765 [her father] John Spencer 1st Earl Spencer [aged 30] was created 1st Earl Spencer, 1st Viscount Althorp. [her mother] Margaret Georgiana Poyntz Countess Spencer [aged 28] by marriage Countess Spencer, 1st Viscountess Althorp.

Around 1774 Angelica Kauffmann [aged 32]. Portrait of siblings [her sister] Georgiana [aged 16], Henriette [aged 12] and [her brother] George [aged 15] Spencer.

On 7th June 1774 [her brother-in-law] William Cavendish 5th Duke Devonshire [aged 26] and [her sister] Georgiana Spencer Duchess Devonshire [aged 17] were married at St Mary's Church, Wimbledon. It was her 17th birthday. She by marriage Duchess Devonshire. She the daughter of [her father] John Spencer 1st Earl Spencer [aged 39] and [her mother] Margaret Georgiana Poyntz Countess Spencer [aged 37]. He the son of William Cavendish 4th Duke Devonshire and Charlotte Elizabeth Boyle Marchioness Hartington. They were fourth cousins.

On 27th November 1780 Frederick Ponsonby 3rd Earl Bessborough [aged 22] and Henrietta Frances Spencer Countess Bessborough [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Countess Bessborough. She the daughter of John Spencer 1st Earl Spencer [aged 45] and Margaret Georgiana Poyntz Countess Spencer [aged 43]. He the son of William Ponsonby 2nd Earl Bessborough [aged 76] and Caroline Cavendish Countess Bessborough. They were fifth cousins.

On 6th March 1781 [her brother] George John Spencer 2nd Earl Spencer [aged 22] and [her sister-in-law] Lavinia Bingham Countess Spencer [aged 19] were married. She the daughter of Charles Bingham 1st Earl Lucan [aged 45] and Margaret Smith Countess Lucan [aged 41]. He the son of [her father] John Spencer 1st Earl Spencer [aged 46] and [her mother] Margaret Georgiana Poyntz Countess Spencer [aged 43].

On 31st August 1781 [her son] John Ponsonby 4th Earl Bessborough was born to [her husband] Frederick Ponsonby 3rd Earl Bessborough [aged 23] and Henrietta Frances Spencer Countess Bessborough [aged 20]. He married 16th November 1805 Maria Fane, daughter of John Fane 10th Earl of Westmoreland and Sarah Anne Child Countess of Westmoreland, and had issue.

On 6th July 1783 [her son] Frederick Cavendish Ponsonby was born to [her husband] Frederick Ponsonby 3rd Earl Bessborough [aged 25] and Henrietta Frances Spencer Countess Bessborough [aged 22]. He married 16th March 1825 his fourth cousin once removed Emily Bathurst, daughter of Henry Bathurst 3rd Earl Bathurst and Georgiana Lennox Countess Bathurst, and had issue.

On 31st October 1783 [her father] John Spencer 1st Earl Spencer [aged 48] died at Bath, Somerset [Map]. He was buried at St Mary the Virgin Church, Great Brington, Northamptonshire. His son [her brother] George [aged 25] succeeded 2nd Earl Spencer, 2nd Viscount Althorp, 2nd Viscount Spencer, 2nd Baron Spencer Althorp. [her sister-in-law] Lavinia Bingham Countess Spencer [aged 21] by marriage Countess Spencer.

On 13th November 1785 [her daughter] Caroline Ponsonby aka Lamb was born to [her husband] Frederick Ponsonby 3rd Earl Bessborough [aged 27] and Henrietta Frances Spencer Countess Bessborough [aged 24]. She married 1805 William Lamb 2nd Viscount Melbourne, son of Penistone Lamb 1st Viscount Melbourne and Elizabeth Milbanke Viscountess Melbourne.

On 10th February 1787 George Beauclerk 4th Duke St Albans [aged 28] died unmarried and without issue. His first cousin once removed Aubrey [aged 46] succeeded 5th Duke St Albans, 5th Earl Burford, 5th Baron Heddington. [her sister-in-law] Catherine Ponsonby Duchess St Albans [aged 44] by marriage Duchess St Albans.

