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Lavinia Spencer, Countess Spencer (née Bingham; 1762 – 1831) was a British illustrator.
Despite the lack of a 
*Lady Georgiana Charlotte Spencer (1794–1823), married Lord George Quin, son of Thomas Taylour, 1st Marquess of Headfort, and had issue.
* Vice-Admiral Frederick Spencer, 4th Earl Spencer (1798–1857)
*The Very Reverend Hon. George Spencer (later known as Father Ignatius Spencer (1799–1864), died unmarried.
A rising politician, Althorp succeeded his father as the 2nd Earl Spencer in 1783. Earl and Countess Spencer resided at Althorp and Spencer House, London, eventually producing eight children. They entertained the era's most prominent political and intellectual leaders.
The historian Malcolm Lester describes her as "a strong-minded and strong-willed woman of great erudition and charm howas perhaps the pre-eminent hostess in London society". The biographer Amanda Foreman, however, details less attractive traits, describing her as "moody, vindictive, hypocritical" and "neurotically jealous" of her sisters-in-law the Duchess of Devonshire and the Countess of Bessborough and "a calm liar who maintained a veneer of politeness to her in-laws while freely abusing them in conversation elsewhere."
Women painters of the world, from the time of Caterina Vigri, 1413-1463, to Rosa Bonheur and the present day
', by Walter Shaw Sparrow, The Art and Life Library, Hodder & Stoughton, 27 Paternoster Row, London, 1905 She is known for engravings made after her drawings by the engraver Mariano Bovi.
File:Lavinia Countess Spencer - A Pinch of Snuff.jpg, A Pinch of Snuff
File:Lavinia Countess Spencer - Nice Supper.jpg, Nice Supper, engraved by Bovi
Early life and family
Born in 1762, Lady Lavinia Bingham was the eldest daughter of the Irish peerCharles Bingham, 1st Earl of Lucan
Charles Bingham, 1st Earl of Lucan (22 September 1735 – 29 March 1799), known as Sir Charles Bingham, 7th Baronet, from 1750 until 1776, was an Irish peer and politician.
Background
He was the second son of Sir John Bingham, 5th Baronet, a ...
and his wife, the portrait miniature
A portrait miniature is a miniature portrait painting, usually executed in gouache, watercolor, or enamel. Portrait miniatures developed out of the techniques of the miniatures in illuminated manuscripts, and were popular among 16th-century eli ...
painter Margaret Smyth. She had three sisters and one brother, Richard
Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stro ...
.
Marriage and issue
Despite the lack of a dowry
A dowry is a payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price and dower. While bride price or bride service is a payment ...
, George Spencer, Viscount Althorp fell "out of his senses" with Lavinia and offered her marriage. His parents Lord and Lady Spencer permitted the match, perceiving that Lavinia was pretty, intelligent, and morally acceptable. The young couple married on 6 March 1782, and had nine children:
* John Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl Spencer (1782–1845)
* Lady Sarah Spencer (1787–1870), married William Lyttelton, 3rd Baron Lyttelton
William Henry Lyttelton, 3rd Baron Lyttelton MP (3 April 1782 – 30 April 1837) was an English Whig politician from the Lyttelton family.
Early life and education
Born on 3 April 1782, William Lyttelton was the son of William Henry Lyttelto ...
, and had issue. She became governess to the children of Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...
.
*Hon. Richard Spencer (1789–1791), died in infancy.
*Captain Hon. Sir Robert Cavendish Spencer (1791–1830), died unmarried at sea.
*Lady Harriet Spencer (b. & d. 1793), died in infancy.
*Lady Georgiana Charlotte Spencer (1794–1823), married Lord George Quin, son of Thomas Taylour, 1st Marquess of Headfort, and had issue.
* Vice-Admiral Frederick Spencer, 4th Earl Spencer (1798–1857)
*The Very Reverend Hon. George Spencer (later known as Father Ignatius Spencer (1799–1864), died unmarried.
A rising politician, Althorp succeeded his father as the 2nd Earl Spencer in 1783. Earl and Countess Spencer resided at Althorp and Spencer House, London, eventually producing eight children. They entertained the era's most prominent political and intellectual leaders.
The historian Malcolm Lester describes her as "a strong-minded and strong-willed woman of great erudition and charm howas perhaps the pre-eminent hostess in London society". The biographer Amanda Foreman, however, details less attractive traits, describing her as "moody, vindictive, hypocritical" and "neurotically jealous" of her sisters-in-law the Duchess of Devonshire and the Countess of Bessborough and "a calm liar who maintained a veneer of politeness to her in-laws while freely abusing them in conversation elsewhere."
Works
Her drawing ''A Pinch of Snuff'' was included in the 1905 book ''Women Painters of the World
''Women Painters of the World, from the time of Caterina Vigri, 1413–1463, to Rosa Bonheur and the present day'', assembled and edited by Walter Shaw Sparrow, lists an overview of prominent women painters up to 1905, the year of publication.
Th ...
''.Women painters of the world, from the time of Caterina Vigri, 1413-1463, to Rosa Bonheur and the present day
', by Walter Shaw Sparrow, The Art and Life Library, Hodder & Stoughton, 27 Paternoster Row, London, 1905 She is known for engravings made after her drawings by the engraver Mariano Bovi.
References
Works cited
* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Spencer, Countess Spencer, Lavinia 1762 births 1831 deaths 18th-century British artists 19th-century British artists 18th-century British women artists 19th-century British women artists British illustrators British women illustrators British countesses Daughters of Irish earls Spencer family Bingham family (Ireland) Wives of knights