The Dukes
Page 55
The Dukes of Leeds were on the whole good men. At a time when some seats in the House of Commons were still in the gift of the aristocracy, and pressure could be exerted on others, it is unusual to hear said, as the Duke of Leeds said in 1848, "I have particularly assured my tenants that I will not in any way interfere with their opinions in the choice of their representatives."15
It is interesting also that the Leeds house was the heirs of line to the dukedom of Marlborough; in the event of the male Spencer line, descended from the Earl of Sunderland who married a Churchill daughter, failing, the title would pass by terms of the patent to the heirs of another daughter, who became Duchess of Leeds.
To such an inheritance John Francis Osborne ("Jack") succeeded in 1927; it was not a spectacular history, but ;in honourable record of quiet public service and a decent acceptance of the role of landed aristocrats. The family home was Hornby Castle in Yorkshire. Jack was the son of the 10th Duke and Lady Katherine Lambton, was educated at Eton and Jesus College, Cambridge, zjid moved in literary and theatrical circles. He was a shy man, shunning public attention, and making no capital of his ducal rank. The only occasion when he was pursued by the press was when he sold the Goya portrait of Wellington at Sotheby's in 1961, for £140,000.
In 1960 the Duke had suffered the amputation of a leg, made necessary by a disease which attacked the artery. The following year his other leg was removed, and he spent the last months in acute pain. He died on 26th July 1963, leaving a daughter by the second of three marriages, Lady Camilla, the last representative of gallant Richard Osborne and the last person to bear his name. She is now married to the journalist, Nigel Dempster.
The dukedom did in fact pass briefly to a cousin living in Rome, Sir Francis d'Arcy Godolphin Osborne, aged seventy-nine, who for a few months revelled in being a duke, until he too died early in 1964, reducing the number of dukedoms of the realm to the present total of twenty-six disparate individuals, united, in a democratic age, by the one dubious remaining privilege of superior rank.
references
1. D.N.B.
2. Timbs, English Eccentrics and Eccentricities, Vol. I, p. 111; Gentleman's Magazine, 1829, pp. 558-60.
3. Bernard Falk The Way of the Montagues, p 151.
4. Ann Hadley to Abigail Harley, 16th March, 1710, in Portland Papers, quoted in E. F. Ward, Christopher Monck, Duke of Albermarle, pp. 349-50.
5. Pepys Diary, 8th March 1661; 25th February i656.
6. ibid., 9th December 1665; 4th April 1667.
7. D.N.B.
8. Complete Peerage.
9. Augustus Hare, In My Solitary Life, p. 149. 1 o. Creevey Papers, pp. 86-7, 92.
11. Leaves from the Notebooks of Lady Dorothy Nevill, p. 36.
12. D.N.B.
13. Complete Peerage, Vol. XII, Part ii, Appendix H.
14. Lady Holland to Her Son, p. 82.
F. M. L. Thompson, English Landed Society in the Nineteenth Century, p. 201.Bibliographical notes
a. peerage history and genealogy
The Complete Peerage, edited by G. E. Cockayne. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage. Collin's Peerage, edited by Brydges. Debrett's Peerage.
Valentine Heywood, British Titles (1953). J. H. Round, Studies in the Peerage (1901).
b. historical background
Dictionary of National Biography (D.N.B. in reference notes). Reports of the Historical Manuscripts Commission (Hist. MSS. Comm.)
T. B. Macaulay, History of England (1906).
G. Burnett, History of His Own Time (1897-1900).
H. Walpole, Memoirs of the Reign of George II (1846). H. Walpole, Memoirs of the Reign of George III (1845). Broughton, Recollections of a Long Life (1909).
Reresby, Memoirs (1735).
C. Greville, Memoirs, ed Roger Fulford & Lytton Strachey, 8 Vols., (1938).
Sir N. W. Wraxall, Historical Memoirs of My Own Time, 1 vol. (1904).
Sir N. W. Wraxall, Posthumous Memoirs, 2 vols. (1836). J. Bateman, Great Landowners (1883). G. Bebbington, London Street Names (1972).
