Dinner guests of the Spencers et al. in Althorp, Northamptonshire - 30 December, 1808

from Letter from Lady Sarah Spencer to her brother, the Hon. Robert Spencer, 31 December 1808, page 55:

We sat down twenty-one to dinner yesterday; the Sawbridges, Armytages, Mr. Gunning, and our old London friend Mr. Skeffington, were added to our stationary party. We had some musick in the evening. Harriet played as beautifully as usual, and I declare it was quite affecting to see poor old Skeffington, who is as good an Irishman in his heart as anybody, standing close to the piano quite in raptures at some pretty Irish tunes she was playing, and making her repeat them over and over, and watching every note, which seemed to go to his very heart. Nothing I like so much as a …   more >>

cite as

Sarah Spencer Lady Lyttelton, Letter from Lady Sarah Spencer to her brother, the Hon. Robert Spencer, 31 December 1808. In Hon. Mrs. Hugh Wyndham (ed.), Correspondence of Sarah Spencer, Lady Lyttelton 1787–1870 (London, 1912), p. 55. https://led.kmi.open.ac.uk/entity/lexp/1540911740232 accessed: 28 March, 2024

location of experience: Althorp, Northamptonshire

Listeners

Lumley St George Skeffington
Playwright
1771-1850
Lady Lyttelton
Governess to Queen Victoria's children 1842-50, Lady of the Bedchamber 1838-42
1787-1870

Listening to

hide composers
Irish tunes performed by Harriet Cavendish

Experience Information

Date/Time 30 December, 1808
Medium live
Listening Environment in the company of others, in private, indoors

Notes

Lady Sarah Spencer married William Henry Lyttelton on 3 March 1813, after which she was known as Lady Lyttelton. He succeeded his half-brother as 3rd Baron Lyttelton in 1828. Harriet Cavendish married Lord Granville Leveson-Gower in 1809, and subsequently became known as Countess Granville.


Originally submitted by lcc5 on Tue, 30 Oct 2018 15:02:20 +0000
Approved on Tue, 06 Nov 2018 12:53:43 +0000