AN INTRODUCTION TO FRANCES PARKER (NEE TALBOT) 1st COUNTESS OF MORLEY

Frances Talbot - Self Portrait

Where letters and other papers exist in an archive there is an exciting possibility of gaining a precious insight into the lives of the correspondents. Having examined and transcribed hundreds of letters it soon becomes evident that the views and thoughts expressed in the letters can be interpreted in various ways. Do we apply our own values and assumptions to the contents, well yes it is unavoidable, therefore the meaning and significance of the letter content must be approached with great caution. Even greater caution must be applied when dealing with letters that appear in a series with only one of the correspondents letters surviving, a 'one sided telephone conversation'.

Only by continuous research into the personality and other virtues of the writer can the real meaning of the views expressed be discerned.

The series of letters written between the Countess of Morley and her sister-in-law Theresa Villiers are a perfect example of this. Only the Countess's letters survive, the series was written over a 10 year period 1809 to 1819.
 

Frances Talbot was born on the 10th January 1782, the only daughter of a Norfolk Surgeon, Thomas Talbot.  Their family home was Gonville Hall, Wyndonham in Norfolk, a market town nine miles from Norwich. They seem to have had a comfortable life. Her obituary tells us that her education was 'sound', perhaps she had a Governess or attended a school for young ladies. Sadly her father died when Frances was only 13, she had a legacy of £1,500 but this also had to fund her 'maintenance, education and benefit'.  Her mother received an annuity of £1,000 it is clear therefore that, although these are substantial sums, she was not in any way an heiress.  Various mentions in letters written later in her life suggest that her Mama took her to Bath to see and be seen and we now know that this is where she finally came to the less than romantic attention of her future husband, probably much to her mother's relief as she was then 27 years old.

She had one brother, Thomas, who was a gentleman of the cloth who held the living of the Parish of Catton in Norfolk. Thomas was married and with his wife Anne he had two sons. In accordance with her usual desire to help other people, once married Frances campaigned to secure a more lucrative living for her brother.  In this she was not successful, however, her brother seems to be content to bask in the reflected glory of her sudden elevation into the aristocracy, albeit fairly minor and not a little tainted with scandal.   Frances does however seem to have gathered some interesting and influential friends around her. The ebullient Rev Sidney Smith, for example was a well known for his wit, writing and forthright opinions, a staunch Whig his daughter married Lord Holland's son. Until her marriage her circle was on the periphery of the elite and only just within the sight of the real aristocracy.

Tantalising glimpses of her young life appear from time to time, she seems to have been encouraged in her painting.  This seems to have led to her going to Paris in 1802 with her mother and brother to study under the respected French painter Francois Gerard whose patrons included Madame de Stael, George Canning and Talleyrand all of whom were also associates of her future husband.  It is therefore not surprising that John Parker had indeed spotted her several years before finally claiming her in 1809, along with many other English aristocrats he was also in Paris in 1802.  Her brother writes of their hectic social life, Frances was in great demand for riding in the afternoons and there were many invitations from the Russian aristocracy including the Galitzins, who she was to meet again later in life.  Paris was a frantic round of visiting the traditional sites of architectual and historical interest as well as inspecting the changes made by the new regime.  Frances, it seems, fitted extremely well into this social whirl if only for a few short weeks.

Her self portrait is in the possession of her four times great nephew and shows a strong profile with large features, her hair is dressed in a fashionable style for the time with an abundance of curls.



Her early adult life is very sketchy, particularly after 1802 when she disappears from view almost entirely.  There is a charming portrait of her painted when she was about 20 years old, although the portrait represents her as the classical figure Lavinia the observer can easily discern that, if not a stunning beauty, she was attractive with a good figure.  The portrait was painted by the Cornish artist John Opie, the date is uncertain, Opie had married another Norwich girl, Amelia Alderson, and it is very likely that she was known to Frances since her father was also a Physician.  The copy by Thomas Phillips hangs in the Western Apartments at Saltram House, appropriately surrounded by her own works of art.

Frances Talbot 1782-1857
Painted as Lavinia after John Opie
Thomas Phillips c 1802



On her marriage to John Parker III, Lord Boringdon in 1809 there is an excellent account of her appearance written by Lady Granville, the daughter of the Duchess of Devonshire, who was to become a life long friend.  Lady Granville has just met Frances for the first time as the newly married couple were spending the first few days of their honeymoon at Badminton home of the Beauforts, she writes to her brother Lord Hartington:

"The Boringdons came to Badminton three days after you left it, she seems to suit him exactly and like him extremely.  She is not striking au fait de beaute but what some people would admire very much, a pretty figure a remarkably animated countenance, good hair, good eyes, good teeth, not a fine but not a bad complextion, a great want of manners, a loud voice.  More perfectly at ease than anyone I ever saw before but not the ease of a person used to the best company.  She is wonderfully well informed and accompished, paints and draws admirably, dances quadrilles and waltzes to perfection, very sensible in conversation, good humoured and enjoying herself to the greatest degree. In short she is a very estimable but not a very interesting person.  She has no great charm or attraction about her but nothing against attaching one to her.   One is glad to see her once without feeling veryanxious to see  her again, excepting Borino (Lord Boringdon) who has given her most satisfactory proof to the contrary." (He married her!)