F. M. L. Thomson, English Landed Society in the Nineteenth Century (1963).
D. Sutherland, The Landowners (1968). Junius, Letters, 2 vols. (1797).
James Pope-Hennessey, Queen Mary (1959). Samuel Pepys, Diary, ed. Wheatley (1893-9).
T. Crcevcy, Papers, ed. Maxwell (1903). T. Creevey, Life and Times, ed. Gore (1934).
H. Walpole, Correspondence, Yale edition, ed. W. S. Lewis. (Cunningham edition of 1891 is used where specified in notes). J. Evelyn, Diary, ed. E. S. de Beer (1955).
c. other memoirs, anecdotes, gossip
Journal of Elizabeth Lady Holland, ed. Earl of Ilchester (1908).
Augustus Hare, The Years with Mother (1952).
Augustus Hare, In My Solitary Life (1953).
Burke's Romantic Records of the Aristocracy (1850).
J. Timbs, English Eccentrics and Eccentricities (1866).
W. M. Thackeray, The Four Georges.
Anita Leslie, Edwardians in Love (1972).
E. F. Benson, As We Were (1930).
The Duchess of Bedford and James Frere, Now the Duchesses (1964).
Lord Hervey and His Friends, ed. Earl of Ilchester (1950). Lady Holland to Her Son, ed. Earl of Ilchester (1946). Leaves from the Notebooks of Lady Dorothy Nevill, ed. R. Nevill (1910).
7th Duke of Manchester, Court and Society from Elizabeth to Anne (1864).
9th Duke of Manchester, My Candid Recollections (1932).
Lord Ernest Hamilton, The Halycon Era (1933).
Chips, the diaries of Sir Henry Ghannon, ed. R. R. James, (1967).
Sylvester Douglas, Lord Glenbervie, Diary (1928).
Emma, Lady Brownlow, Slight Reminiscences of a Septuagenarian
(1867).
5th Duke of Sutherland, Looking Back (1957).
6th Duke of Portland, Men, Women and Things (1937).
E. Walford, Old and New London, 5 vols. (1908).
Harriette Wilson, Memoirs (1924).
Lady Frances Balfour, Ne Oblifiscaris (1930).
Frances, Countess of Warwick, Afterthoughts (1931).
Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan, The Glitter and the Gold (1953).
Margot Asquith, Autobiography (1962).
Thomas Raikes, Journal (1856).
D. FAMILY HISTORIES
There are many books not mentioned here which nonetheless find their way into the list of acknowledged references at the end of each chapter. The following is a list of suggested reading for those who wish to delve deeper into individual families.
1. Fitzalan-Howard, Duke of Norfolk
Neville Williams, Thomas Howard Fourth Duke of Norfolk (1964).
Melvyn Tucker, The Life of Thomas Howard, Second Duke of Norfolk (1964). A Duke of Norfolk Notebook.
2. Seymour, Duke of Somerset
Harold St Maur, Annals of the Seymours (1902).
3. Montagu-Douglas-Scott, Duke of Buccleuch & Queensbury Sir W. Fraser, The Scotts of Buccleuch (1878). Lord George Scott, Lucy Walter, Wife or Mistress (1947). Elizabeth d'Oyley, James Duke of Monmouth (1938).
4. Gordon-Lennox, Duke of Richmond & Gordon & Lennox
H. Forneron, Louise de Kerouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth (1887).
Jeanine Delpech, Duchess of Portmouth (1953). Earl of March, A Duke and His Friends (1911).
5. Beauclerk, Duke of St Albans
P. Cunningham, The Story of Nell Gwynn (1903).
P. Dewar and D. Adamson, The House of Nell Gwynn
(1974)-
6. FitzRoy, Duke of Grafton
H. Noel William, Rival Sultanas (1915). Arthur Bryant, King Charles II (1931). Osmond Airy, Charles II (1904). Bernard Falk, The Royal FitzRoys (1950).
