From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Maria, Lady Walpole
(
nee
Skerret
,
Skerritt
, or
Skerrett
; 1702 ? 4 June 1738) was the second wife of British politician and
Prime Minister
Robert Walpole
from before 3 March 1738 until her death in childbirth (miscarriage) three months later. She was buried in the
Church of St Martin
on the Walpole estate at
Houghton Hall
in
Norfolk
, England.
Biography
[
edit
]
Lady Walpole was the only known daughter of Thomas Skerret, a wealthy London merchant. On her marriage to Walpole in 1738 she paid a
dowry
of £30,000.
Walpole had become estranged from his first wife,
Catherine
, and took a series of mistresses. Maria Skerret was a long term companion (1723?1738) as they lived together in both
Richmond
and
Houghton Hall
in Norfolk while Walpole's first wife was still alive. Miss Skerret was received everywhere, and moved in fashionable society. She was even alluded to as Polly in
The Beggar's Opera
written in 1728 by
John Gay
, in which 'Macheath' was Walpole.
Lady Walpole was also often mentioned in the letters of
Lady Mary Wortley Montagu
as 'Molly'.
"I see every body but converse with nobody but 'des amies choisies'; in the first rank of these are Lady Stafford and dear Molly Skerritt, both of whom have now the additional merit of being old acquaintances, and never having given me any reason to complain of either of 'em."
Walpole was created
Earl of Orford
after he retired from the premiership in 1742, and he used his influence with King
George II
to have his illegitimate daughter by Lady Walpole, Maria, granted the rank and precedence of an earl's daughter, so she became "Lady Maria Walpole". Daughter Maria was born between 1723 and 1734, and later married Colonel
Charles Churchill
of
Chalfont
, with whom she had two daughters.
Styles
[
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]
- Miss Maria Skerritt (1702?1738)
- Lady Walpole (1738?1738)
See also
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]
Sources
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]
Citations
[
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]
- Charles Mosley, editor,
Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage
, 107th edition, 3 volumes (Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003), volume 3, page 4059.