Social Victorians/People/Londesborough

Also Known As

• Family name: Denison
• Earl of Londesborough
  • William Henry Forester Denison, 1st Earl of Londesborough (1 July 1887 – 19 April 1900)
  • William Francis Henry Denison, 2nd Earl of Londesborough (19 April 1900 – 30 October 1917)
• Viscount Raincliffe
  • William Francis Henry Denison, Viscount Raincliffe (1 July 1887 – 19 April 1900)
• Baron Londesborough, in the East Riding, co. York, UK, 1850
  • William Henry Forester Denison, 2nd Baron Londesborough (15 January 1860 – 1 July 1887)
  • William Francis Henry Denison, 3rd Baron Londesborough (1 July 1887 – 19 April 1900)

Timeline

1863 September 10, William Henry Forester Denison and Lady Edith Frances Wilhelmina Somerset married.

1871 October, "At Londesborough Lodge near Scarborough, where Lady Londesborough gave a royal house party in October 1871, not only [ 41/42 ] were the bathrooms few but the drains seeped into the drinking water. Several guests, including the Prince [of Wales] and his groom and Lord Chesterfield, contracted typhoid fever. When Chesterfield and the groom died, the doctors abandoned hope for the Prince." He recovered on 14 December 1871.

1887 August 11, William Francis Henry Denison and Lady Grace Adelaide Fane married.

1897 July 2, Friday, Grace Denison, Viscountess Raincliffe (#75 on the list of people who attended), William Francis Denison, Viscount Raincliffe (#76 on that list) and his sister Lady Mildred Denison (#283 on that list) attended the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball at Devonshire House.

Costume at the Duchess of Devonshire's 2 July 1897 Fancy-dress Ball

Grace, Viscountess Raincliffe

Grace, Viscountess Raincliffe in costume as Catherine II of Russia. ©National Portrait Gallery, London.

Catherine II by Vigils Eriksen (c.1765, Royal collection of the U.K.) The orange cape with ermine shows clearly in this portrait.

Profile portrait of Catherine II by Fedor Rokotov (1763, Tretyakov gallery)

Catherine II of Russia, possibly an original for Grace, Viscount Raincliffe's costume, Johann Baptist von Lampi the Elder 1780s

Catherine II of Russia, possibly an original for Grace, Viscount Raincliffe's costume, Johann Baptist von Lampi the Elder 1794

Coat of Arms of the Russian Empire (1730)

Order of St. Stanislas (Russia) Grand Cross Star with Crown

At the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball, Grace Denison, Viscountess Raincliffe was dressed as Catherine II of Russia and led the Russia procession.

The Historical Catherine the Great

Catherine II, Empress of Russia (1729–1796) reigned from 1762 until her death.

Newspaper Descriptions of Lady Raincliffe's Costume

• Grace, Viscountess Raincliffe: "Cream satin costume, the petticoat richly embroidered in gold and pink stones; train of orange velvet, lined through with ermine and bordered with the fur; at intervals all round were emblazoned the Russian Arms (below, left) in black and jewels, with grand effect. The train was hung from an ermine cape and collar slung on the shoulders, and on the bodice was worn a Russian Order."
• Her costume was "after the picture by Lambi."
• "Viscountess Raincliffe, as Catherine II. of Russia, had on a cream satin costume, the petticoat richly embroidered in gold and pink stones, train of orange velvet lined through with ermine and bordered with the fur; at intervals all round were emblazoned the Russian Arms in black and jewels with grand effect. The train was hung from an ermine cape and collar slung on the shoulders, and on the bodice was worn a Russian Order."
• "Lady Raincliffe took the part of Catherine II. of Russia in a dress of white satin. The front was wrought in raised gold in a large pattern of conventionalised pomegranate spinging [sic] from a crown raised in gold at the hem, the fruit studded with rubies. In her suite were Lady Margaret Spicer as Countess Soltykoff, the Duchess of Marlborough in a superbly-handsome dress of the same period; the Duchess of Newcastle; Lady Henry Bentinck; the Countess of Yarborough; Lady Mildred Denison; and the Hon. Mrs. Erskine and her daughter."
• "Lady Raincliffe as Catherine of Russia was a marvel of millinery in yellow / and gold, ermine and rubies.
• "The Russian Court formed a dazzling procession, headed by Lady Raincliffe, as the Empress Catherine; her gown of white satin was studded with rubies, emeralds, and turquoises, and across her bodice she wore a blue ribbon with the Orders of the Star and Eagle, and upon her head a Russian crown of diamonds. Beside her was Prince Orloff ...."

Lady Raincliffe's original costume appeared in the Drury Lane production of The White Heather.

John Thomson's portrait of "Grace Augusta Denison (née Fane), Countess of Londesborough when Viscountess Raincliffe as Catherine II of Russia" in costume is photogravure #240 in the album presented to the Duchess of Devonshire and now in the National Portrait Gallery. The printing on the portrait says, "Viscountess Raincliffe as Catherine II of Russia," with a Long S in Viscountess and Russia.

Commentary on the Images

Along with Thomson's portrait of Lady Raincliffe in costume, we include 4 portraits of Catherine II, an image of the Coat of Arms of the Russian Empire from 1730 and an image of the Order of St. Stanislas (Russia), Grand Cross Star with Crown.

Even though 3 of the newspapers say Lady Raincliffe's dress was based on a painting by Lampi, the available paintings by Lampi (or his followers) show a Catherine in her 50s and 60s. Lady Raincliffe's dress is not very similar to what Catherine is wearing in either of these portraits.

