I shall see you on 6th July... a theatrical weekend awaits!
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Rags to Riches: The true story of Elizabeth and Maria Gunning
In 18th century Georgian high society, a well to-do-lady aspired to catch herself a titled husband. With fierce competition from other, equally ambitious debutantes to attract the eye of an eligible bachelor, interlopers were discouraged and frozen out of society. Which makes the story of the Gunning sisters, Maria and Elizabeth all the more unusual.
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| Elizabeth Gunning, after her marriage |
The two sisters were genteel nobodies: the daughters of an Irishman with neither money nor connections, and yet they did have one attribute in abundance – they were great beauties. When they were old enough, they worked in a Dublin theatre to help boost the family income. This was a potentially disastrous move for their reputations because most actresses were considered harlots. However, they survived the risk and were invited to a ball at Dublin castle.
The story goes that they had no money for ball gowns. But the theatre manager, Tom Sheridan, came to the rescue and leant them the Juliette and Lady Macbeth costumes to wear. Once at the ball they made such an impression on the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland that he granted their mother a reasonable pension.
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| Elizabeth Gunning |
Mrs Gunning used the money to take her daughters to England, and their house in Huntingdon. They attended local assemblies, and created such a sensation that word of them spread ahead to London.
With a reputation akin to that of a modern celebrity, the sisters entered London society feted as beauties – and took it by storm. This was unusual for the day, where manners, breeding, grace, and connections dictated how ‘beautiful’ a lady was. But more than that, they did the unthinkable and completed a rags to riches story by snagging aristocrats for husbands.
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| Elizabeth again |
In 1752, after a whirlwind romance, Elizabeth married the Duke of Hamilton, and went on to bear three children. When he died in 1758, she still attracted noble interest and remarried a Marques, who then inherited a dukedom. Elizabeth was a favourite at court and became a lady for the bedchamber for Queen Charlotte, during George III’s reign. She died at the age of 57, quietly in her bed.
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| Maria Gunning |
Her sister, Maria, was more controversial. She was renowned as being tactless, but for some reason this amused the haut ton and it added to her popularity. Also in 1752, Maria married the Earl of Coventry, but it seems he quickly tried to clip her wings. Whilst on honeymoon in Paris, he reportedly publically wiped her face with a handkerchief, when she wore rouge at dinner after he had forbidden it.
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| Maria, Countess of Coventry |
However, his aversion to Maria wearing cosmetics was strangely prophetic. A woman famed for beauty, she did everything she could to preserve that image. This meant wearing the heavy makeup that was fashionable in some quarters. But unfortunately that makeup contained lead and arsenic which slowly poisoned her. She was caught in a vicious circle, because the symptoms of poisoning included skin breakouts and redness, which undoubtedly meant she applied yet thicker layers of cosmetics.
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| Maria's mirror. It was this very mirror Maria looked in to apply her makeup |
Her continued use of makeup signed Maria’s death warrant and she died at the tender age of 27. A rags to riches story, which unlike Cinderella has a sad ending.
This post copyright © Grace Elliot, 2015.
16 comments:
Two amazing women. Wonderful portraits. What a pity Maria was addicted to makeup!
Such fascinating lives!
Fascinating. I knew of them from the mentions in regency novels, but nice to know their story.
Thank you for sharing,Madame. It's an interesting story concerning these beauties,but not uncommon for the times.
The Gunnings were iconic for any writer of romances with a poor but beautiful heroine...
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Sadly not!
Deservedly so!
They weren't exactly nobodies - their grandfather was a viscount, so they had a foot in the door. And their acting career appears to have been largely amateur, and brief. Their mother appears to have been adept at the "print the legend" theory of historyf. It's interesting to see how the legends have proliferated about them.
The dichotomy of the sisters' fates makes for an even better "fairy tale" from real life. Thanks for sharing this!
Just like Peg Plunkett, Irish women who conquered Dublin City!
I think their mother was a *very* savvy PR lady - a bit of spin to help the cause!
My pleasure; Grace's writing is so enjoyable, she tells such wonderful stories.
And the book is wonderful, Julie, just finished it - thank you for telling Peg's tale!
Also we're they not direct descendants of Grace O'Malley, the famous pirate queen, trader and merchant?
Where to start . . some 25 or so years ago I was buying 'shelf fulls' of books at a local auction room for a fiver or so. i would select a few I thought had 'value' and sell them at an auction room which specialised in books, and usually made a profit. On one occasion a slight paper back looked interesting. Those of you who can recall the London Motor Show, that was when the motor car trade was a big industry, one of Fleet Street's many newspapers, again an almost dead industry, The Daily Mail produced a 'Motor Show Review', this paperback was very similar. Instead of cars, John Roques entire large scale, 200 years old street map of London filled the pages, and the covers.
Prices at 7/6d, and dated circa 1948, the Journal prompted the reader to compare London of 'today' [ie post war London] with the City 200 years ago, ie 1748!
In fact I became 'hooked' on that same Bridge, but more over. the community that lived there!
Must crack on a bit now, shortly after this purchase, I found a website which offered access to all the London Auction House's sale records for the past 7 years!
I input 'London Bridge' and just 13, unidentified items came up. However the only approachable buyer was on Guernsey, the purchase, a very large administrative record book. It's association with the Bridge was a Bridge booksellers trade stamp on the inside front cover. It was 'proof' the book had been sold from a Bridge bookshop! I viewed it and was allowed to photograph it!
12 mystery sales remained, with just one response to my letters which has a tale to tell, but is irrelevant to this comment. Always keeping an eye on London sales, I did miss one, an
important one . . .fortunately ! The Bridge item was in a mixed lot. 'It' was the part 'not wanted', so was 'quickly' sold off, and I acquired 'it' more 'cheaply' !
The 'mystery' item had been in a well known Collection to match others there, bu not for the reason I pursue'd it . . . .
It was two paintings 'in reverse on glass', on the back of each was a trade stamp of a bridge stationer, good enough to add to my collection as originating on London Bridge!
Other research showed that this resident had given up a trade to learn 'How to Paint in Reverse on Glass'!!
So to suggest that the stationer. is also the Artist is not farfetched!! The 'Sitters'? The Gunning Girls.
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