Biography of Henry Weysford Charles Plantagenet Rawdon-Hastings 4th Marquess Hastings 1842-1868

On 1st August 1831 [his father] George Augustus Francis Rawdon-Hastings 2nd Marquess Hastings (age 23) and [his mother] Barbara Yelverton Marchioness Hastings (age 21) were married. He the son of [his grandfather] Francis Rawdon-Hastings 1st Marquess Hastings and [his grandmother] Flora Mure-Campbell Marchioness of Hastings (age 51).

On 22nd July 1842 Henry Weysford Charles Plantagenet Rawdon-Hastings 4th Marquess Hastings was born to George Augustus Francis Rawdon-Hastings 2nd Marquess Hastings (age 34) and Barbara Yelverton Marchioness Hastings (age 32).

Adeline Horsey Recollections. We usually spent Christmas at Beaudesert, Lord Anglesey's (age 75) lovely old place. We were always a merry party, and we dined in the large hall, which is one of the chief features of the house. Lord Anglesey was very fond of me, and used to write to me as "My dear Prima Donna!" Some of the friends staying at Beaudesert were Lord (age 38) and Lady Sydney (age 33), Lord (age 52) and Lady Winchilsea, Lord (age 25) and Lady Desart (age 22), Lord Anson (age 48), Lord Ward, M. and Madame Dietrichstein, and the Duke of Northumberland (age 51), then Lord Percy. In 1846 I was bridesmaid to [his future sister-in-law] Lady Constance Paget (age 20), who married Lord Winchilsea (age 28); and my great friend, [his future wife] Florence Paget (age 1), afterwards married the last Marquis of Hastings (age 1).

On 13th January 1844 [his father] George Augustus Francis Rawdon-Hastings 2nd Marquess Hastings (age 35) died. His son [his brother] Paulyn (age 11) succeeded 3rd Marquess Hastings, 8th Earl Loudon, 4th Earl Moira, 19th Baron Botreaux, 18th Baron Hungerford, 16th Baron Moleyns and 16th Baron Hastings.

On 17th January 1851 [his brother] Paulyn Reginald Serlo Rawdon-Hastings 3rd Marquess Hastings (age 18) died. His brother Henry (age 8) succeeded 4th Marquess Hastings, 9th Earl Loudon, 5th Earl Moira, 21st Baron Grey of Ruthyn, 20th Baron Botreaux, 19th Baron Hungerford, 17th Baron Moleyns and 17th Baron Hastings. [his future wife] Florence Cecilia Paget Marchioness Hastings (age 8) by marriage Marchioness Hastings.

On 30th July 1858 Charles Abney-Hastings 2nd Baronet (age 65) died. Baronet Hastings of Willesley Hall in Derbyshire extinct. His estates of Blackfordby and Packington were inherited by Henry 4th Marquess Hastings (age 16). Willesley Hall and its estate were left to [his sister] Edith Maud Rawdon-Hastings 10th Countess Loudon (age 24) and her husband Charles Frederick Abney-Hastings 1st Baron Donington (age 36) who changed his surname to Abney-Hastings.

On 18th November 1858 [his mother] Barbara Yelverton Marchioness Hastings (age 48) died.

In 1864 Henry Chaplin 1st Viscount Chaplin (age 23) and [his future wife] Florence Paget (age 21) were engaged to be married; the King Edward VII of the United Kingdom (age 22) offered his congratulations. However, during their engagement Florence had secretly fallen in love with Henry Rawdon-Hastings, 4th Marquess of Hastings (age 21). Just before her wedding, she had Chaplin take her to Marshall & Snelgrove's on Oxford Street to add to her wedding outfit. While Chaplin waited in the carriage outside, Florence walked straight through the shop and out to the other side, where Hastings waited for her in a carriage. Hastings and Florence were married on the same day.

Adeline Horsey Recollections. 16th July 1864. Those days were rather noted for elopements, and two of my friends, Baroness Rose Somerset (age 35) and Lady Adela Villiers, were among the numerous romantic girls who were married in haste and sometimes repented at leisure. [his wife] Florence Paget's (age 21) elopement with the last Marquis of Hastings (age 21) on the eve of her marriage with Henry Chaplin (age 23) is too well known for me to repeat the story.

On 16th July 1864 Henry Weysford Charles Plantagenet Rawdon-Hastings 4th Marquess Hastings (age 21) and Florence Cecilia Paget Marchioness Hastings (age 21) were married. The marriage created a scandal as the bride had been engaged to Henry Chaplin (age 23) and had eloped with her husband the day before her planned wedding to Chaplin. Chaplin later got his revenge by outbidding Hastings for the horse Hermit which went on to win the 1867 Derby and against which Hastings had bet heavily. The loss led Hastings into heavy debt and drinking. He died some four years later in poverty. She the daughter of Henry Paget 2nd Marquess Anglesey (age 67) and Henrietta Bagot Marchioness Anglesey. He the son of George Augustus Francis Rawdon-Hastings 2nd Marquess Hastings and Barbara Yelverton Marchioness Hastings.

On 22nd May 1867 The Derby, run during a freak snowstorm, was won by Hermit (age 3), owned by Henry Chaplin 1st Viscount Chaplin (age 26). The jockey was John Daley. Hermit was bred by Mr William Blenkiron and trained by Mr Bloss at Newmarket. There were 29 runners from an initial entry of 256. The winner won by a neck in 2 mins 52 secs, with a good distance between second and third. The winner won a first prize of £7,000. As a result of betting against Hermit Henry Hastings, 4th Marquess (age 24), who had three years earlier eloped with Henry Chaplin's fiancé [his wife] Florence Cecilia Paget Marchioness Hastings (age 24), was ruined. Henry Chaplin's, who had bet on his horse Hermit, whose odds had lengthened out to 66-1 as a result of doubts about his pre-race fitness, won a fortune.

On 10th November 1868 Henry Weysford Charles Plantagenet Rawdon-Hastings 4th Marquess Hastings (age 26) died. Marquess Hastings and Earl Moira extinct. Baron Botreaux, Baron Hungerford, Baron Hastings, Baron Moleyns and Baron Grey of Ruthyn abeyant. His sister [his sister] Edith (age 34) succeeded 10th Countess Loudon.

In 1870 George Chetwynd 4th Baronet (age 20) and [his former wife] Florence Cecilia Paget Marchioness Hastings (age 27) were married. She the daughter of [his former father-in-law] Henry Paget 2nd Marquess Anglesey and Henrietta Bagot Marchioness Anglesey. They were fifth cousins.

The Times. 4th February 1905.

We have to announce the death of [his former wife] Florence, Marchioness of Hastings (age 64), wife of Sir George Chetwynd, Bart., which took place on Sunday morning at Long Walk House, Windsor, after a few days' illness. The funeral will take place at Grendon, Atherstone, on Thursday next, at 2 o'clock.

On 3rd February 1907 [his former wife] Florence Cecilia Paget Marchioness Hastings (age 64) died.

Adeline Horsey Recollections. After my marriage Lord Cardigan and I always went to the different meetings, and generally met all our friends; among others, Lord and Baroness Westmorland, Lord and Baroness Hastings, the Duchess of Beaufort, Willie Craven, George Bruce, and Prince Batthyany. Newmarket was quite a charming rendezvous of society then, so different from the mixed crowd that goes there nowadays, and it could be easily re-christened "Jewmarket", for the Chosen are everywhere.