Lady Mary Coke facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lady Mary Coke
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Lady Mary Coke, by Allan Ramsay.
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| Born | 6 February 1727 |
| Died | 30 September 1811 (aged 84) Morton House, Chiswick, England
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| Occupation | Author, letter writer, journal writer |
| Spouse(s) |
Edward Coke, Viscount Coke
(m. 1747; died 1753) |
| Parent(s) | John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll Jane Warburton |
Lady Mary Coke (born February 6, 1727 – died September 30, 1811) was an English noblewoman. She became well-known for her many letters and a private journal. In her writings, she shared sharp observations about people she knew and important political figures. Her writings were not meant to be published. However, a collection of her letters and journal entries from 1766 to 1774 was printed in 1889 by a distant relative.
Contents
Lady Mary's Life Story
Early Life and Marriage
Mary was the youngest of five daughters. Her father was John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll, a soldier and politician. Her mother, Jane, was a maid of honour to Queen Anne. Mary grew up in Sudbrook or London. She also visited her family's home in Inveraray, Scotland.
On April 1, 1747, Mary married Edward Coke, Viscount Coke. He was the son of Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester. Their marriage was difficult from the start. Edward left her alone on their wedding night. He then kept her almost like a prisoner at his family home, Holkham Hall, in Norfolk. Mary never used the title Viscountess Coke.
Her family went to court to help her. In 1750, a deal was made. Lady Mary could live with her mother but had to stay married to Edward. He died in 1753 when Mary was 26 years old. She had already received a large inheritance from her father. This allowed her to live an independent life. She never married again. Her life became known for travel, her interest in royalty, and sometimes getting into tricky situations.
Homes and Residences
From 1767 to 1788, Mary lived at Aubrey House in the Campden Hill area of Holland Park, London. A special blue plaque on the house remembers her and other people who lived there. In 1786, she bought a house in Chelsea. She bought more land there in 1793. In 1807, she sold her Chelsea property. She then moved to her final home in Chiswick.
Rumors of a Royal Romance
In 1767, Prince Edward, Duke of York and Albany, passed away. Lady Mary showed a lot of sadness. She hinted that they had secretly married. This claim made many people laugh at her. She said they had a very strong and long friendship. However, most people believed that the prince saw their relationship as a joke.
Travels Across Europe
Lady Mary took her first trip to Europe in 1770–71. She became friends with Empress Maria Theresa and was welcomed at the court in Vienna. On her third visit in 1773, she upset her friend by getting involved in court matters. Mary did not think this was her fault. She started to believe that any bad luck she had, like servants making mistakes or losing bids at auctions, was part of a plot by Maria Theresa. She even thought this plot followed her across Europe.
In 1775, Mary accused Emily Barry of trying to help an assassination plot against her. Mary believed this plot was led by Maria Theresa's daughter, Marie Antoinette.
Friendship with Horace Walpole
The event in 1775 caused Horace Walpole to stop being friends with Lady Mary. Walpole was a close friend and often praised her. He even dedicated his book, The Castle of Otranto, to her in 1765. However, Walpole also thought she lacked a sense of humor. He believed her strong sense of self-importance often caused her own problems.
Observing Politics
Lady Mary often saw signs of conspiracies. For example, she thought Margaret Nicholson's attempt to harm George III in 1786 was part of a Catholic plot against the Protestant royal family. She also believed the rumors about Maria Fitzherbert secretly marrying George, Prince of Wales.
Some of her observations were quite accurate. In 1787, she praised the political skills of the Duchess of Devonshire. Lady Mary noted that the Duchess invited young men from abroad to her homes. This helped them join the Whig political group. Lady Mary loved collecting political information. She used it to protect herself, her friends, and her family. She also shared it with her sisters in her journal. She often visited the Houses of Commons and Lords. There, she watched important political events. These included Warren Hastings's trial and a debate about an election in 1768.
Later Life and Death
Lady Mary bought Morton House in Chiswick four years before she died there in 1811. She liked that Sir Stephen Fox had built the house in the late 1600s. It had not changed much since then. She was buried in Westminster Abbey on October 11, 1811. Her burial was in her father's family vault.
Lady Mary's Journal
Lady Mary is mostly known today because of her journal. She never meant for it to be published. Instead, she wrote it for her own enjoyment and for her sisters. Her sister Anne, who married William Wentworth, 2nd Earl of Strafford, especially enjoyed it.
Her entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography says: "The journal includes everyday descriptions of card games and the weather. It also has smart observations about society and true feelings of affection. These are often placed close together without her trying to make them fit. The person who comes across in the journal is a mix of ordinary, unusual, and very kind."
She started writing her journal in August 1766. She stopped adding to it regularly in January 1791, when Anne's husband died. The published version only includes entries up to December 1774. After 1791, Lady Mary continued to share her thoughts with friends and family. These included her niece, Lady Frances Scott, and her cousin, Lady Louisa Stuart. In 1827, Louisa Stuart wrote a sharp memoir about Lady Mary. This memoir is another important source of information about her life.
Published Works
- Lady Mary Coke, The letters and journals of Lady Mary Coke, Volume 1, London, Kingsmead Bookshops, 1889
More Information
- DNB