Lady Granville was to revise this opinion as she drew closer to Frances, their husbands had been friends from childhood and they were naturally brought into close contact.  Being somewhat reticent and unadverturous herself she loved Frances's happy go lucky  nature and ready ability to laugh at herself and create fun whenever she was in company.  These comments, however, clearly indicate that Frances was not known in the very highest levels of society, it is therefore testimony to her personality and temperament that she was able to quickly establish herself as a favourite in their company.

A further description of her appearance comes from her husband to be, John Parker, Lord Boringdon, his view however, is hardly romantic which even he admits.  Writing to his sister before his marriage he needs reassurance that there is no insanity in the family and grudgingly concedes that her attributes are acceptable enough to consider her marriageable if no better candidate came along.  He writes:

"..............Her manners are excessively good, very pretty figure - very cheerful - very pretty indeed by candlelight and when dressed and I think particularly agreeable in conversation. .......................I shall then consider her as a very good wife in the quadruple contingency of my feeling myself disposed towards matrimony at any period - if nothing more eligible turning up in the interim and the lady being then unmarried and ditto being then willing." PWDRO 1259/2/7

Several contemporary observers agree that Frances had a loud voice and a laugh like a man.  There was no mistaking when she was in the company and since she loved riddles and jokes along with energetic impersonations of a variety of animals and humans, her laughter was frequent and infectious.  Again Lady Granville records an example of Frances's sometimes unbridled enthusiasm, on a visit to Saltram in October 1828 they are joined by George Canning and his wife.  Canning was an old friend of John Parker's from University days and was destined to become the Prime Minister if only for the shortest period on record.  Lady Granville writes to Lady Morpeth of an evening entertainment:

"......In the evening she (Lady Morley) heads a round game.  You should have heard Mr Canning and her bawling 'My sows pigged' at one another.  The sober minded and elderly ecart, Granville reads his book, Lord Morley sleeps"
 

One thing is certain, however, Frances herself was not overly fussed about her appearance nor how she appeared to others. Lady Granville, whilst staying at Saltram in 1815 also tells of their visit to Cotehele, the country estate of the Earl of Mount Edgcombe situated on the River Tamar.  Frances raced up the hill loudly announcing their arrival, her hair awry, an old green shawl around her shoulders and her bonnet askew.  So dishevelled was she that the maid was reluctant to allow her into the house.

It was perhaps fortunate that she was not concerned with keeping up with the latest fashions since following her marriage family finances were creaking under the weight of inherited debt.  Her brother visited her at Saltram two years after her wedding, he was a little taken aback to see that she was still wearing dresses from before her marriage which were straining at the seams since she had put on a considerable amount of weight in the intervening two years.  He also comments that her jewels were unremarkable and not nearly so impressive as some of the wives of her neighbours, particularly Lady Lopes.  Occasionally, however, a new dress was forthcoming for a special occasion on the 23rd December 1815 she writes:

"My gown too is the very thing, as far as the price I don't care a farthing since the Earl and his bounty is so condescending as to pay for it" BL 48237

This along with other small comments seems to indicate that her annual dress allowance of £300 did not stretch very far when it came to something special and a little arm twisting had to be applied to persuade her husband to pay the bill.

She seems to have struggled to control her weight, she insists on all the family being regularly weighed and their weight recorded. She puts herself on a diet of bread, watercress, radish and water having declared herself 'Phatt!". In her middle years after several pregnancies, some of which ended in miscarriage, she finally seems to become more comfortable with her appearance and her portraits show her to be plump if not actually obese.

It seems therefore that Frances was attractive on the outside but what of her personality. Fortunately we have numerous commentaries from friends and relatives which enthusiastically report on her nature.

Perhaps some of the best recollections are through the eyes of a child. Adelaide Lister was great neice by marriage to John Parker III therefore Frances was her step great aunt. She was a frequent visitor as a small child to Kent House in Knightsbridge which was home to both Theresa Villiers, John Parker's sister and John and Frances themselves. Her memoir gives special attention to Frances as she figured largely in her life as she was growing up.





Adelaide confirms that Frances had a loud laugh but does not agree with Creevey who said that she was masculine.

"............she has a great deal of natural waggery, with overflowing spirits; but she is more of a noisy man than a polished Countess." (Creevey Papers, Vol. II p 243, John Murray, London 1904)

Hon Adelaide Lister

Adelaide was more of the opinion that she was 'motherley', her charm and ability to amuse and entertain children with her stories and impressions accompanied with 'the most terrible grimaces', made a great impression on this little girl.  She also taught Adelaide to paint in a certain style which would cover up any mistakes she might make. She says:

"The exquisite fun she made was always suited to her audience.  It seemed to bubble up just as much with us children as when she was in the company of the greatest wits."

 

Not that Frances's stories were always entirely suitable for children, she was not afraid to make them rather scarey peopled with goblins, skeletons and monkeys it would seem that Victorian children loved to be frightened just as children do today. 

In the correspondence between Frances and Theresa Villiers there are several mentions of 'my girls', this was something of a mystery which is explained by Adelaide whose visits to Frances were often accompanied by Sarah and Louise Gordon, these were the two little girls of Henry and Louisa Gordon and were John Parker's grandaughters albeit from the wrong side of the blanket.  Just as Frances had embraced John's illegitimate sons so she took these little girls under her wing, taking them on sightseeing expeditions and generally showing an interest in them all.