On 31st July 1787 [her son] William Francis Spencer Ponsonby 1st Baron de Mauley was born to [her husband] Frederick Ponsonby 3rd Earl Bessborough [aged 29] and Henrietta Frances Spencer Countess Bessborough [aged 26]. He married 8th August 1814 Barbara Ashley-Cooper Baroness Mauley, daughter of Anthony Ashley-Cooper 5th Earl Shaftesbury and Barbara Webb Countess Shaftesbury, and had issue.

On 4th September 1789 [her sister-in-law] Catherine Ponsonby Duchess St Albans [aged 46] died.

On 11th March 1793 [her father-in-law] William Ponsonby 2nd Earl Bessborough [aged 89] died. His son [her husband] Frederick [aged 35] succeeded 3rd Earl Bessborough, 4th Viscount Duncannon of Duncannon in Wexford, 4th Baron Bessborough of Bessborough in Kilkenny.

In 1799 [her brother] George John Spencer 2nd Earl Spencer [aged 40] was appointed 621st Knight of the Garter by King George III of Great Britain and Ireland [aged 60].

On 17th August 1800 [her illegitimate daughter] Harriet Emma Arundel Stewart was born illegitimately to Granville Leveson-Gower 1st Earl Granville [aged 26] and Henrietta Frances Spencer Countess Bessborough [aged 39]. She was born in secret and sent to be raised by a foster mother.

In 1805 [her son-in-law] William Lamb 2nd Viscount Melbourne [aged 25] and Caroline Ponsonby aka Lamb [aged 19] were married. She the daughter of Frederick Ponsonby 3rd Earl Bessborough [aged 46] and Henrietta Frances Spencer Countess Bessborough [aged 43].

On 16th November 1805 John Ponsonby 4th Earl Bessborough [aged 24] and Maria Fane [aged 18] were married at Berkeley Square, Mayfair. She the daughter of John Fane 10th Earl of Westmoreland [aged 46] and Sarah Anne Child Countess of Westmoreland. He the son of Frederick Ponsonby 3rd Earl Bessborough [aged 47] and Henrietta Frances Spencer Countess Bessborough [aged 44].

On 30th March 1806 Georgiana Spencer Duchess Devonshire [aged 48] died at Devonshire House [Map]. She was buried at Derby Cathedral [Map]. Her husband William Cavendish 5th Duke Devonshire [aged 58], her mother Margaret Georgiana Poyntz Countess Spencer [aged 68], her sister Henrietta Frances Spencer Countess Bessborough [aged 44] and her eight months pregnant daughter Georgiana Cavendish Countess Carlisle [aged 22] were present, as was Elizabeth Christiana Hervey Duchess Devonshire [aged 48], her husband's mistress and future wife.

On 18th March 1814 [her mother] Margaret Georgiana Poyntz Countess Spencer [aged 76] died.

On 8th August 1814 William Francis Spencer Ponsonby 1st Baron de Mauley [aged 27] and Barbara Ashley-Cooper Baroness Mauley [aged 25] were married. She the daughter of Anthony Ashley-Cooper 5th Earl Shaftesbury and Barbara Webb Countess Shaftesbury [aged 52]. He the son of Frederick Ponsonby 3rd Earl Bessborough [aged 56] and Henrietta Frances Spencer Countess Bessborough [aged 53].

On 11th November 1821 Henrietta Frances Spencer Countess Bessborough [aged 60] died.

On 3rd February 1844 [her former husband] Frederick Ponsonby 3rd Earl Bessborough [aged 86] died. His son John [aged 62] succeeded 4th Earl Bessborough, 5th Viscount Duncannon of Duncannon in Wexford, 5th Baron Bessborough of Bessborough in Kilkenny.

1873. John Downman. Stone lithograph after the original by Edward H. Mitchell. Portrait of Henrietta Frances Spencer Countess Bessborough.

[her son] George Leveson Gower was born to Granville Leveson-Gower 1st Earl Granville and Henrietta Frances Spencer Countess Bessborough.