The Letter-Bag of Lady Elizabeth Spencer-Stanhope, vol 1 | Page 4

the 9th of June
following in Grosvenor Square. His Sponsors were Lady Carr Glyn,
Collingwood Roddam Esqre., & Ashton Shuttleworth Esqre. He was
inoculated by Baron Dimsdale in April 1795 & had the Disorder very
favourably. Had the Measles at Sunbury 1802. Died April the 3rd, 1808,
after a long and painful illness. Was buried with Eliza in St James's
Chapel in Hampstead Road.

Charles, our tenth Child, born on the 14th October, 1795, christened at
Cawthorne, Sponsors Colonel Beaumont, James Shuttleworth Esqre., &
Mrs Elizabeth Roddam. Was inoculated in the spring, 1796, by Baron
Dimsdale. [6]
Isabella, our eleventh Child, was born on the 20th of October 1797, at
one in the morning, christened at Cawthorne Church the 8th of
December following. Sponsors, Mrs Roddam, Mrs Smith of
Dorsetshire & Mr Smyth of Heath. Was inoculated in Autumn 1798 by
Mr Greaves of Clayton. [7]
Philip, our twelfth Child, was born January 25th, 1799, at one in the
morning; was christened by Mr Phipps February, 1799. The Sponsors
were Mr Edwyn Stanhope, the Rev. John Smith, Westminster & Lady
Augusta Lowther. Was inoculated with the Cow-pox May 1800 by Mr
Knight. Had the Measles at Putney in the Autumn, 1806. [8]
Frances Mary, our thirteenth Child was born on the 27th of June, 1800,
at 1/2 past twelve at Noon in Grosvenor Square & was christened there
by the Rev. Mr Armstrong on the 26th of July following. The Sponsors
were Samuel Thornton Esqre, Mrs Greame of Bridlington & Mrs
Marriott of Horsmonden, Kent. Inoculated with the Cow-pox by Mr
Greaves in the Autumn of 1800. [9]
Maria Alicia, our fourteenth Child, was born at Cannon Hall the 4th of
September 1802, 1/2 before seven in the Morning & was christened at
Cannon Hall by the Rev. Goodair on 22nd of October following. The
Sponsors were the Rev. D. Marriott, Mrs Henry Pulleine of Carlton &
Mrs Morland of Court Lodge, Kent. Inoculated with the Cow-pox by
Mr Whittle in Grosvenor Square the Spring following. [10]
Hugh, our fifteenth Child, [11] was born September 30th, 1804, about
five in the Morning & was christened at Cawthorne Church by the Rev.
Mr Goodair the 1st of November following. The Sponsors were
Edward Collingwood Esqre., Mr Smith of Dorsetshire & Lady
Elizabeth Lowther of Swillington. The four youngest had the measles
at Ramsgate.

As will be seen by this comprehensive list, of the fifteen children of
Walter Spencer-Stanhope and his wife, three only failed to attain
maturity. The tale of their brief lives has no part in the following
correspondence, and might be dismissed without comment, save that
the mention of them serves to bring yet nearer to us that mother whose
powerful brain, warm heart and tireless pen bound to her the affections
of her children with a devotion seldom surpassed.
Of Henry Stanhope, destined to die after much suffering, many letters,
not inserted here, remain eloquent of the manner in which, throughout
his long illness, his mother denied herself to all her acquaintance and
never left his side. Of little Catherine Stanhope, who expired at the age
of five, two pathetic mementoes exist. One is a large marquise ring
which never left the mother's finger till she, too, was laid in the grave;
the other a silken tress like spun sunshine, golden still as on that day in
a dead century when, viewing it through her tears, Mrs Stanhope
labelled it tenderly--"My dear little Catherine's hair, cut off the
morning I lost her, November 20th, 1795." Of little Elizabeth a more
curious and harrowing reminiscence has survived.
Grosvenor Square, Saturday, April the 28th, the day on which the
remains of my dear child were deposited in the vault at Mrs
Armstrong's Chapel between six and seven in the morning, attended by
her dear, afflicted father.
So little Elizabeth, in the spring-time of her life, passed to her grave at
a strangely early hour on that April morning; and her mother, in the
hushed house, took up the thread of life once more with pious
submission and the iron will for which she was remarkable.
At the date at which this book opens, many years had gone by since
that storm of sorrow had fallen upon her, suddenly, like a bolt from the
blue. All unsuspected, indeed, another grief, the death of her little son,
was approaching; but for the present contentment reigned.
[Illustration: MARIANNE]
[Illustration: MRS. SPENCER-STANHOPE AND HER FIVE

DAUGHTERS]
[Illustration: ANNE]
[Illustration: ISABELLA]
[Illustration: FRANCES]
[Illustration: MARIA]
After celebrating the Christmas festivities, as usual, in Yorkshire, early
in January, 1805, she journeyed with her husband and family back to
their house in London, No. 28 Grosvenor Square, a building since
much altered, but still standing at the corner of Upper Grosvenor Street.
[12] There she was occupied introducing into society