Elizabeth Home, Countess of Home facts for kids

Elizabeth Home, Countess of Home (born Elizabeth Gibbons; 1703 or 1704 – 15 January 1784) was a very wealthy woman from Jamaica. She became a noblewoman and owned large farms called plantations.

Elizabeth was already rich from her father, who was a merchant. In 1720, she married James Lawes, whose father was the Governor of Jamaica. They moved to London, and when James died in 1734, Elizabeth became an even wealthier widow.

Later, in 1742, she married William Home, 8th Earl of Home. He was known for spending a lot of money. He left her soon after they married, and Elizabeth lived a very fancy and expensive life. She owned plantations in Jamaica, where many people worked.

Elizabeth was sometimes called the "Queen of Hell" because of her strong personality and the very grand parties she threw. In the 1770s, she hired famous architects like James Wyatt and later Robert Adam and James Adam to design Home House. This was a magnificent house in Portman Square, London. It was considered one of the most beautiful homes inside in London and is still there today. Elizabeth died in 1784 and was buried in Westminster Abbey. She did not have any children from either of her marriages.

Early Life in Jamaica

Elizabeth Gibbons was born in Jamaica in 1703 or 1704. She was part of the "Creole" class on the island. This meant she was born in the West Indies but her family came from white settlers.

She was the only child of William Gibbons, who was a merchant in the West Indies. Her mother, Deborah Favell, was the daughter of John Favell, who was a member of Jamaica's local government.

First Marriage to James Lawes

In 1720, when Elizabeth was about sixteen, she married James Lawes. He was twenty-three years old and the son of Nicholas Lawes, who was the Governor of Jamaica. Nicholas Lawes was also a rich plantation owner who brought the first printing press to the island and started growing coffee. James Lawes was considered the most desirable single man in Jamaica.

Elizabeth and James eventually moved to London. James was going to become the lieutenant governor for Jamaica, but he died in 1734, before he could start the job. They did not have any children.

When James died, Elizabeth inherited a large fortune. She also owned many successful Jamaican estates from her father. She had a sculptor named John Cheere create a large statue to honor her husband. This statue was sent to Jamaica and placed in James's home area of Saint Andrew.

Second Marriage and Life in London

Not much is known about Elizabeth's life during the nine years she was a widow before her second marriage. On December 25, 1742, she married William Home, 8th Earl of Home. He was known for spending a lot of money, and he married Elizabeth for her wealth.

They did not have any children, and the Earl left her in February 1743 for reasons that are not known. He was an army officer his whole life and later became the Governor of Gibraltar. He died in 1761. Even though they separated, Elizabeth kept her title and remained very wealthy because of her father and first husband.

After her husband left her, Elizabeth decided to stay in England. She spent time with members of James Lawes's family, including his sister, Judith Maria, and her husband, Simon Luttrell. Simon Luttrell was even called the "King of Hell" by some people.

Lady Home was one of the few wealthy people from the colonies who fit in well with English high society. However, she loved to show off her wealth and throw very grand parties. Because of her strong personality and lavish parties, she became known as the "Queen of Hell."

In 1771, Elizabeth, who was wealthy and had no children, moved to Portman Square in London. Many of her new neighbors were building fancy homes. In 1772, she bought land and hired a young architect named James Wyatt to build a magnificent house. Wyatt worked on the project until 1775, when a disagreement led to him being replaced by the famous brothers Robert and James Adam.

This new home, called Home House, was built partly to entertain guests and to display two large paintings by Thomas Gainsborough. These paintings were of her friends, the Duke and Duchess of Cumberland. The Duke was a royal prince who was not accepted by the royal court because he married someone they did not approve of.

Home House became known for having one of the most beautiful interiors in London. One historian, Eileen Harris, said that the inside of Home House is "rightly regarded as among Robert Adam's masterpieces." Elizabeth Home died on January 15, 1784, in London and is buried in Westminster Abbey.

Images for kids

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  An interior of Home House, as seen in 2004