Letters from Caroline Ponsonby (née Cavendish), Countess of Bessborough

This material is held atThe Devonshire Collection Archives, Chatsworth

  • Reference
    • GB 2495 CS1/376
  • Dates of Creation
    • 23 July 1751- 27 November 1755
  • Physical Description
    • 4 items

Scope and Content

In these letters which are all from a four-year period when Lady Duncannon lived both in Ireland and London she writes to her brother and sister-in-law, Lord and Lady Hartington, and her brother's mother-in-law, Lady Burlington.

She writes to Lady Hartington concerning: Lady Hartington's health; their arrival in Dublin; staying in Bessborough; her concern about being away from her children and particularly her youngest son who is sick; the Bishop of Kildare's best wishes to Lord Hartington; her compliments to Lady Burlington.

To Lord Hartington, her brother, she writes concerning: a report from Burlington House of the health of Lord Hartington's children; Betty Mostyn being very ill and visited by her friend Mr Masham and Dr Dunkin who carried away meda; Lord Anson's return from the King; not yet seeing Mr Fraizer; love to their brother Frederick.

To Lady Burlington she writes concerning: a report of Lord Hartington's well-being and his affairs in Ireland including his popularity; her pleasure at being able to report the good health of the children to Lord Hartington; their journey to Ireland with their children; her compliments to Miss Mostyn and Miss Anderson; her thanks for the letter about her father's worsening health; her father's reluctance to take advice about his health; her relief that the physician Sir Edward Hulse has seen her father; being detained in Ireland due to her Lord Duncannon's business with the election.

Administrative / Biographical History

Cavendish, Caroline 1719 - 1760 [daughter of 3rd Duke of Devonshire; m.(1739) William Ponsonby Viscount Duncannon, 2nd Earl of Bessborough (1758)]