Frances Scudamore(1750–1820) was the second wife ofCharles Howard,who became the 11thDuke of Norfolkin 1786. She spent her married life confined toHolme Lacyin a mentally deranged condition.
Life
editShe was born the only daughter and heiress ofCharles FitzRoy-Scudamoreof Holme Lacy in Herefordshire, an illegitimate son ofCharles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Grafton,and his wifeFrances,the divorced wife of theDuke of Beaufort.
She marriedCharles Howard,the only son and heir ofthe 10th Duke of Norfolkon 6 April 1771 in London. She inherited the Holme Lacy estate on the death of her father in 1782. Her husband succeeded his father as the11th Duke of Norfolkon 31 August 1786, inheriting a number of large estates, includingArundel Castle,Worksop Manor,Greystoke CastleandSheffield Manor.[1]
Unfortunately, Frances exhibited signs of mental instability from the time of her marriage and spent the rest of her life confined to Holme Lacy. They had no children. Her husband spent his time elsewhere with a series of mistresses, dying in 1815.[2]
She died a widow in 1820 and was buried at St Cuthberts church, Holme Lacy. Having had no legitimate heirs from either of his marriages the Duke's lands and titles had passed to his cousinBernard.Holme Lacy, however, became the subject of a prolonged legal battle, which was finally decided in favour of Sir Edwin Stanhope, 2nd Baronet, who adopted the additional surname of Scudamore.[3]
References
edit- ^Urban, Sylvanus.THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE: AND HISTORICAL CHRONICLE. VOL. LXXXV.p. 631.
- ^"Scudamore family".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/71878.ISBN978-0-19-861412-8.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
- ^Burke's Baronetage