Margaret Bentinck, Duchess of Portland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Duchess of Portland
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Margaret Cavendish Bentinck, Duchess of Portland by Christian Friedrich Zincke, 1738
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 February 1715 Welbeck Abbey, Nottinghamshire |
| Died | 17 July 1785 Bulstrode Park, Buckinghamshire |
| Nationality | British |
| Spouse | William Bentinck, 2nd Duke of Portland |
| Children | Elizabeth Thynne, Marchioness of Bath Henrietta Grey, Countess of Stamford William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland Lady Margaret Bentinck Lady Frances Bentinck Lord Edward Bentinck |
| Parents | Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford and Mortimer Lady Henrietta Holles |
| Occupation | Art and natural history specimens collector |
Margaret Cavendish Bentinck, Duchess of Portland (born February 11, 1715 – died July 17, 1785) was a very important and wealthy woman in Great Britain. She was known for her amazing collection of natural history items and art. Before she married, she was called Lady Margaret Harley. After her marriage, she became the Duchess of Portland. She was also a member of the Bluestockings, a group of smart women who liked to discuss ideas.
Contents
Early Life and Growing Up
Margaret was the only child of the 2nd Earl of Oxford and Mortimer. Her father loved books and art. Her mother was Lady Henrietta Holles. Margaret grew up at Wimpole Hall in Cambridgeshire. Her home was full of books, paintings, and sculptures.
She met famous writers like Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift. From a young age, Margaret loved collecting things. She collected pets and items from nature, especially seashells. Her father and grandfather encouraged her to follow this passion.
Marriage and Family
When Margaret was 19, she married William Bentinck, 2nd Duke of Portland on July 11, 1734. They had six children together. All their children were born at Welbeck Abbey.
- Lady Elizabeth Bentinck (1735–1825)
- Lady Henrietta Bentinck (1737–1827)
- William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland (1738–1809)
- Lady Margaret Bentinck (1739–1756)
- Lady Frances Bentinck (1741–1743)
- Lord Edward Charles Cavendish-Bentinck (1744–1819)
A scholar named Elizabeth Elstob helped teach her children between 1738 and 1756.
A Passion for Collecting
After her marriage, Margaret's collecting grew even more. She collected beautiful art and natural history items. She inherited a lot of money, so cost was not a problem for her. Her home, Bulstrode Hall in Buckinghamshire, had plenty of space for her treasures.
Bulstrode Hall became known as "The Hive." This was because Margaret and her team worked very hard there. Her team included botanists (plant experts), entomologists (insect experts), and ornithologists (bird experts). Two key members were Daniel Solander, who specialized in seashells and insects, and Reverend John Lightfoot, her librarian and a plant expert. Unlike many collections of her time, Margaret's was very well organized.
In 1766, a famous philosopher named Jean-Jacques Rousseau visited Margaret. He was impressed by her knowledge of plants. He even offered to help her collect plants.
The Portland Museum at Bulstrode was open to visitors. It also had a zoo, a birdhouse, and a huge garden. Many people came to see it, including scholars, scientists, and even royalty. Her collection became very famous.
Horace Walpole, another collector, said that few men, and perhaps no woman, collected as much as Margaret. Her friend, Mary Delany, who was an artist, believed that studying nature could make your mind bigger.
Margaret's collection was the largest and most famous of its time. It included items from all over the world. She even supported James Cook's voyages and bought shells from his second trip. She drew and recorded her specimens. She also displayed them alongside ancient objects, like the famous Portland Vase, which she bought.
Margaret wanted to describe and publish every unknown species in nature. However, her dream was cut short when Solander died in 1783 and she died two years later. After her death, her children were not interested in the collection. They decided to sell it to pay off debts and support her son's political career.
The collection was sold at an auction from April to July 1786. There were over 4,000 items! Hundreds of people attended. Some art pieces, like the Portland Vase, were bought back by her family. But most of the natural history collection was sold. Today, only parts of the Portland Museum building remain, as Bulstrode was torn down later.
Some of Margaret's personal papers and letters are kept at the Manuscripts and Special Collections, The University of Nottingham. The Harley Gallery's Treasury Museum sometimes shows items from the Portland Collection.
Helping Others: The Foundling Hospital
Margaret was one of the important women who signed a petition to create the first Foundling Hospital in England. This hospital was a home for orphans and abandoned children. She signed the petition to King George II in 1735.
Her support, and that of other important women, helped convince men to support the project. Because of their influence, more people signed petitions in 1737. A special permission from the King was given in 1739. Her husband, William Bentinck, was one of the first to sign this permission. Her father, Edward Harley, also signed a petition on the same day.
Legacy
Margaret Street in central London is named after her.