So fond was Adelaide of Frances she nursed a secret hope that on the death of her mother her stepfather would marry the recently widowed Frances, however, this was but the wish of an innocent young girl.

Sadly in her later life Adelaide lost touch with her step Aunt, but her memoirs demonstrate a great fondness for her and a regret that she did not look upon the more serious side of her life and thoughts when she had the opportunity.

Frances's own letters to Theresa Villiers reveal her to be warm and caring, her letters written later in life to her friend Lady Grey also demonstrate her love of the family, her 'chicks' as she calls them, and her desire to keep them close.  This does not necessarily mean however, that she could not be ascerbic and quite cutting about those who irritated her or demonstrated self importance and negative attitudes.  This was always done with her usual humour and witty comments, but nevertheless she did not suffer fools gladly.



Hon Anne Robinson
John Downman 1780

A noteable testament to the power of her personality was that she won over the stern and rather humourless Anne Robinson or 'Aunt Nanny' as she was known in the family. Anne was John Parker III's aunt and had cared for him and his sister Theresa after their mother's death in 1775.  She had lived at Saltram for many years when Frances arrived as Jack's new bride and had therefore been introduced to his illegitimate sons although it would seem nobody had explained to her who these three boys really were.  It was eventually Frances who was entrusted with this task since nobody else dared to broach the subject. (BL48234, 07.12.1811)  Anne was very reticent about showing any emotions but her concern for Frances during her pregnancies is evident, Frances writes:

"The Honorable Anne she watches me as a cat watches a mouse. She is in agony if I lift up my finger or walk across the room" (BL48235, 15.10.1813)

One of her greatest assets was her ability to be interested in people, she could hold lively conversations because she kept herself informed about current affairs, the latest books, music, dances, gossip and even showed a keen interest in her husband's, sometimes risky, business affairs.  This was by no means the norm for women at this period of history when many were merely extensions of their husband's views and had no opinions of their own, and even if they had would not dare to express them.  Even more unusually her opinions were respected and even though she was never a shrinking violet at a dinner party her company was sought in the very best of households because she could liven up any gathering large or small with her sparkling wit and sheer enthusiam for life.



Prison hulks inner harbour Plymouth, Nicholas Condy early 19thc

Occasionally her desire to care and make things better for people less fortunate than herself would lead her into situations which she found difficult to extricate herself from.  In September 1811 whilst visiting a prison ship in the Dockyard at Plymouth, (possibly HMS Captivity), she encountered a small boy of about five years old, the same age as her step son Henry.  On enquiring about him she discovered that his father was a prisoner on board and somehow he had been captured along with him.  Her immediate thought was that she could save the boy from his terrible life with the prisoners and offered to take him to live with them as a play mate for Henry.  She reports that his father 'recoiled in agony' but agreed that it would be the best for the boy and it was arranged that she would return the next day to fetch him.  There was a delay as they discovered an application had to be made to the Transport Board if they wished to remove him from the ship.  On a further visit she declared that the father was a 'very decent, respectable man' who claimed to be a merchant.  A few days later all plans of adopting the boy were abandoned when it was discovered that the father was reckoned worthless. Henry was appeased with the promise of a Shetland pony and all was forgotten. There was, of course, no intended carelessness about her promises to the French man to adopt and care for his son, but the sudden dismissal of the plan was simply the nature of the prevailing values at the time. This incident does, however, reveal another aspect of her personality - spontenaity coupled with a little impetuousness, this would no doubt have caused her some frustration since her husband was well known for his dithering and procrastination. 

 

A picture gradually builds of Frances, warm, open, kind who sometimes acted spontaneously without giving much thought to the consequences.  A woman who charmed both men and women with her wit and capacity for fun.  It is perhaps surprising therefore, to discover that she was far from confident when it came to dealing with any situation that proved to be even remotely confrontational.  This was particularly evident when it came to dealing with the servants, this chore she was just as happy to leave to her husband as he was to oblige.  We find phrases such as "screwing my courage to the tipping point" when faced with a difficult conversation.  She was not beneath listening at the door, however, to hear her husband take a servant to task!

In the series of letters from Frances to Theresa Villiers there is only one incidence of her irritation with her sister in law.  This seems to arise from a misunderstanding of the wording in a letter and a couple of letters later is soon laid to rest.  The children rarely give her cause for anger, although they were, in the main, under the watchful eye of their nurse or Governess.  There is only one example when her she expressed genuine anger which had spilled over into a rare moment of confrontation.  This concerned a fiery Welsh nursemaid, Mrs Chambers, it seems to have been a universal problem finding the right calibre of nurse or governess for children.  Mrs Chambers had been rude to a guest at the house, Frances could not condone this behaviour particularly when directed at somebody she had invited into the house.  Frances confronted the nursemaid who then turned her anger onto her, at this point Frances writes "......I desired her in a pretty peremptory manner to be off".  The following day when clearly her initial anger had been replaced by her usual reticence Frances took the unusual step of confronting Mrs Chambers herself "......I said as quietly as possible (for as usual I was horribly nervous)", during this conversation she left her with the threat of dismissal. Lord Boringdon intervened and it transpired that Mrs Chambers was not dismissed but was forced to apologise to Frances.

