Louisa Tollemache, 7th Countess of Dysart facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Louisa Tollemache
Portrait of lady Louisa Manners by John Constable after Hoppner.
Born	(1745-07-02)2 July 1745
Died	22 September 1840(1840-09-22) (aged 95) Ham House
Issue	William Tollemache, Lord Huntingtower John Manners Tollemache Charles Manners-Tollemache George Elizabeth Louisa Tollemache Sophia Tollemache Catherine Sophia Tollemache Maria Caroline Tollemache Louisa Grace Beauclerk, Duchess of St Albans Laura Tollemache
← Predecessor Wilbraham Tollemache, 6th Earl of Dysart (her brother) Successor Lionel Tollemache, 8th Earl of Dysart (her grandson) →

Louisa Manners Tollemache, 7th Countess of Dysart (born July 2, 1745 – died September 22, 1840) was an important noblewoman in Scotland. Her family was very successful and owned a lot of land in England. This was thanks to two marriages made by Elizabeth Maitland, Duchess of Lauderdale, a relative.

Louisa's older brothers passed away without children. This meant that she inherited important family homes. These included Helmingham Hall and Ham House in England. She then passed these properties on to her own children.

Louisa's Family and Early Life

Louisa was one of the daughters of Lionel Tollemache, 4th Earl of Dysart. She was one of three daughters who lived to be adults. Louisa and her younger sister, Jane, went to Mrs. Holt's School for Girls. This school was located in South Audley Street in Mayfair, London.

Marriage and Her Children

Lady Louisa married John Manners in 1765. They ran away to Scotland to get married. John even threw the key to the garden gate back over the wall at Ham House. This was to stop Louisa from going back inside!

Her father asked them to marry again, which they did at St James's Church, Piccadilly. John Manners was 15 years older than Louisa. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Newark for 18 years. His family had been MPs for that area for many decades.

In 1772, John inherited Hanby Hall and the Buckminster estate when his father died. Louisa and John lived most of their 27-year marriage at Ham House. They also spent time at another family home, Helmingham Hall in Suffolk. John passed away in 1792.

They had ten children:

• William Tollemache, Lord Huntingtower (1766–1833): He married Catherine Rebecca Gray in 1790. They had six sons and six daughters. One of their sons was Lionel Tollemache, 8th Earl of Dysart, who later inherited the title.
• Hon. John Manners Tollemache: He was allowed to change his last name to Tollemache in 1821. He died in 1837 without any children.
• Hon. Charles Manners-Tollemache (1775–1850): He also changed his last name to Tollemache in 1821. He married Frances Hay in 1797. They had three children:
  • Arthur Hugh (born 1799)
  • Wilbraham Francis (born 1800): He was a Commander in the Royal Navy.
  • Louisa Grace: She died young.

Charles married a second time in 1803 to Gertrude Florinda Gardiner. They had more children, including:

Charles William

George

Lionel (born 1806): He was a captain in the army.

William (1810–1886)

Henry Bertie: His marriage later ended.

Frances Louisa (1804–1893): She married twice.

Maria Eliza (1809–1893): She lived with her grandmother Louisa at Ham House for many years. She married Charles, first Marquess of Ailesbury. She was also a friend of Queen Victoria.

• George: He died as a baby.
• Elizabeth Louisa: She died as a baby.
• Sophia: She died as a baby.
• Catherine Sophia (born 1769): She married Sir Gilbert Heathcote, 4th Baronet in 1793. They had children.
• Maria Caroline (born 1775): She married James Duff, 4th Earl Fife in 1799. They did not have children.
• Louisa Grace (born 1777): She married Aubrey Beauclerk, 6th Duke of St Albans in 1802. They had one son, Aubrey, who became the 7th Duke of St Albans.
• Laura (1780–1834): Her marriage to John Dalrymple, 7th Earl of Stair was later ended. She was allowed to change her last name to Tollemache in 1821. She died at Ham House without children.

Louisa's Love for Art

John Constable's sketch of Ham House, June 1835

Louisa had her portrait painted by famous artists. Sir Joshua Reynolds and John Hoppner both painted her. Hoppner's portrait of Louisa was sold for a very high price in 1901. This painting was passed down through her family.

Thomas Lawrence also painted Louisa's portrait, which was shown at the Royal Academy in 1794.

Louisa was a big supporter of the artist John Constable. She invited him to her homes in Helmingham, Ham House, and London. Constable's letters show that he felt comfortable with her family. Louisa even hired Constable's brother, Golding, as a gamekeeper at Helmingham. Constable painted copies of the portraits of Louisa by Reynolds and Hoppner.

Becoming Countess of Dysart

Ham House

When John Manners died in 1792, Louisa was 47 years old. The large Buckminster estate, which was about 30,000 acres, became part of the Tollemache family's property.

Louisa became the Countess of Dysart and Baroness of Huntingtower on March 9, 1821. She was 75 years old. This happened after her brother Wilbraham passed away. Soon after, she and her unmarried daughter, Laura, were allowed to change their last name to Tollemache.

It was quite a surprise that Louisa inherited so much in 1821. When she was younger, she had many older brothers and sisters. People expected that one of them would have children to inherit the family title and estates.

However, her oldest brother, Lionel, died in 1799 without any children. Her brother Wilbraham also died in 1821 without any children. Her older sister Frances also passed away without children. So, Louisa, who had been a widow for a long time, inherited a huge amount of wealth and property at 75.

The Tollemache baronetcy (another type of noble title) ended. But Louisa became the 7th Countess of Dysart in her own right. The family estates were split between Louisa and her younger sister, Lady Jane. Louisa received Ham House and the lands around it. Jane received Helmingham and other lands. Both families then used the name Tollemache.

Later Life and Passing Away

As she grew older, Louisa became increasingly blind. She passed away at Ham House in Ham, Surrey, on September 22, 1840. She was 95 years old. She lived much longer than her husband and all but one of her children. She was buried at Helmingham. Her grandson, Lionel Tollemache, 8th Earl of Dysart, inherited her title. He was the son of her child, William, Lord Huntingtower.

Sources

Attribution

• This article incorporates text from The Scots Peerage (1904-1914), a publication now in the public domain.