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Emily FitzGerald, Duchess of Leinster (6 October 1731 – 27 March 1814), known before 1747 as Lady Emily Lennox, from 1747 to 1761 as The Countess of Kildare and from 1761 to 1766 as The Marchioness of Kildare, was the second of the famous
Lennox sisters The Lennox sisters were four eighteenth-century British aristocrats, the daughters of Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond (1701–1750) by his wife Lady Sarah Lennox, Duchess of Richmond and Lennox, Sarah Cadogan (1705–1751). The four sisters ...
, daughters of
Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond, 2nd Duke of Lennox, 2nd Duke of Aubigny, (18 May 17018 August 1750) of Goodwood House near Chichester in Sussex, was a British nobleman and politician. He was the son of Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richm ...
(who was illegitimately descended from King
Charles II of England Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651 and King of England, Scotland, and King of Ireland, Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685. Charles II was the eldest su ...
and one of his mistresses).


Early life

Lady Emily married James FitzGerald, 20th Earl of Kildare, on 7 February 1747. After their wedding in London, the couple returned to Fitzgerald's native Ireland, first residing at
Leinster House Leinster House () is the seat of the Oireachtas, the parliament of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Originally, it was the ducal palace of the Duke of Leinster, Dukes of Leinster. Since 1922, it has been a complex of buildings which houses Oirea ...
then
Carton House Carton House is a country house and surrounding demesne that was the ancestral seat of the Earls of Kildare and Dukes of Leinster for over 700 years. Located 23 km west of Dublin, in Maynooth, County Kildare, the Carton Demesne is a 1,100 ...
. Their marriage was reportedly a happy one, despite Lord Kildare's infidelities. Emily was almost always pregnant, giving birth to nineteen children in just twenty-five years, but only ten lived to mature adulthood: *George FitzGerald, Earl of Offaly (15 January 1748 – Richmond House, 26 September 1765) died at the age of seventeen. *
William FitzGerald, 2nd Duke of Leinster William Robert FitzGerald, 2nd Duke of Leinster, KP, PC (Ire) (12/13 March 1749 – 20 October 1804) was an Irish liberal politician and landowner. He was born in London. Career FitzGerald made his Grand Tour between 1768 and 1769. During t ...
(12 March 1749 – 20 October 1804) married Hon. Emilia St. George (daughter of St George Saint-George, 1st Baron St George) on 4 November 1775. They had nine children. *Lady Caroline FitzGerald (21 June 1750 – 13 April 1754) died at the age of three. *Lady Emily Mary FitzGerald (15 March 1751 – 8 April 1818) married
Charles Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont Charles Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont, KB, PC (Ire), (6 April 1738 – 20 October 1800) was an Anglo-Irish politician who served as one of the Postmasters General of Ireland. Charles was briefly styled as the Baron Coote between February 1766 ...
on 20 August 1774. They had five children. *Lady Henrietta FitzGerald (9 December 1753 – 10 September 1763) died the age of nine. *Lady Caroline FitzGerald (born and died April 1755) *
Charles FitzGerald, 1st Baron Lecale Vice-Admiral Charles James FitzGerald, 1st Baron Lecale (30 June 1756 – 18 February 1810), styled Lord Charles FitzGerald between 1761 and 1800, was an Irish naval commander and politician. Background FitzGerald was the third son of James Fitz ...
(30 June 1756 – 30 June 1810) married twice and had two illegitimate children. * Lady Charlotte Mary Gertrude FitzGerald (29 May 1758 – 13 September 1836) married Joseph Strutt on 23 February 1789. They had four children. *Lady Louisa Bridget FitzGerald (19 June 1760 – January 1765) died at the age of four. *
Lord Henry FitzGerald Lord Henry FitzGerald PC (Ire) (30 July 1761 – 9 July 1829) was the fourth son of the 1st Duke of Leinster and the Duchess of Leinster (née Lady Emily Lennox). A younger brother was the revolutionary Lord Edward FitzGerald. Life Fitzgeral ...
(30 July 1761 – 8 July 1829) married Charlotte Boyle-Walsingham on 3 August 1791. They had thirteen children. *Lady Sophia Sarah Mary FitzGerald (26 September 1762 – 21 March 1845). *
Lord Edward FitzGerald Lord Edward FitzGerald (15 October 1763 – 4 June 1798) was an Irish aristocrat and revolutionary proponent of Irish independence from Britain. He abandoned his prospects as a distinguished veteran of British service in the American War of Ind ...
(15 October 1763 – 4 June 1798) married Stéphanie Caroline Anne Syms on 27 December 1792. They had three children. *Lord Robert Stephen FitzGerald (1765 – 2 January 1833), a diplomat; married Sophia Charlotte Fielding and had issue. *Lord Gerald FitzGerald (January 1766 – 1788). Drowned, went down with the ship in which he was serving. *Lord Augustus FitzGerald (15 January 1767 – 2 January 1771) died at the age of three. *Lady Fanny FitzGerald (28 January 1770 – 1775) died at the age of five. * Lady Lucy Anne FitzGerald (5 February 1771 – 1851) married Admiral Sir Thomas Foley on 31 July 1802. *Lady Louisa FitzGerald (1772 – 1776) died at the age of four. *Lord George Simon FitzGerald (16 April 1773 – May 1783) died at the age of ten. Recognized as a son of Lord Kildare, but in fact was the biological child of the Fitzgerald children's tutor, William Ogilvie. Lord Kildare was created successively
Marquess of Kildare A marquess (; ) is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German-language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman with the rank of a marquess or the wife (or widow) ...
and
Duke of Leinster Duke of Leinster (; ) is a title and the premier dukedom in the Peerage of Ireland. The subsidiary titles of the Duke of Leinster are: Marquess of Kildare (1761), Earl of Kildare (1316), Earl of Offaly (1761), Viscount Leinster, of Taplow in th ...
in recognition of his contribution to the political life of his country. It was partly the Duke's influence that led to a rift between the Duchess and her eldest sister,
Caroline Fox, 1st Baroness Holland Georgiana Carolina Fox, 1st Baroness Holland, of Holland (27 March 1723 – 24 July 1774), known as Lady Caroline Lennox before 1744 and as Lady Caroline Fox from 1744 to 1762, was the eldest of the Lennox sisters. Family background The Lennox ...
.