7. Russell, Duke of Bedford
J. H. Wiffen, Memoirs of the House of Russell (1833). Christopher Trent, The Russells (1966).
Gladys Scott Thompson, The Russells in Bloomsbury (1940). Greater London Council, Survey of London, Vols. 35 and 36. Georgiana Blakiston, Lord W
illiam Russell and His Wife (I972).
Lord John Russell, William, Lord Russell (1820). 12th Duke of Bedford, The Years of Transition (1949). 13th Duke of Bedford, A Silver-plated Spoon (1959). 13th Duke of Bedford, The Flying Duchess (1968). Gladys Scott Thompson, Two Centuries of Family History
(1930) -
8. Cavendish, Duke of Devonshire
Francis Bickley, The Cavendish Family (1911). Vera Foster, Two Duchesses (1898). H. Leach, The 8th Duke of Devonshire (1904). Dorothy Stuart, Dearest Bess (1955). Georgiana, extracts from Correspondence of Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire (1955).
9. Cavendish-Bentinck, Duke of Portland
A. S. Turberville, History of Welbeck Abbey (1939). Marion E. Grew, William Bentinck and William III (1924). Theodore Besterman, The Druce-Portland Case (1935).
10. Somerset, Duke of Beaufort
Horatia Durant, The Somerset Sequence (1951).
Horatio Durant, Henry 1st Duke of Beaufort and his Duchess
Mary (1953).
11. Spencer-Churchill, Duke of Marlborough
Winston S. Churchill, Marlborough (1933).
Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan, The Glitter and the Gold
(i953)-
Mrs A. Colville, Duchess Sarah (1904).
12. Wellesley, Duke of Wellington
Elizabeth Longford, Wellington, 2 vols. (1969, 1972). Philip Guedalla, The Duke (1931).
7th Duke of Wellington, Conversations of the Duke of Wellington with George William Chad (1956).
13. Percy, Duke of Northumberland
E. H. de Fonblanque, Annals of the House of Percy (1887).
M. M. Merrick, Thomas Percy, yth Earl (1949).
Earl Percy, Letters from Boston and New York (1902).
Earl of Northumberland, Advice to His Son (1930).
8th Duke of Northumberland, The Shadow on the Moor
Index
Abercorn, James Hamilton, 8th Earl of
(1712-1789), 326-7 Abercorn, John Hamilton, Marquess of
(1756-1818), 327-30 Abercorn, James Hamilton, 1st Duke of
(1811-1885), 330 Abercorn, Duchess of (Lady Louisa Russell, wife of 1st Duke), 331-2 Abercorn, James Hamilton, 2nd Duke of
(1838-1913), 331 Abercorn, James Hamilton, 4th Duke of (1904- ), 21, 309, 311, 330, 331-2 Alba, Duchess of, 419 Albemarle, George Monele, 1st Duke of
(1608-1670), 412 Albemarle, Duchess of (Anne Clarges,
wife of 1st Duke), 412 Albemarle, Christopher Monck, 2nd
Duke of (1653-1688), 411, 413 Albemarle, Elizabeth Cavendish,
Duchess of, and Duchess of Montagu (1654-1734), 411-12 Argyll, Archibald Campbell, Marquess of, and 8th Earl of (1597-1661), 284, 285, 342-3 Argyll, Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of
(1629-1685), 785-6 Argyll, Archibald Campbell, 1st Duke of
( -1703), 286, 287 Argyll, John Campbell, 2nd Duke of
(1680-1743), 287-8 Argyll, Archibald Campbell, 3rd Duke of
(1682-1761), 289 Argyll, John Campbell, 4th Duke of
