Frances Duncombe

From: https://archive.org/stream/gri_33125002729453/gri_33125002729453_dj...

Collection of the Earl of Radnor

The Hon. Frances Duncombe, eldest daughter and co-heiress of Anthony, Lord Feversham, of Downton 1 (c. 1695-1763) by his second wife, Frances, daughter of Peter Bathurst, of Clarendon Park, Wilts, Esq. She was born 12th November, 1757, and her mother died nine days later. Her father married in the following year Anne, daughter of Sir Thomas Hales, Bart., and died in 1763. In 1765 her step-mother became the third wife of William, first Earl of Radnor, 2 and about 1775, Miss Duncombe was betrothed to his eldest son, Jacob, Viscount Folkestone (afterwards second Earl of Radnor). It is said that Lord Folkestone intercepted a letter to her from a Mr. Arabin, and that while the family were dining together in Grosvenor Street, Lord Radnor handed her the letter with the enquiry: “What is the meaning of this; what have I or my son done to you that you should treat us in this manner, Miss Duncombe?” whereupon she fainted; she was afterwards turned out of the house and the engagement was broken off. In 1777—the year after his father's death—Lord Folkestone married her step-sister Anne. In 1778 Miss Duncombe married John Bowater, 3 Esq., the eldest son of Edward Bowater (died 26th August, 1777) of Woolwich, and Charlotte Bale (died December, 1768). Mr. Bowater was descended from an old Warwickshire family; from the fact that his wife’s settlement was executed (on 3oth-31 st July, 1778) after their marriage, it seems probable that their wedding was clandestine, and this may be the reason why her name is omitted from all the peerages of the day. 4 The union must have been an unhappy one, for a letter has been preserved (dated 5th November, 1806) from Mr. Bowater to the second Earl of Radnor, which shows that at that date, in spite of his wife’s considerable fortune, he was actually in the Fleet prison for a debt of ,£600. They must have been living together at this time, for Mrs. Bowater added a postscript to her husband's letter, but she is not mentioned in his will, which was dated 10th August, 1809. He died at Ramsgate, 22nd June, 1810, and was buried at St. Lawrence, Isle of Thanet. Two years later, according to her will (dated 27th July, 1812, with a codicil of 17th December, 1813) Mrs. Bowater was living at her estate of Old Dalby Hall, Leicestershire, where she continued to reside until her death, which took place ( s.fi .) on 29th July, 1827. A full-length portrait of her by Gainsborough was sold at the sale at Old Dalby, after her death, for £f]. It was subsequently in the successive possession of Messrs. Graves and Baron Rothschild, and was exhibited by C. J. Wertheimer, Esq., at the Winter Exhibition of the Royal Academy, in 1907 (No. 87), wrongly called Anne, Countess of Radnor.