Frances had a number of exemplary qualities, but perhaps her most remarkable attribute was her  capacity for tolerance in the face of her husband's roving eye.  It is not clear whether he continued to see his lover, Lady Elizabeth Monk,  after his marriage to Frances, he was certainly seeing her during the period of his first marriage to Augusta and this was a source of constant despair to her.  There is some flimsy evidence to suggest that he did have an affair early on in their marriage, he writes to his sister  "...........Do not make yourself uneasy about Mrs Eliot, Lady B knows of it and has taken it very well" (BL48227. 28.01.1810).  However, later in their marriage it would appear that Frances has to swallow hard and accept her husband's attentions to a variety of other women.  We hear of visits to a Mrs Hart in Plymouth who she strongly suspects he fancies, he arranges a ball so that he can invite her, this is so successful that another ball is arranged for later in the same week.  Frances writing to Mrs Villiers seems to find the whole thing amusing particularly as, in her opinion, Miss Hart is not the most attractive of women:

".........Jack caught the Hart yesterday and found her looking so ravishing (Bye the bye no lady would think her the least good looking she is ill drest (sic), whippy and vulgar and eats up gravy with her knife!!!) that he could not help having another ball for her next Thursday so all the same party are to come".(BL48237, 17.01.1814)



Frances's Cartoon of a Ball

At this second ball Frances was outraged that he had also invited his previous 'fancy' Mrs Christian and was determined to support her in the face of the new opposition:

".........He has two of his ladies coming to the event.  Mrs Hart and her predecessor Mrs Christian I say that it is absolutely infamous to invite the latter under existing cirumstances to see her hated rival basking in the sunshine of that favour which she herself so recently enjoyed. I feel her situation so sensibly that I am determined to support her drooping spirits and to perform the part of bottle holder to her if the favourite Sultana should in the arrogance and intoxication attending on prosperity dare to insult her fallen fortunes" (BL48237, 20.01.1814).

Jack seems to have no concept of what an exhibition he makes of himself with these women, the balls are held during a period of severe winter weather, there having been heavy falls of snow and extreme cold for several weeks. Frances writes of Mrs Hart's departure from the ball:

"........My Lord looked the Grand Signier himself in the midst of his harem.  You would have been delighted to see him preparing the Hart to walk through the snow on both knees, before putting on her legs a pair of his own worsted stockings and tying them up with his own boot garters". (BL48237, 23.01.1814)

Later he turns his attention to a certain Mrs Clarke she is a neighbour who proves a source of entertainment for Frances since she is not thought of as being suitable company for ladies, Jack makes several visits to her on flimsy pretexts and the lady even receives him when she has leeches on her face! (BL48237, 07.09.14)

Whether Jack did indulge in full blown affairs with these women or whether they were strong and very public flirtations, we can only surmise.  He certainly does seem to have a roving eye which Frances fully appreciates and is apparently prepared to tolerate.  The reasons for her forbearance are unclear, it may have been simply a case of knowing which side her bread was buttered.  She had landed herself, more by chance than design,  an aristocrat, the first to do so in her family.  As a consequence she had the luxury of being able to live the life of a privileged woman with servants, two beautiful homes and freedom to indulge her own interests.  Watching Jack make a fool of himself safe within the knowledge that her position was more than secure, after all he had already gone through one divorce, he was unlikely to survive in society if he abandoned yet another wife, was perhaps a small price to pay.

It is Jack who gives us a clue to the basis of Frances's approach to life.  Tragedy strikes the family in 1817/18 when two of the three children die within a few months of one another.  Frances grieves and Jack writes to his sister that in her distress she turns, as always, to her religion and Frances herself tells of her philosophical view that whatever life has in store for you, it is God's will and must be accepted.  This belief saw her through the deaths of the children, her own illnesses and her widowhood which lastest for 17 years.  Grief also seemed to trigger a desire to travel, she considered that it took the mind off whatever disaster had occurred and helped to put the past behind you.

At this period of history women were generally submissive and subject to their husbands direction and whims, strangely Frances somehow manages to achieve this whilst at the same time exerting her own opinions, drawing around her friends who reflect her own personality.  This is important because her husband was the complete opposite, starchy and stiff to her wit and spontaneity, controlling and dominant to her openess and warmth.  It is her own relaxed approach to life that allows her to deal with husband's idiosyncrasies, pompous and demanding personality.

 

Frances 1st Countess Morley

Her letters are full of her wit, philosophies, suprisingly modern language, ascerbic thoughts about those who irritate and give us a clear picture of a lady who was a force to be reckoned with but had a great capacity to love and was loved by all who were fortunate to be counted as a friend or relative.

 

 

FRANCES COUNTESS OF MORLEY - THE ARTIST

 

Countess of Morley - Frances Parker (nee Talbot)



 





When in London the Countess and her sister in law lived adjoining one another in Kent House, therefore there was no need for correspondence during this time. However, during the Lady Morley's frequent travels or when she was residing at Saltram House in Devon, her husband's country seat, daily correspondence was clearly an important part of her life and must have taken up a considerable amount of her time. 