(1693-1770), 289 Argyll, John Campbell, 5th Duke of
(1723-1806), 289 Argyll, Duchess of, wife of 5th Duke,
see Elizabeth Gunning Argyll, George Campbell, 6th Duke of
(1768-1839), 290-1 Argyll, George Campbell, 8th Duke of
(1823-1900), 291 Argyll, John Campbell, 9th Duke of
(1845-1914), 293 Argyll, Niall Campbell, 10th Duke of
(1872-1949), 293 Argyll, Ian Campbell, nth Duke of (1903-1973). 23. 293-6
Argyll, Duchess of (Louise Morris, 2nd
wife of 1 ith Duke), 295 Argyll, Duchess of (Margaret Sweeney,
3rd wife of 1 ith Duke), 295-6, 358 Argyll, Ian Campbell, 12th Duke of
(>937- ), 15. 19. 283, 296-7 Argyll, Duchess of (wife of 12th Duke), 296-7
Arran, James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of
(d. i575)> 3". 3>2 Arundel, Philip Howard, Earl of
(i557-'595). 49 Arundel and Surrey, Philip Joseph Mary Fitzalan-Howard, Earl of (1879-1902), 56-7 Atholl, John Murray, 1st Duke of
(1660-1724), 286, 297-8 Atholl, James Murray, 2nd Duke of
(1690-1764), 298 Atholl, John Murray, 3rd Duke of
(1729-1774), 299 Atholl, Duchess of (Charloese Murray,
wife of 3rd Duke), 299 Atholl, John Murray, 4th Duke of
(i755-'83o), 299 Atholl, John Murray, 5th Duke of
(1778-1846), 299-300 Atholl, John Murray, 8th Duke of,
"Bardie" (1871-1942), 301-2 Atholl, Duchess of (Katherine Ramsay, 1874-1960, wife of 8th Duke), 301-3 Atholl, James Murray, 9th Duke of,
(1879-1957), 303 Atholl, Iain Murray, 10th Duke of,
(I93I- )» 15, 19. 90. 298, 304-5 Audley, Hugh (1577-1662), 374-5 Aylesford, Lady, 246-7
Beauchamp, George Seymour, Viscount
(1725-1744), 66, 259 Beauclerk, Topham (1739-1780), 122 Beaufort, Henry Somerest, 1st Duke of
(1629-1700), 214-15 Beaufort, Henry Somerset, 2nd Duke of
(1684-1714), 215 Beaufort, Henry Somerset, 3rd Duke of
(1707-1746), 216 Beaufort, Duchess of (Frances Scudamore, wife of 3rd Duke), 216-17
Beaufort, Henry Somerset, 6th Duke of, 218
Beaufort, Henry Somerset, 7th Duke of
(1792-1853), 217-21, 276 Beaufort, Harry Somerset, 8th Duke of, "The Blue Duke" (1824-1899), 222-3, 228
Beaufort, Duchess of (Lady Georgiana
Curzon, wife of 8th Duke), 222-3 Beaufort, Henry Somerset, 9th Duke of
(1847-1924), 212, 215, 226-7 Beaufort, Henry Somerset, 10th Duke of (1900- ), 16, 210-11, 212, 227-30 Beaufort, David Somerset, 11 th Duke of, 9, 230-1
Beaufort, Duchess of (wife of 1 ith Duke), 230
Bedford, John Russell, 1st Earl of
(1486-1555), 156-7, 165 Bedford, Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of
(1527-1585), 158 Bedford, Edward Russell, 3rd Earl of
(1572-1627), 158 Bedford, Francis Russell, 4th Earl of
(1593-1641), 159, 165 Bedford, William Russell, 1st Duke of
(1613-1700), 154-5, '58, 166 Bedford, Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke
of (1680-1711), 156, 158, 166 Bedford, Wriothesley Russell, 3rd Duke of
(1708-1732), 158-9 Bedford, John Russell, 4th Duke of
(1710-1771), 159-60 Bedford, Duchess of (Gertrude Leveson- Gower, wife of 4th Duke), 163, 164, 167 Bedford, John Russell, 5th Duke of, 162 Bedford, John Russell, 6th Duke of, 163-4 Bedford, Francis Russell, 7th Duke of (1788-1861), 141, 146, 160-1, 164 Bedford, William Russell, 8th Duke of
