Female Architectural Patronage in Eighteenth-Century Britain
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Maids, Wives and Widows: Female Architectural Patronage in Eighteenth-Century Britain Amy Lynn Boyington This dissertation is submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge Department of Architecture August 2017 Abstract Maids, Wives and Widows: Female Architectural Patronage in Eighteenth- Century Britain Amy Lynn Boyington This thesis explores the extent to which elite women of the eighteenth century commissioned architectural works and the extent to which the type and scale of their projects was dictated by their marital status. Traditionally, architectural historians have advocated that eighteenth-century architecture was purely the pursuit of men. Women, of course, were not absent during this period, but their involvement with architecture has been largely obscured and largely overlooked. This doctoral research has redressed this oversight through the scrutinising of known sources and the unearthing of new archival material. This thesis begins with an exploration of the legal and financial statuses of elite women, as encapsulated by the eighteenth-century marriage settlement. This encompasses brides’ portions or dowries, wives’ annuities or ‘pin-money’, widows’ dower or jointure, and provisions made for daughters and younger children. Following this, the thesis is divided into three main sections which each look at the ways in which women, depending upon their marital status, could engage in architecture. The first of these sections discusses unmarried women, where the patronage of the following patroness is examined: Anne Robinson; Lady Isabella Finch; Lady Elizabeth Hastings; Sophia Baddeley; George Anne Bellamy and Teresa Cornelys. The second section explores the patronage of married women, namely Jemima Yorke, Marchioness Grey; Amabel Hume-Campbell, Lady Polwarth; Mary Robinson, Baroness Grantham; Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough; Frances Boscawen; Elizabeth Herbert, Countess of Pembroke and Montgomery; Henrietta Knight, Baroness Luxborough and Lady Sarah Bunbury. The third and final section discusses the architectural patronage of widowed women, including Susanna Montgomery, Countess of Eglinton; Georgianna Spencer, Countess Spencer; Elizabeth Somerset, Duchess of Beaufort; Elizabeth Home, Countess of Home; Elizabeth Montagu; Mary Hervey, Lady Hervey; Henrietta Fermor, Countess of Pomfret; the Hon. Charlotte Digby; the Hon. Charlotte Boyle Walsingham; the Hon. Agneta Yorke and Albinia Brodrick, Viscountess Midleton. Collectively, all three sections advocate that elite women were at the heart of the architectural patronage system and exerted more influence and agency over architecture than has previously been recognised by architectural historians. Declaration This thesis is the result of my own work and includes nothing which is the outcome of work done in collaboration except as declared in the Preface and specified in the text. It is not substantially the same as any that I have submitted, or, is being concurrently submitted for a degree or diploma or other qualification at the University of Cambridge or any other University or similar institution except as declared in the Preface and specified in the text. I further state that no substantial part of my dissertation has already been submitted, or, is being concurrently submitted for any such degree, diploma or other qualification at the University of Cambridge or any other University or similar institution except as declared in the Preface and specified in the text. It does not exceed the prescribed word limit for the relevant Degree Committee. Contents Preface 1 List of Illustrations 2 List of Abbreviations 6 Acknowledgements 7 Introduction 8 Literature review New primary sources Structure Chapter 1: The legal and financial status of women: the marriage settlement 25 The bride’s portion or dowry The wife’s annuity from her husband or ‘pin-money’ The widow’s dower or jointure Provisions for daughters and younger children PART 1: UNMARRIED WOMEN 34 Chapter 2: Surrogate mother and chatelaine for deceased female relative 35 The Hon. Anne Robinson (1742-after 1812) Chapter 3: Unmarried women with an independent income 46 Lady Isabella Finch (1700-1771) Chapter 4: Heiresses 53 Lady Elizabeth Hastings (1682-1739) Chapter 5: Courtesans, mistresses and enterprising women 62 Sophia Baddeley (1745-1786) George Anne Bellamy (c. 1727-1788) Teresa Cornelys (1723-1797) PART 2: MARRIED WOMEN 88 Chapter 6: Conventional interaction with architecture 89 Mistress of the house Redecorating the ancestral seat or marital home Chapter 7: Equal marriage, joint patronage? 95 Jemima Yorke, Marchioness Grey (1723-1797) Amabel Hume-Campbell, Lady Polwarth (1751-1833) Mary Robinson, Baroness Grantham (1757-1830) Chapter 8: Absent husbands: did wives of military and naval husbands wield greater control over architectural projects? 