 

Theresa Villiers nee Parker (1775-1856)

 

Frances was the most exquisite artist, as a girl she won prestigious awards, the first award in 1798 was the Silver Palette awarded by The Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacture and Commerce which was of course later to become the Royal Society of Arts.  The following year she was awarded the Silver Medal for another oil painting.  These were prestigious awards, other winners number amongst their ranks George Romney, Edwin Landseer and Millais.  Although being a girl was unusual but not unheard of, her youth, she was just 16 in 1798 was remarkable although she was not the youngest Thomas Lawrence was only 14 years of age when he won the Silver Gilt Palette in 1784.  Neverthless her talent was duly recognised by the most eminent body of art cognosenti of the day.  Of course she painted entirely for her own pleasure and it would appear that there was not always time to indulge in this, her favourite, pastime during her early married life.   Her first paintings seemed to have been in oils including her two prize winning entries. Later she produced the most beautifully detailed water colours all of those remaining at Saltram House have been framed in similar gilded frames and are now displayed in the Western Apartments allowing the visitor a better appreciation of her prodigious output and undeniable talent.

 

The Silver Palette Awarded to Frances Talbot in 1798 aged 16 by
The Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacture and Commerce

 

 

Surprisingly there is only one reference to her painting contained in the letters, a year after her marriage in 1810 she writes "I steal a little time for painting" her companion, Miss Smith, reads to her whilst she is at her easel "......which I like more than anything".  Given her prolific output this raises the question of whether her painting was largely accomplished later in her life, perhaps during her widowhood.  Certainly many of her paintings reflect her travels on the continent.  There were two periods of travel, the first, in 1818, was to recover from the deaths of two of her children, the journey took the whole family through France, Switzerland and Italy.  The second was after her husband's death in 1840 when she made various journeys both domestic and overseas.   In the collection at Saltram House there are numerous landscapes many of which seem to be locations on the continent. Some credibility is given to this as her grandson Albert, 3rd Earl of Morley, recalls as a child seeing his Grandmother painting at Saltram during the winter months. 

 

 

 

 

Amongst her artistic talents she illustrated her children's stories with whimsical characters, all of which are immediately recognisable as being from her quirky imagination.

 

 

 All these comical figures have movement and personalities, she recorded scenes from a ball in a series of tiny dancing ladies and gentlemen which together make up a frieze over six feet in length.  The figures are caught in the movements of all the popular dances and even the band is illustrated as little stick men playing their various instruments.

 

For the great ball in 1811, the Axminster carpet was rolled up and removed from the Great Room and Frances created a design which was chalked onto the floor by a Plymouth artist.  Presumably the chalk assisted the dancers twirling through the sets of dances, her design would have wowed the guests but would soon have disappeared under the energetic exertions of the hundreds of dancing feet.

 

 

 

 



Inspiration for her paintings came from many directions, the letters contain her comments regarding the new publication 'Rob Roy'; amongst the paintings on display in the Western Apartments at Saltram House are two paintings with a Scottish theme.  It is not difficult to imagine her being inspired by the landscape and characters and interpreting the story in her paintings. She was not shy of admitting to copying paintings that appealed to her, and it was her copies in oils that won her early awards.  Despite so few references to her artistic talents in her letters she is said to have given encouragement and guidance to other would be artists.  



Henry Viscount Boringdon

 modelled in wax by Lady Morley

 

Her creativity did not stop at painting, in a letter written in 1813 she tells of a visit from Mr Samuel Percy (1750-1820) wax modeller to the King.  He came to model the heads of the children but he also used the time to teach her how to model in wax herself.  In Lady Morley's bedroom at Saltram House there are a selection of framed wax models, it is entirely possible that these were her efforts after his visit, she also modelled the children herself which are still in existence within the Talbot family.  

 

Given her appreciation of colour and form, it is surprising to know that she did not have a great deal of interest in fashion or interior design.  She did put a few individual touches to their home at Saltram, including the pier glass and curtain poles in the Red Room, she also turned her artistic hand to cleaning and varnishing a number of existing paintings.  There are strong pointers to the fact that by the time she had married John Parker III the family finances were beginning to groan under inherited debt and she was encouraged to make do and mend rather than expend large sums on new decoration.  Compared with the impact on Saltram House made by her deceased mother in law her artistic legacy is in her art rather than decoration.  Her letters, however, do reveal that her favourite colour was apple green.

One artistic project that Frances did attack with relish was the compilation of a magnificent genealogy for both the Talbot and Parker families.  For the Parker family tree many letters passed to and fro between Frances and her husband, visits were made to the office of the Heralds to check the details, old documents located in the house were scrutinised and her brother and the Steward, Mr Yolland,  were drafted in to translate the Latin texts.  When all the information had been collected Frances set about creating the tree and the finished piece of work is magnificent.  Both the Genealogies are at Saltram House and in 2011 were unveiled in the presence of her 4 x great nephew, each coat of arms is illuminated in the finest detail.  Unlike many of her paintings she has signed the work which seems to indicate that she was particularly proud of her efforts.

  

 

A second series of letters to her friend Lady Grey stretches from 1825 to 1851 and again there are no references to her painting.  Reading letters in isolation therefore, can be misleading; without the physical evidence of her paintings her existing correspondence tells us next to nothing of her prodigious talent and prolific output.

