Biography of Georgiana Spencer Duchess Devonshire 1757-1806

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 7th June 1757 Georgiana Spencer Duchess Devonshire was born to [her father] John Spencer 1st Earl Spencer [aged 22] and [her mother] Margaret Georgiana Poyntz Countess Spencer [aged 20] at Althorp House, Northamptonshire [Map].

On 3rd April 1761 [her father] John Spencer 1st Earl Spencer [aged 26] was created 1st Viscount Spencer, 1st Baron Spencer Althorp. [her mother] Margaret Georgiana Poyntz Countess Spencer [aged 23] by marriage Viscountess Spencer, 1st Baroness Spencer Althorp.

On 2nd October 1764 William Cavendish 4th Duke Devonshire [aged 44] died. His son [her future husband] William [aged 16] succeeded 5th Duke Devonshire, 8th Earl Devonshire, 8th Baron Cavendish Hardwick.

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 Georgiana [aged 16], [her sister] Henriette [aged 12] and [her brother] George [aged 15] Spencer.

On 7th June 1774 William Cavendish 5th Duke Devonshire [aged 26] and 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 John Spencer 1st Earl Spencer [aged 39] and 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.

Around 1775 Joshua Reynolds [aged 51]. Portrait of Georgiana Spencer Duchess Devonshire [aged 17].

In 1775 Daniel Gardner [aged 25]. "The Three Witches from Macbeth". From the National Portrait Gallery: "This unusual group portrait depicts three of the most politically influential and socially notorious women of the period. They are, from left to right, the society ladies and political hostesses Elizabeth Lamb [aged 23], Viscountess Melbourne, Georgiana [aged 17], Duchess of Devonshire and the sculptor Anne Seymour Damer [aged 26]. All three women were intimate friends sharing a common passion for Whig politics and the arts."

Around 1780. John Downman [aged 30]. Portrait of Georgiana Spencer Duchess Devonshire [aged 22].

On 27th November 1780 [her brother-in-law] Frederick Ponsonby 3rd Earl Bessborough [aged 22] and [her sister] Henrietta Frances Spencer Countess Bessborough [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Countess Bessborough. She the daughter of [her father] John Spencer 1st Earl Spencer [aged 45] and [her mother] 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 27th February 1782 [her brother-in-law] George Augustus Henry Cavendish 1st Earl Burlington [aged 27] and Elizabeth Compton Countess Burlington [aged 21] were married at London. She by marriage Countess Burlington. She the daughter of Charles Compton 7th Earl of Northampton and Anne Somerset Countess Northampton. He the son of William Cavendish 4th Duke Devonshire and Charlotte Elizabeth Boyle Marchioness Hartington. They were fourth cousins.

In 1783 Thomas Gainsborough [aged 55]. Portrait of Georgiana Spencer Duchess Devonshire [aged 25].

On 12th July 1783 [her daughter] Georgiana Cavendish Countess Carlisle was born to [her husband] William Cavendish 5th Duke Devonshire [aged 35] and Georgiana Spencer Duchess Devonshire [aged 26]. She married 21st March 1801 her fourth cousin George Howard 6th Earl Carlisle, son of Frederick Howard 5th Earl Carlisle and Margaret Caroline Leveson-Gower Countess Carlisle, 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 29th August 1785 [her daughter] Harriet Cavendish Countess Granville was born to [her husband] William Cavendish 5th Duke Devonshire [aged 37] and Georgiana Spencer Duchess Devonshire [aged 28] at Devonshire House [Map]. She married 24th December 1809 her half fourth cousin once removed Granville Leveson-Gower 1st Earl Granville, son of Granville Leveson-Gower 1st Marquess Stafford and Susanna Stewart Marchioness Stafford, and had issue.

Around 1786 Thomas Gainsborough [aged 58]. Portrait of Georgiana Spencer Duchess Devonshire [aged 28].

On 21st May 1790 [her son] William Cavendish 6th Duke Devonshire was born to [her husband] William Cavendish 5th Duke Devonshire [aged 42] and Georgiana Spencer Duchess Devonshire [aged 32] at Paris [Map].

On 20th February 1792 [her illegitimate daughter] Eliza Courtenay was born illegitimately to Charles Grey 2nd Earl Grey [aged 27] and Georgiana Spencer Duchess Devonshire [aged 34] at Aix en Provence whilst she, Georgiana Spencer Duchess Devonshire was married to [her husband] William Cavendish 5th Duke Devonshire [aged 44]. The Duchess was forced to relinquish the child shortly after her birth, to be raised by Charles Grey's parents, Charles Grey 1st Earl Grey [aged 62] and Elizabeth Grey Countess Grey [aged 48]. The surname Courtenay was derived from her great-uncle, her maternal grandmother's brother, [her uncle] William Poyntz [aged 57].

On 3rd June 1794 [her sister-in-law] Dorothy Cavendish 3rd Duchess Portland [aged 43] died. She was buried at St Marylebone Church.

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 21st March 1801 [her son-in-law] George Howard 6th Earl Carlisle [aged 27] and Georgiana Cavendish Countess Carlisle [aged 17] were married. She the daughter of William Cavendish 5th Duke Devonshire [aged 53] and Georgiana Spencer Duchess Devonshire [aged 43]. He the son of Frederick Howard 5th Earl Carlisle [aged 52] and Margaret Caroline Leveson-Gower Countess Carlisle. They were fourth cousins.

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.

In 1809 [her former husband] William Cavendish 5th Duke Devonshire [aged 61] and Elizabeth Christiana Hervey Duchess Devonshire [aged 51] were married. She by marriage Duchess Devonshire. She the daughter of Frederick Augustus Hervey 4th Earl Bristol and Elizabeth Davers Countess Bristol. He the son of William Cavendish 4th Duke Devonshire and Charlotte Elizabeth Boyle Marchioness Hartington. They were sixth cousins.

On 29th July 1811 [her former husband] William Cavendish 5th Duke Devonshire [aged 63] died. His son William [aged 21] succeeded 6th Duke Devonshire, 9th Earl Devonshire, 9th Baron Cavendish Hardwick, 8th Baron Clifford.

On 12th October 1817 [her granddaughter] Georgiana Ellice was born to [her son-in-law] Robert Charles Ellice [aged 32] and [her illegitimate daughter] Eliza Courtenay [aged 25]. Named after her maternal grandmother Georgiana Spencer Duchess Devonshire. She married 4th November 1846 Hugh Horatio Seymour-Conway.