Hester Stanhope, Viscountess Mahon

Hester Stanhope, Viscountess Mahon (19 October 1755 – 20 July 1780), formerly Lady Hester Pitt, was the wife of Charles Stanhope, Viscount Mahon, later the 3rd Earl Stanhope.

Viscountess Mahon
Born
Lady Hester Pitt

19 October 1755
Died20 July 1780(1780-07-20) (aged 24)
Spouse(s)
ChildrenLady Hester Stanhope
Lady Griselda Tekell
Lady Lucy Taylor
Parent(s)William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
Hester Grenville

She was the eldest daughter of William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, by his wife, the former Hester Grenville (1720–1803), herself the daughter of the 1st Countess Temple. She was thus the sister of William Pitt the Younger, who, like their father, served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. She may have been born at the Pay Office, which was at the time her parents' residence.[1]

Hester married Viscount Mahon on 19 December 1774. They had three children:[2]

  • Lady Hester Stanhope (1776–1839); a traveller and Arabist who died unmarried at the age of 63 in Syria.
  • Lady Griselda Stanhope (21 July 1778 – 13 October 1851); married John Tekell.
  • Lady Lucy Rachel Stanhope (20 February 1780 – 1 March 1814); eloped with and married Thomas Taylor of Sevenoaks, the family apothecary, and had children.

Their London house was in Harley Street.[3] Following the birth of her third daughter, Lady Hester suffered from puerperal fever, and was taken to Chevening for her health.[1] She died there, aged 24, and was buried at St Botolph's Church, Chevening.

Stanhope remarried in 1781 to Louisa Grenville, his first wife's first cousin.[4] He inherited his father's title in 1786, his older brother having predeceased him.

References
  1. Birdwood, V. (ed.) So Dearly Loved, So Much Admired: Letters to Hester Pitt, Lady Chatham from her relations and friends (1744-1801). London: HMSO, p. 5.
  2. G.E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume III, page 146.
  3. "The Private Life of William Pitt (1759-1806)". 16 October 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  4. Louisa's father, the Hon. Henry Grenville, was the brother of Hester's mother, the Countess of Chatham.
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