Later life

After the death of Lord Kildare on 19 November 1773, Emily married her children's tutor, William Ogilvie, on 26 August 1774. Emily and Ogilvie had begun an affair some years earlier in
Frescati House Frescati House (sometimes misspelled 'Frascati') was a Georgian house and estate situated in Blackrock, Dublin. It was built in 1739 for the family of John Hely Hutchinson, the Provost of Trinity College. The house was acquired in 1970 by th ...
. Despite her remarriage, she continued to be known as The Dowager Duchess of Leinster. Ogilvie was nine years her junior, and was the natural father of her youngest son from her first marriage. They lived for part of their marriage at
Ardglass Castle Ardglass Castle (also known as The Newark) is situated in Ardglass, County Down, Northern Ireland. It was originally a row of 15th century warehouses by the harbour. Large sections of the original building can still be seen within the modern cl ...
in
Ardglass Ardglass () is a coastal fishing village, townland (of 321 acres) and civil parish in County Down, Northern Ireland, in the historic barony of Lecale Lower. It is still a relatively important fishing harbour. It is situated on the B1 Ardglas ...
,
County Down County Down () is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It covers an area of and has a population of 552,261. It borders County Antrim to the ...
, where Ogilvie worked to develop the village. A further three children were born to them after their marriage, two of whom lived to adulthood: *Cecilia Margaret Ogilvie (9 July 1775 – 1824) married Charles Lock on 12 July 1795; they had three daughters. *Charlotte Ogilvie (born and died 1777) *Emily Charlotte "Mimie" Ogilvie (May 1778 – 22 January 1832) married Charles George Beauclerk (son of
Topham Beauclerk Topham Beauclerk ( ; 22 December 1739 – 11 March 1780) was a celebrated English wit and a friend of Samuel Johnson and Horace Walpole. Early life Topham Beauclerk was born on 22 December 1739 in Pall Mall, London. He was the only son of Lord ...
and
Lady Diana Spencer Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997), was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William ...
; briefly an MP) on 29 April 1799; they had thirteen children. Emily was treated generously in her first husband's will. He left her a jointure of 4,000 annually (increased from the £3,000 promised in the settlement), and a life interest in Leinster House (Dublin) and Carton (which she exchanged for
Frescati House Frescati House (sometimes misspelled 'Frascati') was a Georgian house and estate situated in Blackrock, Dublin. It was built in 1739 for the family of John Hely Hutchinson, the Provost of Trinity College. The house was acquired in 1970 by th ...
and £40,000) together with all their contents. She had brought the usual ducal daughter's dowry of £10,000, so the jointure and other payments would financially cripple her son, the second Duke of Leinster. The first Duke also made over-generous provisions for his younger sons and all his daughters. Emily also received the usual annuity of £400 annually for each of the minor children who lived with her, even after her remarriage to Ogilvie. Thus, Emily and William Ogilvie were probably financially better off than her son, the second Duke, who existed on less than £7,000 annually, out of which he had to run two large houses, play a role in Irish politics, and also provide lavish dowries of £10,000 each for three sisters who married. He also had to pay huge annuities (£2,000 each) to his two younger brothers Lord Lecale and
Lord Henry Fitzgerald Lord Henry FitzGerald PC (Ire) (30 July 1761 – 9 July 1829) was the fourth son of the 1st Duke of Leinster and the Duchess of Leinster (née Lady Emily Lennox). A younger brother was the revolutionary Lord Edward FitzGerald. Life Fitzgeral ...
, and to pay his youngest brothers £10,000 each at their majority. Since Emily lived to 1814 (outliving the second Duke by ten years), all these generous testamentary provisions, along with the huge building costs incurred by the first Duke, crippled the Leinsters for generations. Fourteen of her children predeceased her, ten of whom died in childhood or adolescence. All these bereavements caused much pain to Emily, who always remained until the end at the bedside of her children, except to faint from the suffering of seeing them die in her arms. One of her sons,
Lord Edward FitzGerald Lord Edward FitzGerald (15 October 1763 – 4 June 1798) was an Irish aristocrat and revolutionary proponent of Irish independence from Britain. He abandoned his prospects as a distinguished veteran of British service in the American War of Ind ...
, was a major figure in the republican movement, and was killed during the
Irish Rebellion of 1798 The Irish Rebellion of 1798 (; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ''The Turn out'', ''The Hurries'', 1798 Rebellion) was a popular insurrection against the British Crown in what was then the separate, but subordinate, Kingdom of Ireland. The m ...
. She died on 27 March 1814 in
Grosvenor Square Grosvenor Square ( ) is a large garden square in the Mayfair district of Westminster, Greater London. It is the centrepiece of the Mayfair property of the Duke of Westminster, and takes its name from the duke's surname "Grosvenor". It was deve ...
, London.


