1. From George, 1st Lord Lyttleton.
2. From Rev John ‘Orator’ Henley.
5. From George James (‘Gilly’)Williams..
8. From Madame La Marquise de Stainville.
9. From Charles Townshend, n.d..
15. From Mr. Rogers
Selwyn: Another Letter from Lady Diana Spencer
This is one of my favourite letters, as it combines social history, a fine example of 18thC writing and is a snapshot of life at the time. I never understand why they would write "wou'd" or "oblig'd" as it takes less time to flow inserting the 'l' or the 'e'. One thing that confused me was the address from which it was sent 'Russel Street'. At first, I assumed that it was written from her London address at 'Great Russell Street', but on further research found that Russel Street and the address she gave for the rented house in Bennet Street are in fact in one of the finest areas in Bath itself near the Circus, as Lady Di points out. Accordingly, it was very good value at £5.25 a week when you consider that houses in Russel Street now go for one million pounds or more and can cost several thousand pounds a week to rent. The two people she mentions, Mary & Eliz, are her twins (Anne) Mary and Elizabeth.
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Lady Diana Beauclerk (née Lady Diana Spencer; other married name Diana St John, Viscountess Bolingbroke) (1734—1808) was an English noblewoman and artist. She was the daughter of the Honourable Elizabeth Trevor (d. 1761) and Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough (1706—1758).
She married Frederick St John, 2nd Viscount Bolingbroke (1734—1787) in 1757, and from 1762—1768 was Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Charlotte. She became widely known as 'Lady Di' (as did her namesake in the early 1980s).
Her marriage was unhappy and Bolingbroke was notoriously unfaithful. In February 1768 he petitioned for divorce on grounds of adultery. The petition required an act of parliament, which was passed the next month. Within two days she married Topham Beauclerk of Old Windsor. They had four children:
Their circle of friends included Samuel Johnson, Georgiana Cavendish—who maintained a glittering salon—Edward Gibbon, David Garrick, Charles Fox, James Boswell and Edmund Burke.
Her husband died in 1780 and, due to restricted finances, she began to lead a more retired life. She died in 1808 and was buried in Richmond.