(1809-1872), Bedford, Hastings Russell, 9th Duke of (1819-1891), 140-1, 146, 160-1, 164 Bedford, Duchess of (Adeline, wife of 10th
Duke), 223 Bedford, Herbrand Russell, nth Duke of (1858-1940), 140, 141, 142-3, 147, 149, 161, 162, 166, 167, 248 Bedford, Duchess of (Mary Tribe, wife of 1 ith Duke, "The Flying Cuchess"),
146, 148-50, 161
Bedford, Hastings Russell, 12th Duke of
(1888-1953), 140, 141-6, 147-8, 164 Bedford, John Russell, 13th Duke of (1917- ), 14, 15, 19, 23, 30, 139,
147, 167-9
Bedford, Duchess of (L-dia, 2nd wife of
13th Duke), 168, 280 Bentinck, Count Henry, 208
Berwick, James Fitzjames, Duke of
(1670-1734), 419 Blandford, Marchioness of (Lady Bertha
Hamilton, "Goosie"), 246-7 Blandford, Marchioness of (Tina
Onassis, nee Athina Livanos), 250 Boleyn, Queen Anne, 39-40 Bolton, Charles Powlett, 3rd Duke of
(1685-1754), 414-15 Bolton, Duchess of, see Lavinia Fenton Bowmont and Cessford, Marquess of, 9> 309
Boyle, Lady Dorothy, d. Earl of
Burlington, m. Earl of Euston, 114-6 Bridgwater, Scoop Egerton, 1st Duke of
(1681-1745), 408 Bridgwater, Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke
of (1736-1803), 345, 408-10 Bridgwater, Francis Egerton, 8th Earl of
(1756-1829), 410-n Buccleuch, Anne Scott, Countess of, afterwards Duchess of (1651—1732), 86, 107
Buccleuch, 1st Duke of, see Monmouth Buccleuch, Francis Scott, 2nd Duke of
(1694-1751), 107 Buccleuch, Duchess of (Alice
Powell, 2nd
wife of 2nd Duke), 107 Buccleuch, Henry Scott, 3rd Duke of
(1746-1812), 107 Buccleuch, Walter Francis Montagu- Douglas-Scott, 5th Duke of (1806- 1884), 88, 106, 109-10, 326-7 Buccleuch, Walter Montagu-Douglas- Scott, 8th Duke of (1899-1973), 110-2, 256
Buccleuch, Duchess of (Vreda Esther Lascelles, wife of 8th Duke, "Mollie"), 26, hi
Buccleuch, Walter John Montagu- Douglas-Scott, 9th Duke of (!923- )» "4. l6> 3°> 100, 112-3, 369
Campbell, Lady Jeanne, 295 Cavendish, George (1500-1561), 173 Cavendish, Henry (1731-1810), 176-7 Cavendish, Sir William (1505-1557), 173 Chatelherault, dukedom of, 311, 320-1 Chudleigh, Elizabeth, see Duchess of
Kingston Churchill, Arabella (1648-1730?), 241, 419
Churchill, Lord Randolph (1849-1895), 246
Churchill, Sir Winston (1620-1688), 241 Churchill, Sir Winston (1874-1965), 19,
90, 237, 246, 248-9 Cleveland, Duchess of (mistress of Charles II), see Barbara Villiers
Cleveland, William Harry Vane, 1st
Duke of (1766-1842), 418 Cleveland, Duchess of (Elizabeth Russell,
2nd wife of 1st Duke), 418 Cleveland, Duchess of (Grace Lowther,
wife of 3rd Duke), 26, 418-419 Coutts, Harriot, see Duchess of St Albans Coutts, Thomas (1735-1822), 123-4,
182, 418 Crawford, 20th Earl of, 239
Danby, Earl of, see 1st Duke of Leeds Darling, Grace (1815-1842), 264-5 Davies, Alexander (d. 1665), 375 Davies, Mary, Lady Grosvenor
(1665-1730), 374, 375-7 Devon, arl of, 30
Devonshire, William Cavendish, 1st Earl