The portrait (second right) of Catherine II of Russia (2 May 1729 – 17 November 1796, reigned 1762–1796) is one of several by Johann Baptist von Lampi the Elder (the Times calls him Lambi) or his followers, this one by a follower and painted in the 1780s. It is in the collection at the Kinsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. The third portrait (bottom right), also by Lampi, was painted in 1794. It is in the Winter Palace and has been in the collection at the Hermitage since 1946, having been "handed over from the State Museum of Ethnography of the Peoples of the USSR, Leningrad."

Commentary on Lady Raincliffe's Costume

• The Morning Post, the Times and the Evening Mail all say that her costume was based on a portrait by Lampi, but its description seems to fit her coronation gown in Vigils Eriksen (top right) more closely than any available portrait of her by Lampi; perhaps the newspapers had a single source that was not correct?
• Lady Raincliffe's birthdate was not recorded, even though she was the daughter of the 12th Earl of Westmorland. She probably was not born before 1860, and she married in 1887, so probably she was born between 1860 and 1867 or so. At the time of the ball, then, Grace, Viscountess Raincliffe was probably 30 to 37 years old. In the Eriksen portrait, Catherine is 25 or 26; in the 1780s Lampi portrait, Catherine is in her fifties; in the 1794 Lampi portrait, Catherine is 65.
• Grace, Viscountess Raincliffe may be wearing a pre-1896 version of the Star of the Order of St. Stanislas (Russia) on left side of her bodice and on the ribbon at her left hip (lower right).
• Those necklaces worn by Lady Raincliffe are Victorian, not 18th century.
• The contrasting embroidery on Lady Raincliffe's petticoat and overskirt is probably gold threads. On the petticoat, the pomegranate plant arises out of a crown at the hem. It appears that the plant has leaves, fruit and perhaps a flower at the top, all studded with jewels — probably rubies for the pomegranate seeds in the fruit. It would make sense that the leaves would have emeralds as well. Jewels may also have been sewn into the embroidery at the borders of the overskirt.
• The crown at the hem of the petticoat parallels the crown Lady Raincliffe is wearing, with a cross on top.
• A peplum may be attached to the bodice.
• It is difficult to understand how the necklaces, chains and honors are hung or even what is part of the dress, what is jewelry and what are honors that are attached to the dress.
• The portrait of Catherine II with the most similar similar dress may be the last one, the 1794 von Lampi: it is cream or white brocade, with a blue banner across the bodice, the ubiquitous orange-and-ermine cape and a chain for honors hanging from her shoulder. The sleeves are similar, as is the pose.

William, Viscount Raincliffe

William Francis Denison, Viscount Raincliffe (at 76) was dressed as an Imperial Guard attending Catherine II of Russia, who was personated by his wife, Edith Denison, Viscountess Raincliffe:

• "Viscount Raincliffe was one of the eight officers of the Imperial Guard attending Catherine of Russia."
• Viscount Raincliffe was "One of the eight officers of the Imperial Guard attending Catherine of Russia. White uniform, with blue facings trimmed with gold, gold belts and the ribbon and Order of Catherine of Russia."
• He "and seven other gentlemen formed an Imperial guard, wearing splendid white uniforms, with blue facings and trimmed with gold. They all wore the ribbon of the Order of Catherine of Russia."
• "Lord Raincliffe, Lord Romilly, Mr. H. T. Barclay, Mr. J. Forbes, Mr. C. H. Wellesley Wilson, Captain E. B. Cook, the Hon. Gerald Ward, the Hon. Cecil Campbell (eight officers of the Imperial Guard, attending Catherine of Russia), white and gold uniform with blue facings; ribbon and Order of Catherine of Russia."

Lady Mildred Denison

Lady Mildred Denison (at 283), Viscount Raincliffe's sister, was one of the Ladies of the Court of the Empress Catherine II of Russia procession:

• "Lady Raincliffe took the part of Catherine II. of Russia .... In her suite were Lady Margaret Spicer ..., the Duchess of Marlborough ...; the Duchess of Newcastle; Lady Henry Bentinck; the Countess of Yarborough; Lady Mildred Denison; and the Hon. Mrs. Erskine and her daughter."

Demographics

• Nationality: British

Family

• William Henry Forester Denison, 1st Earl of Londesborough (19 June 1834 – 19 April 1900)
• Lady Edith Frances Wilhelmina Somerset (1 June 1838 – 15 May 1915)

1. Lady Ida Emily Augusta Denison ( – 12 July 1937)
2. Lady Edith Henrietta Sybil Denison ( – 6 May 1945)
3. Lady Mildred Adelaide Cecilia Denison ( – 25 January 1953)
4. unknown daughter Denison ()
5. Lady Lilian Katharine Selina Denison ( – 31 July 1899)
6. William Francis Henry Denison, 2nd Earl of Londesborough (30 December 1864 – 30 October 1917)

• William Francis Henry Denison, 2nd Earl of Londesborough (30 December 1864 – 30 October 1917)
• Lady Grace Adelaide Fane ( – 13 June 1933)

1. Lady Irene Francis Adza Denison (4 July 1890 – 16 July 1956)
2. George Francis William Henry Denison, 3rd Earl of Londesborough (17 July 1892 – 12 September 1920)
3. Hugo William Cecil Denison, 4th Earl of Londesborough (13 November 1894 – 17 April 1937)

Relations

• Lady Edith Denison's father was Henry Somerset, 7th Duke of Beaufort.
• Lady Grace Denison's father was Colonel Francis William Henry Fane, 12th Earl of Westmorland and her mother was a Curzon.

Questions and Notes

1. Lady Grace Adelaide Fane (per The Peerage) or Lady Grace Augusta Fane (per the National Portrait Gallery.
2. The Times report misspelled Lady Mildred Denison's name as Dennison.
3. Did Grace, Viscountess Raincliffe ever visit the Hermitage? Also check provenance of the portraits of Maria Therésè for the years leading up to 1897.