  

 

 





FRANCES COUNTESS OF MORLEY - BIBLIOPHILE

Frances, Lady Morley's letters are full of news and gossip, keeping her sister in law fully up to date with every detail of the family's highs and lows as well as every day minutiae which we would consider pretty boring to receive in a letter today.  Occasionally she reveals her own opinions and it would appear that she herself had received an education which was superior to most other young women of the time.  One of her letters, however, reveals her opinion of education which she considers to be irksome in the extreme but necessary particularly for boys when they have reached beyond their sixth year.  Accordingly at her husband's behest she undertook her son's education herself rather than continue to employ a Governess, as they considered it would be better for him. 

"I do assure you upon my word that I have not mania whatever for education but on the contrary I think the task of 'teaching the young idea' to read write and cast accounts one of the most irksome that can well be imposed upon one and that I do it more from a sense of duty than inclination because his Lordship wishes that I should do it rather than have the incumbrance of a governess and I really do think Edmund is beginning to be too old to be left in a state of utter ignorance which of course unless I undertake to teach him regularly must be the case as he has only nursery maids about him.", 24th October, 1816 Lady Morley to Theresa Villiers. BL/48240

Her stepson Henry had been sent away to Dr William Pearson's Preparatory School for Boys at East Sheen as a weekly boarder going to his Aunt Theresa's house at weekends.  Both she and his father comment on his behaviour when recently returned from school 'swaggering' and 'odious' in turn, taking several days to return to his normal self.  Frances was also disappointed when Lord Boringdon's illegitimate son George had to go to public school which she believed would spoil him.  Perhaps these experiences influenced the decision to keep Edmund at home as long as she could.

 

Frances's own education seems to have been rather more superior than some women of her time and is revealed in her choice of reading and her knowledge of the classics which she frequently quotes to make her point.



The Library, Saltram House



A recurring subject contained within the letters are the numerous books she had been reading, her comments on how much she had enjoyed them or otherwise and her recommendations.  Books were her solace, it was where she retreated when sorrow overtook her following family tragedies.  At these times her husband tells us that she took comfort from serious and religious works.

The library at Saltram House was significantly improved at the beginning of the 19th century prior to that the collection was not rated very highly by Frederick Robinson who wrote "........the worst collection of books I have ever seen". 

Amongst her many talents Frances was fond of writing stories and amusing poetry, illustrated with her distinctive cartoon characters.   A good example of her work is a poem in six stanzas called 'The Nose', published in 1831 it does not carry her name but relates to the fate of Dorothy Spriggins.  Frances gave all her characters quirky names which are instantly recognisable when coupled with her very distinctive drawings.

'It is now near forty years, I guess,

Since I was a girl coming out,

And Spriggins proposed, and I said "Yes"

At old Lady Mumble's rout,

My match was reckon'd by no means bad,

Take the marring world as it goes:-

But then, I must own, Mr Spriggins had

A remarkably ugly nose.'

 

Lady Morley's name was also on a novel in three volumes as 'Editor', this was 'Dacre' written by her niece Maria Lister.  What exactly this meant is not clear, but some scholars believe she was rather more than just the editor.  It was not unknown for ladies of quality to be published writers but it was fairly unusual, however, Frances's work may not have been exceptionally scholarly but she had gained a certain reputation for her writing.  In 1813 Jane Austen published her second novel 'Pride and Prejudice', the authorship of her first book, Sense and Sensibility was attributed to 'A Lady'.

 



There were people who believed that the lady was in fact Frances.  The novelist Mary Russell Mitford was on friendly terms with Sir William Elford a neighbour of the Parker's, in November 1813 she asks him in a letter:

'Pray is not your neighbour Lady Boringdon, an authoress?  I have heard two novels in high repute (but which I have not read), 'Sense and Sensibility' and 'Pride and Prejudice' ascribed to her'

Frances herself confirms these opinions, in a letter dated 1813 she tells of a visit from Lady Lopes a neighbour who, although titled, was in fact the second wife of her husband Sir Masseh Lopes of Maristow and had formerly been his first wife's lady's maid and does not appear to have been highly educated and probably had limited reading abilities.  Lady Lopes tells Frances that her niece had read Pride and Prejudice to her and she had immediately guessed that Frances had been the author because Mr Darcy was indeed Lord Boringdon and she had recognised him immediately.  Frances, no doubt with a mischievous gleam in her eye, did not hasten to correct her!

Frances clearly enjoyed Pride and Prejudice for she gives the novel to her companion Miss Smith to read, Frances writes:

 "Fanny Smith is in ecstacy over Pride and Predjudice. I told you how like Mrs Bennett was to her mother. I had not told her this before she read it, but it strikes her so much that she makes an exclamation at every page and the best of all is to make the likeness perfect (a treat that I did not know) that Mrs S used to be reproaching Colonel S whenever she was out of humour, at the entail of the Camelford Estate being cut off which she was convinced they had no right to do and which he ought to have prevented".

Later that same year Frances is still enjoying the character's similarity to people known to her she writes to tell Theresa that Miss Smith had received a letter from her mother  which was "....so exactly what Mrs Bennett would have written that I thought we should both have died of it - the girls (Miss Smith's sisters) have absolutely got some officers and she thinks it so very ill noticed of their father (Mr Bennett) that he will not let them go a pleasuring with them".

However, the novel had yet to continue its journey through the family, later in the year the book  gets taken up by Lord Boringdon himself when he learns that Lady Lopes has remarked upon his likeness to Mr Darcy.  He surprises Frances when he gets involved in the story Frances writes:

 "...Milord is absolutely in the middle of 'Pride and Prejudice' and though both ingredients operate in his nature to set him against this style of company he is there introduced to yet he cannot help for the life of him exclaiming now and then 'That is very natural' and really upon the whole tolerates it more than I expected."