114 Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough (1660-1744) Frances Boscawen (1719-1805) Chapter 9: Architecture as security 142 Elizabeth Herbert, Countess of Pembroke and Montgomery (1737-1831) Chapter 10: Disgraced wives coping with social banishment through architectural patronage 150 Henrietta Knight, Baroness Luxborough (1699-1756) Lady Sarah Bunbury (1745-1826) PART 3: WIDOWED WOMEN 161 Chapter 11: Widows challenging the architectural boundaries within socially accepted circumstances 162 Vacating the marital home Dower houses Susanna Montgomery, Countess of Eglinton (1690-1780) Georgiana Spencer, Countess Spencer (1737-1814) Elizabeth Somerset, Duchess of Beaufort (c. 1713-1799) Migrating to London and the search for a suitable residence The great London dowagers and the creation of the fashionable house Elizabeth Home, Countess of Home (1703/4-1784) and Elizabeth Montagu (1718-1800) Mary Hervey, Lady Hervey (1700-1768) Henrietta Fermor, Countess of Pomfret (1698-1761) Villas: the perfect suburban retreat The Hon. Charlotte Digby (1707-1778) The Hon. Charlotte Boyle Walsingham (1738-1790) Amabel Hume-Campbell, Lady Polwarth (1751-1733) The Hon. Agneta Yorke (1740-1820) Chapter 12: Breaking the rules: widows using their position to pursue architectural schemes denied to them as single or married women 202 Inheriting a life interest Completing architectural works for one’s deceased husband Managing the estate for the heir during his minority Mary Robinson, Baroness Grantham (1757-1830) Albinia Brodrick, Viscountess Midleton (d. 1808) Widows updating their ancestral homes Jemima Yorke, Marchioness Grey (1723-1797) Conclusions 229 Bibliography 234 Preface All dates, as far as it has been possible to ascertain, are given according to the modern Gregorian calendar, which ran eleven days ahead of the old Julian calendar, with the year changing on 1 January, rather than 25 March. Where events took place on the Continent, or where ambiguity may arise, both dates are given, with the Julian (‘Old Style’) preceding the Gregorian (or ‘New Style’). England officially adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1752, following the passing of The Calendar (New Style) Act 1750. All archival material has been transcribed retaining, as far as possible, the original spelling, punctuation, capitalisation, underlining and paragraphing. As a result, the use of sic has been omitted. The third edition of the Modern Humanities Research Association (MHRA) style guide has been used for this thesis. 1 List of Illustrations Fig. No. 1. Anne Robinson, after John Downman, c. 1780. © The National Trust. 2. Photograph of the south front of Saltram House. Author’s own. 3. Photograph of the west front of Saltram House. Author’s own. 4. Exterior of No. 44 Berkeley Square, created for Sir John Soane’s Royal Academy lectures on William Kent, n.d., 19th century. © Trustees of the Sir John Soane’s Museum, London. 5. Section of the Staircase Hall of No. 44 Berkeley Square, created for Sir John Soane’s Royal Academy lectures on William Kent, n.d., 19th century. © Trustees of the Sir John Soane’s Museum, London. 6. Ledston Hall, Yorkshire, by John Preston Neal for 'Views of the seats of noblemen and gentlemen, in England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland', 1822. © Trustees of the British Museum, London. 7. Ledston Hall, by John Setterington, 1728. Reproduced in John Harris, The Artist and the Country House: A History of Country House and Garden View Painting in Britain 1540-1870 (London: Sotheby Park Bernet, 1979), p. 192. 8. Plan of Ledston Hall and Gardens, attributed to Charles Bridgeman, c. 1731. Reproduced in Peter Willis, Charles Bridgeman and the English Landscape Garden (Newcastle upon Tyne: Elysium Press Publishers, 2002), p. 61. 9. Ledston Hall, by John Setterington, 1728. Reproduced in John Harris, The Artist and the Country House: A History of Country House and Garden View Painting in Britain 1540-1870 (London: Sotheby Park Bernet, 1979), p. 192. 10. Ledston Hall, by John Setterington, 1728. Reproduced in John Harris, The Artist and the Country House: A History of Country House and Garden View Painting in Britain 1540-1870 (London: Sotheby Park Bernet, 1979), p. 192. 11. Love's Last Shift or the Old Fool in Fashion, by R. Sayer & J. Bennett, 1786. © Trustees of the British Museum, London. 12. Mrs Baddely with a Cat, after Sir Joshua Reynolds, Harry Beard Collection, 1772. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London. 13. George Anne Bellamy, after Francesco Bartolozzi, 1785. © National Portrait Gallery, London. 14. Holwood Park, Kent, after Robert Nixon, published 1795. © Trustees of the British Museum, London. 15. View of the east side of Soho Square,