Catherine Beauclerk, Duchess of St Albans

Catherine Beauclerk, Duchess of St Albans (née Lady Catherine Ponsonby; 14 October 1742 – 4 September 1789) was a British noblewoman. She was Duchess of St Albans through her marriage.

Catherine Beauclerk
Duchess of St Albans
BornLady Catherine Ponsonby
(1742-10-14)14 October 1742
Died4 September 1789(1789-09-04) (aged 46)
Noble familyPonsonby (by birth)
Beauclerk (by marriage)
Spouse(s)
Issue
FatherWilliam Ponsonby, 2nd Earl of Bessborough
MotherLady Caroline Cavendish

Family

She was the daughter of William Ponsonby, 2nd Earl of Bessborough, and Lady Caroline Cavendish, the eldest of his three children. Her father was a politician in Ireland for most of his life.[1]

She married Aubrey Beauclerk, 5th Duke of St Albans, in 4 May 1763 in London. They had seven children:[2][3]

On 21 October 1781 Catherine received the title of Mrs. Vere de Hanworth, and from the rise of her husband, became Duchess of St Albans on 10 February 1787. The couple lived in Rome for about three years. Their journey there may have been to avoid rumours in the press of a relationship between Catherine Beauclerk and Thomas Brand though on 4 June 1778, Lady Mary Lowther noted that 'Mr Beauclerk, Lady Catherine and Mr Brand were gone together abroad, being so in debt they found it troublesome staying at home'. The artist Franciszek Smuglewicz painted them in Rome twice.[4]

Aubrey Beauclerk died on 9 February 1802 at age 61.[3]

References
  1. G.E. Cokayne, ed. (1910–1959). The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom. Alan Sutton Publishing.
  2. "St Albans, Duke of (E, 1683/4)". www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk. Heraldic Media Limited. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  3. "Family line". Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  4. "Portrait of The Hon. Aubrey Beauclerk and his Family, in an elegant interior, a view to the Castel Gandolfo beyond". Bonhoms.
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