Clearly this novel struck chords for Frances on several levels, it reflected real life in print, perhaps making a refreshing change from some of the more serious works which she had been reading.

There is nothing in the letters exchanged between Frances and her sister in law to suggest that she was on intimate terms with Jane Austen, however, her reputation as a writer herself and perhaps having made her acquaintance on a visit to Bath prompted Miss Austen to send Frances one of the first copies of her newest novel 'Emma'.  There is a brief exchange of correspondence which is merely an acknowledgement from Frances of receipt of the copy and a reply from Miss Austen reproduced below:

Saltram: (December 27, 1815).

MADAM, -- I have been most anxiously waiting for an introduction to "Emma," and am infinitely obliged to you for your kind recollection of me, which will procure me the pleasure of her acquaintance some days sooner than I should otherwise have had it. I am already become intimate with the Woodhouse family, and feel that they will not amuse and interest me less than the Bennetts, Bertrams, Norrises, and all their admirable predecessors. I can give them no higher praise.

I am, Madam, your much obliged
F. MORLEY.

Miss J. Austen to the Countess of Morley.

MADAM, -- Accept my thanks for the honour of your note, and for your kind disposition in favour of "Emma." In my present state of doubt as to her reception in the world, it is particularly gratifying to me to receive so early an assurance of your Ladyship's approbation. It encourages me to depend on the same share of general good opinion which "Emma's" predecessors have experienced and to believe that I have not yet, as almost every writer of fancy does sooner or later, overwritten myself.

I am, Madam
Your obliged and faithful servt.

J. AUSTEN.

 

Jane Austen sketch by
her sister Cassandra

 Miss Austen's rather obsequious reply would perhaps not have been quite so confident had she had sight of the subsequent exchange of letters between Frances and Theresa which discuss her opinion of the novel.  Initially she seems to have been excited about the prospect of a good read, but that was based on the first few pages:

26th December 1815,"I have just received from the author Miss Austen's new novel 'Emma' and look forward with no small satisfaction to reading it.  I just looked into the first two or three pages and think it promises well"

However, a few days later she was half way through volume one and her opinion was changing:

29th December 1815, "I have got half through the 1st volume of 'Emma' therefore it is not fair to judge it but I do not as yet think it as good as the others - tho there is a great deal that is good and like herself.  She a little draws out her conversations too long, I think but they are excellent and most admirably in character, there is something in it that puts me in mind of Discipline that is to say more in the character of Emma and in a Mr Knightley who is I suppose is to turn out the hero who is like Maitland.  I want to hear what you think."

Her sister in law is clearly also reading the book, but before she can reply a further letter contains yet more comments:

7th January 1816: "Emma does not satisfy me at all and you imagine that it does not excite a very high interest when I tell you that I have not finished it: still there are people who it is impossible not to have a taste for."

By the end of the month Theresa had replied with what we can only speculate as surprise that Frances did not like the book.  She replies, maybe a little tetchily:

27th January 1816:  I did not say (I think) that I did not like Emma I only said I did not like it so well as Mansfield Park or Pride and Prejudice - nor more I do.  I think there is much in it that is admirable.  Mr Woodhouse, Mrs Elton, Miss Bates and a few others are delightful but there is such a total want of  story and there is very little like in the heroine and so little to interest in the hero who gives me only the idea of an elderly sensible good sort of man - with all due deference to your better judgement I do think that Emma's passion for matchmaking is by no means natural.  A matchmaking miss is a nondescript that in a matter so much more confined to the matronly part of her sex that surely with all the sense and cleverness which is represented to possess it is not natural that she should have formed such a violent friendship with such a vulgar little fool as Harriet, then surely her talking characters tell too much - the pages filled with Miss Bates and Mrs Elton would make up one of the volumes and that is more than can be afforded - still their conversations are certainly admirable Mr & Mrs Elton are charming people I have seen fifty such people as her"

 

George 6th Lord Byron



Her sister in law Theresa Villiers was on friendly terms with Lord Byron and tries to help and advise his family during their difficult and sometimes scandalous period.  Therefore it is not surprising that there are numerous references to Lord Byron in their correspondence.  Despite the scandals surrounding him and his affairs Frances is a great admirer of his work, she reads his heroic poem 'The Bride of Abydos' and is full of praise for 'Lara' ".............nothing ever was so beautiful and the description of himself even outdoes the 'Corsair' (published anonymously)".  Just a few days later she tells Theresa that she has re-read 'Lara' and then another book which proved so inferior that she threw it away "..............after having my head exalted by the genius of Lord Byron".   This is so typical of her sweeping statements and grand gestures. However, as time passes and more details of his alleged wrong doings become public her opinion of him as man slips further and further down until she refers to him as a 'horrible monster'3 and feels anger towards those who support him.  The winter of 1815/16 sees the whole family confined to Saltram House with various colds, coughs and other ailments, this gives plenty of opportunity for reading, but seriously limits the amount of information about the continuing scandal surrounding Lord Byron and Caroline Lamb.  Theresa supplies all the details which eventually leads Frances to declare that he is "a monster of iniquity"

Her letters are dotted with references to her latest 'read', she seems to be very in touch with which books are creating the biggest talking points and freely gives her opinion.  Great praise is heaped on a novel called 'Rhoda', in her letter she does not mention the author, possibly because it was initially published anonymously.  However, this book was by a fairly unknown novelist Frances Jacson, perhaps she was not personally known to Frances Parker but they had mutual friends in the Freres and the Rev Sydney Smith.  She says of this book:

 

11th February 1816: "So well written and the characters so admirably drawn the dialogue (when it occurs) so good and the interest so well kept up but above all the picture of fashionable life is the best by far I ever met with in a novel - it is the beau monde itself without exaggeration or the vulgarity with which it is generally described by novel writers"

Frances Jacson was compared to Jane Austen and some preferred her crafting of society characters.

