Elizabeth Ilive facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elizabeth Ilive
portrait by Thomas Phillips
Born	1769
Died	30 December 1822  (aged 52–53)
Spouse(s)	George Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont
Children	George Wyndham, 1st Baron Leconfield, Henry Wyndham, Charles Wyndham, Frances Wyndham, Charlotte Wyndham, Lady Elizabeth Wyndham

Elizabeth Ilive (also spelled Iliffe; born around 1769 – died December 30, 1822) was a talented English woman with many interests. She was the partner and later the wife of George Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont. She was also the mother of eight of his children.

Elizabeth Ilive came from Oxford, England. She began a relationship with George Wyndham in 1785. They married in 1801, but separated soon after.

Elizabeth and George had several children before their marriage:

• Colonel George Wyndham, 1st Baron Leconfield (1787–1869): George inherited his father's estates, including Petworth House in Sussex. He became Baron Leconfield in 1859. He married Mary Fanny Blunt and had children.
• Frances Wyndham (1789–1848): She married Sir Charles Burrell, 3rd Baronet and had children.
• General Sir Henry Wyndham (1790–1860): He was a military officer who married Elizabeth Somerset. They did not have children.
• Edward Wyndham (1792–1792): He died as a baby.
• William Wyndham (1793–1794): He also died as a baby.
• Charlotte Henrietta Wyndham (1795–1870): She married John James King and had children.
• Colonel Charles Wyndham (1796–1866): He married Elizabeth Anne Hepburne-Scott but had no children.

Scientific Discoveries

Elizabeth Ilive was very interested in science and inventing. In 1798, she created a special tool called a "cross-bar lever." This invention was designed to help lift heavy stones. She presented her design to the Royal Society of Arts, a famous group that supports arts and sciences. Because of her clever invention, she was awarded a silver medal.

A portrait of Elizabeth, painted by the artist Thomas Phillips, shows her with a drawing of her invention. This painting is kept at Petworth House, which was her home.

Artistic Connections

Elizabeth Ilive also had connections to the art world. The famous artist William Blake lived near Petworth for a time. It is believed that Elizabeth asked him to create several artworks for her. Some people think that an unnamed woman in Blake's painting Vision of the Last Judgment might be Elizabeth.

Her husband, the Earl of Egremont, was a supporter of the well-known artist J. M. W. Turner. It is thought that Elizabeth helped Turner in her own "laboratory." She may have helped him create the special colors, called pigments, that artists use. Evidence for this includes records of her buying art supplies and laboratory equipment.