21 Chesham Place
Friday July 6th 1866
My dear Henry
You must have been dreadfully shocked at seeing in the Times the death of poor Shelbourne [sic]<1> – for you could not have heard of his sudden illness. It is dreadfully sad! He had not been in good health for some time, & they had just settled to spend the winter at Cannes – We went to Windsor on Wednesday, & slept at the Hotel, in order to be in readiness for the next day’s ceremony – so I knew nothing till I reached the reception room, when Ly Dunmore <2> told me he had a stroke of paralysis on Wednesday evening, while playing at cards at White’s with Mr H. Baring. <3> He was taken home, & was then quite conscious.
The first thing we heard on our return yesterday was that he died at ½ p.12 yesterday morng (Mid-day I mean).
Poor Ly. L. <4> was at a ball chaperoning Winifrede Howard <5> – When she reached home he was still conscious, & remained so till 4 a. m. I wrote to Winifrede late in the day – She said her Aunt was fearfully composed – Georgina de Flahault <6> was coming this morning – & Louisa & Mr H. <8> last night. The Boys were already arrived. I shall go & enquire again7bye & bye.
Yr affte
Caroline
Notes:
1. Henry Petty-FitzMaurice, 4th Marquess of Lansdowne, 5th Earl of Shelburne (7 Jan 1816 - 5 Jul 1866), MP; WHFT's cousin.
2. Lady Catherine Dunmore, née Herbert (d. 1886); she was a promotor of Harris Tweed as fashionable country and sporting wear.
3. Probably related to Francis Baring, 3rd Baron Ashburton (1800–1868), MP.
4. Emily Jane Mercer Elphinstone de Flahault (Baroness Nairne), was the 2nd wife of Lansdowne.
5. Winifrede Howard (d. 1933), daughter of Hon. James Kenneth Howard and Lady Louisa Petty-FitzMaurice. She later married Maj. Gen. Cyril Hugh Pennycuick Ducat.
6. Georgiana Gabrielle de Flahault (d. 1907), daughter of Auguste Charles Joseph de Flahault, Comte de Flahault de la Billardrie and Margaret Mercer Elphinstone, Baroness Keith. She later married the Marquis de Lavalette.
7. Louisa Howard, née Fitzmaurice (d. 1906), daughter of Lady Louisa Emma Fitzmaurice; and her husband James Kenneth Howard (1814– 1882).