A Tot of Grog

Edward Vernon (aka, Old Grog; London, England, 12th November 1684 – Nacton, Suffolk, England, 30th October 1757) 

Edward Vernon by Thomas Gainsborough, 1753

Those of you who visit the salon regularly or have seen me elsewhere on the web chatting about my influences, know that I owe my love of history and tall tales to my old granddad. A born storyteller, he liked the occasional tipple and one of his favourites was a tot of rum or, as he would term it, "grog".

Today we mark the death of Admiral Edward Vernon, a career officer in the British Navy from the age of just sixteen. As his career progressed, Vernon earned the nickname, Old Grog, for his love of coats made of grogram cloth; however, the word has since come to mean something in no way related to clothing!

As an officer in the Navy, Old Grog faced the same challenge as many of his fellows, that of the men under his command getting a little carried away on their daily rum ration. Concerned about the affect of this libation on both their physical health and their moral wellbeing, in 1740 Vernon decreed that the rum ration should henceforth be diluted by water.

The sailors were understandably not at all happy, since water on board a long sea voyage was far from palatable. In answer, Vernon replied that they could purchase limes or sugar with thick to sweeten the drink and, quite without realising it, those who added this extra ingredient were doing wonders for their health. 

Almost ten years later, in 1747, James Lind concluded that citrus fruit was a valuable weapon against scurvy and the Royal Navy swiftly leaped into action. Suddenly, instead of being an optional extra, all naval rum rations were supplemented with lime or lemon juice, the newly-created drink being nicknamed, Grog, after the man who inadvertently created it.

Thomas Gainsborough: The Painter's Daughters with a Cat

Thomas Gainsborough (Sudbury, Suffolk, England, baptised 14th May 1727 - London, England, 2nd August 1788)

On the anniversary of the death of Thomas Gainsborough, it seems like the right time for a return to my occasional series about the paintings that have caught my eye. Gainsborough was known, of course, for his remarkable portraits and landscapes; he enjoyed a most illustrious client list, including some of the most famous names in Georgian society and his reputation has endured throughout the centuries to this very day, deservedly regarded as one of the icons of 18th century art.

Gainsborough was father to two daughters, Mary and Margaret, born in 1750 and 1751 respectively. He painted them on several occasions and the work that has commanded my attention today is The Painter's Daughters with a Cat, though if you can spot the cat, well done!

This portrait is undated but is believed to have been painted around 1760-61, based on the approximate age of the two girls.The unfinished work shows Mary and Margaret in a casual embrace, looking not directly at the viewer but slightly off to the side, perhaps to where Gainsborough works at the canvas. I find it a striking image and one that captures the spirit of the children, utterly at ease with one another and with with the business of posing for the celebrated artist who to them, was simply a father.

Detail showing the cat's face

At a cursory glance the cat may prove hard to locate but look to the lower right of the painting, where a shape can be identified lounging on Margaret's forearm. Reaching over, Margaret is pulling the animal's tail gently and in the outline of its face, we can see that the feline was far from happy!

Sadly the painting was never finished and as such, we can only catch the barest glimpse of the phantom cat in the little girl's arms, or share this moment of childhood domesticity.

The Long Life of Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh

Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh (London, England, 25th April 1776 - London, England, 30th April 1857)

By William Beechey

On several occasions here at the Guide I have introduced daughters of the house of Hanover. Their lives were not always long and nor were they always happy, married off for political expediency or gain. Today's guest is Princess Mary, aunt to Queen Victoria and loyal sister to a number of our previous guests. Her life was longer than many of her siblings and though her marriage came relatively late in life, it proved to be a settled union.

Mary was born to George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz at the Queen's residence of Buckingham House and like so many of her siblings, she was christened at St James's Palace. Presided over by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Frederick Cornwallis, the event was attended by many illustrious names from European nobility.

By Thomas Gainsborough, 1782

The young princess was known for her wit, impeccable behaviour and beauty and it was soon considered that she would make somebody a fine royal bride. At her 1792 debut she charmed the court and at the age of 20, had a fateful meeting with Prince Frederick of Orange, who was exiled to London with his family. The young couple fell in love with one another yet their desire to marry would be unfulfilled. When he learnt of his daughter's attachment to the prince, George III decided that any such union must be postponed in favour of marrying Mary's three elder sisters off first. It was to prove a fateful decision as the young prince died in 1799 whilst on military service in Italy.