Popular culture

In 1999, Irish Screen,
BBC America BBC America is an American basic cable network that is owned by AMC Networks. The channel primarily airs sci-fi and action series and films, as well as selected programs from the BBC (such as its nature documentary series). Unlike the BBC's ...
and WGBH produced ''Aristocrats'', a six-part limited television series based on the lives of Emily Lennox and her sisters.
Geraldine Somerville Geraldine Margaret Agnew-Somerville (born 19 May 1967) is an Irish-British actress. She is known for her roles in the film ''Gosford Park'' (2001) and the ''Harry Potter'' film series as an adult Lily Potter (2001–2011). Her other roles ha ...
and
Siân Phillips Dame Jane Elizabeth Ailwên Phillips (born 14 May 1933), known professionally as Siân Phillips ( ), is a Welsh actress from Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, Wales. Her early career consisted primarily of stage roles, including the title roles in Ibsen's '' ...
portray Emily as a young woman and as an older woman, respectively. The series aired in the US on
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
stations under the aegis of the anthology series '' Masterpiece Theater''; in the UK it aired on the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
. The series was based on
Stella Tillyard Stella Tillyard FRSL (born 1957) is a British author and historian, educated at Oxford and Harvard Universities and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. In 1999 her bestselling book ''Aristocrats'' was made into a six-part series for ...
's 1994 biography, ''Aristocrats: Caroline, Emily, Louisa and Sarah Lennox 1740-1832.''


See also

*
List of people with the most children This is a list of mothers said to have given birth to 20 or more children and men said to have fathered more than 25 children. Mothers and couples This section lists mothers who gave birth to at least 20 children. Numbers in bold and ''italics'' ...


References


Bibliography

* * *


Sources

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Citations

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leinster, Emily Fitzgerald, Duchess Of 1731 births 1814 deaths Daughters of British dukes British duchesses by marriage
Emily Emily may refer to: * Emily (given name), including a list of people with the name Music * "Emily" (1964 song), title song by Johnny Mandel and Johnny Mercer to the film ''The Americanization of Emily'' * "Emily" (Dave Koz song), a 1990 song ...
Emily Emily may refer to: * Emily (given name), including a list of people with the name Music * "Emily" (1964 song), title song by Johnny Mandel and Johnny Mercer to the film ''The Americanization of Emily'' * "Emily" (Dave Koz song), a 1990 song ...
Irish countesses British marchionesses