 

Frances, Lady Morley  is highly amused to compare the Prince of Wales and his mistress Lady Hertford to the hero Rinaldo in the newly published poem 'Rinaldo and Armida' by Torquato Tasso an Italian poet. The story is of a sorceress who lures a handsome warrior away from his journey to the Crusades.  She writes:

 

25th January, 1816:   "...our pot bellied regent (Rinaldo) and his broad bottomed chere amie (Armida)"

Lady Hertford
John Hoppner 1800

This demonstrates her considerable knowledge of classical literature and mythology which she reveals from time to time.

On the rare occasion her passion for reading meets her talent as an artist, in the Western Apartments at Saltram House there are two paintings attributed to Lady Morley with a Scottish theme. In a letter to Lady Grey in 1843 she reminisces about her visit to the Greys at Howick in Northumberland the previous year.  Describing how they spent many a happy evening sitting around the table doing their cross stitch whilst Lord Grey read aloud from 'Rob Roy'.  It is not a great leap to imagine her being inspired by this book to reproduce some scenes at her easel to keep the memory of happy times alive.


 

 

Lady Caroline Lamb published her novel 'Glenarvon' in 1816, this was an instant success since she was a major player in the scandal surrounding Lord Byron and had so publicly and remorselessly stalked  him after he rejected her.  Her characters were thinly veiled members of society (with Lord Byron the dastardly Lord Ruthven) and Frances tries to identify them, she enjoyed the novel very much unlike Lady Jersey, Lord Morley's ex sister in law and one of the patronesses of the very famous Almack's club. She certainly did recognise herself and permanently banned Caroline Lamb from Almack's as a result she never again found a place in the best society. 

In the winter of 1815/16 she also read 'Don Roderick' (full title Roderick The Last of the Goths) by Robert Southey commenting "...I know it is a toss up............whether you hate it or like it", she refrained from giving her verdict until after Theresa had read the book.  Clearly it also received a positive response from her sister in law since a few weeks later she writes: "I was so glad that you like 'Don Roderick', I was so very much pleased with it".  This was a very dark poem about invading armies, defiling of women and banishment of the hero, very far from the light novels of Miss Austen!

 

Her love of literature continued throughout her life,  A letter to Lady Grey in 1847 highly recommends Leigh Hunt's 'The Town' which charts the history of London.  She writes:

8th February 1847: "...........a very good history of this stage and all its best performances and writers - and equally good sketch of the court from Henry the 8th to George 3rd - quantities of amusing wits and authors of the 17th century - in short it has amused me exceedingly - and if you want a bit of light reading (only two volumes), I recommend you to try it."

It would seem she liked a book that made her laugh - such a book was 'The Clockmaker' or 'The Sayings and Doings of Sam Slick of Slickville', published in Paris in 1839 it is in reality set in America.  Having read a little of this book, it is difficult to see what she found so amusing, perhaps it is the chapter on 'English Aristocracy and Yankee Mobocracy',  in a letter to Lady Grey she writes:

20th September 1841: "Have you read the second volume of Sam Slick The Clockmaker?  If you have not pray do it will kill you with laughing as it nearly did me."

 



Never afraid to shy away from giving an opinion, in 1849 she has read 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' by Harriet Beecher Stowe, her views are clearly very strong:

16th November 1849; "I never was so interested in any book as in Uncle Tom's Cabin' - I think if any good could be done in that dreadful system that must have weight - but there are such conflicting interests in that disagreeable country that I doubt its ever being got rid of..."

In the same letter she remarks that she has nearly finished a novel by her Godchild Georgiana Fullerton, the daughter of their great friend Granville Leveson Gower.  Georgiana was a prolific novelist and the book she was reading was probably 'Ellen Middleton' which had been published in 1847.  She is clearly very proud of having a Godchild who follows a pursuit so close to her own heart, and remarks that her novels are well received earning ".....Praise and praise that is worth having".  For our modern taste these books are difficult to read both in language and subject but, of course, times and tastes constantly change.

In 1854 when she was nearing the end of her life her portrait was painted by Sant, in this picture she is shown looking out at the world but in her hands she holds an open book, it is just as if we have interrupted her reading for just a moment.  .

Sadly it would seem that little remains of her collection of books in the library at Saltram House today, there is a copy of her personal bible bearing her name and she was instrumental in the re-organisation of the books when the library was enlarged in the early years of the 19th century.  With so many beautiful locations to sit and read at Saltram House, both inside the house and in the gardens it is not difficult to imagine Frances and Miss Smith whiling away the hours with a good book.