Princess Mary was utterly devastated by the loss of her beloved and in recognition of their bond, she was permitted to go into official mourning. Members of her family, particularly Princess Amelia, were Mary's strongest allies during this unhappy time and presently she emerged from mourning, though there was to be no more talk of marriage for some years.

Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh

In 1810 Mary suffered another devastating loss when her closest sibling, Amelia, died. Like the rest of her family she felt the loss deeply and the death greatly affected Mary. However, a perhaps unexpected turn of events was set in place when Mary's first cousin, Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh, learnt that Princess Charlotte of Wales was to marry. Despite rumours of whirlwind passionate liaisons with continental ladies, William had not married, having been viewed as a possible match for Charlotte. Now though, Charlotte had been betrothed to another and the 40 year old Duke was left without a bride; it was swiftly decided that Mary, his equal in age and superior in status, would be the ideal candidate.

Daguerreotype of Queen Victoria, Princess Alice, the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester, 1856
 Read more at the Royal Collection

The cousins were married on 22nd July 1816 at St James's Palace and took up residence in Bagshot Park. Here they passed many happy and devoted years together; though their marriage was childless, they were respected and loved by their families and Mary would remain a firm favourite into her old age.

Mary finally left Bagshot on the occasion of her husband's death in 1834, when she moved to White Lodge in Richmond Park. Here she remained for the rest of her life, as faithful and close to her family as ever she had been.

Life in the Georgian Court, true tales of 18th century royalty, is available at the links below.

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The Bittersweet Life of Thomas Linley the Elder

Thomas Linley the Elder (Badminton, Gloucestershire, England, 17th January 1733 – Bath, Somerset, England, 19th November 1795)

Thomas Linley the Elder by Sir Thomas Gainsborough

We are back in the theatre today to meet a man who enjoyed professional successes even as his life was touched by tragedy. Conductor, composer and theatrical impresario, it is a pleasure to welcome Thomas Linley the Elder to the salon.

Linley was born into a privileged family and his early love of and talent for music was plain from an early age. Recognising that he had a natural aptitude for music, they sent the young man to study in Bath, where he eventually became a concert promoter and conductor. 

He made an excellent living as a composer and maestro in the fashionable city and married Mary Johnson, with whom he had 12 children. Seven of these would go on to musical careers of their own and one daughter in particular would provide her father with opportunities for business advancement.

We have previously met the somewhat characterful Richard Brinsley Sheridan and in 1770 he cropped up in the life of Linley as suitor to the composer's 16 year old daughter daughter and operatic soprano, Elizabeth. She was a particular favourite at the concerts given by her father but was not enjoying the attentions of a rather too persistant suitor, Thomas Mathews, and it was decided that she would shelter in a French convent until Mathews could be convinced to seek amusement elsewhere. Sheridan accompanied Elizabeth to Lille but, after an unhappy start to her time in France, Linley travelled to the country to fetch her back to England. Finally, after duels and heartache, Sheridan and Elizabeth were wed in 1773.

Linley collaborated with his son-in-law theatrically, producing songs for The Duenna, premiered in 1776, and providing madrigals and musical accompaniment for other works written by Sheridan and his contemporaries. Even when the play might have been somewhat substandard, Linley's compositions saw audiences flocking to attend the theatre and he soon looked deeper into theatrical opportunities. With Sheridan and James Ford, Linley took on a half share in the management of Drury Lane Theatre and the trio would increase this to total management within two years.

However, 1778 was not to be a year of unbridled successes and tragedy struck when his 22 year old son, Thomas Linley the Younger, died in a boating accident. The younger man had been working as a composer on Drury Lane productions and the death of the enormously talented young man understandably devastated the the Linley family, as well as the company at Drury Lane. The loss of Linley echoed through the musical world and shook his father, who nevertheless enjoyed a successful career until his own death in 1795.