Social Victorians/People/Villiers

Also Known As

• Family name: Villiers
• Earl of Clarendon
  • George William Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon (1838 – 27 June 1870)
  • Edward Hyde Villiers, 5th Earl of Clarendon (27 June 1870 – 2 October 1914)
  • George Herbert Hyde Villiers, 6th Earl of Clarendon (2 October 1914 – 13 December 1955)
• Countess of Clarendon
  • Lady Caroline Agar Villiers (27 June 1870 – 9 May 1894)
  • Emma Mary Augusta Hatch Villiers (5 August 1908 – 9 March 1935)
  • Hon. Adeline Verena Ishbel Cocks Villiers (2 October 1914 – )
• Lord Hyde, Baron Hyde, title of the heir apparent to the earldom
  • Edward Hyde Villiers, 5th Earl of Clarendon (11 February 1846 – 27 June 1870)
  • George Herbert Hyde Villiers, 6th Earl of Clarendon (7 June 1877 – 2 October 1914)
• Other people are named Villiers, including the family of the Earl of Jersey and Robert Edwin Villiers

Timeline

1886 July 21, people from this family attended the ball at Marlborough House.

1891 July 9, people from this family attended the garden party at Marlborough House.

1893 October 18, Wednesday, the funeral of Rev. Charles Villiers, who had been tutor to Victoria and Albert's son, Alfred Duke of Edinburgh in the 1850s. A number of Villiers attended, including Mr. E. Villiers.

1894 May 9, Lady Caroline Agar Villiers, Countess of Clarendon, died.

1897 July 2, Friday, Edward Villiers, 5th Earl Clarendon, his daughter Lady Edith Villiers, and his son George Herbert Hyde Villiers, Lord Hyde attended the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball at Devonshire House. Mr. E. Villiers also attended. (Edward Villiers, 5th Earl Clarendon is #65 on the list of people who were present; Lady Edith Villiers is #282; George Villiers, Lord Hyde is #294; Mr. E. Villiers is #326.)

1898 January 20, Thursday, the funeral of Charles Pelham Villiers, attended by many Villiers, including Mr. E. Villiers, as well as representatives of the Queen and the Prince of Wales.

1898 April 30, Ernest Amherst Villiers and Hon. Elaine Augusta Guest married.

1905 August 5, George Herbert Hyde Villiers and Hon. Adeline Verena Ishbel Cocks married.

1908 August 5, Edward Villiers, 5th Earl Clarendon, and Emma Mary Augusta Hatch married.

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

Three members of this family are in the Album made as a gift for the Duchess of Devonshire, a copy of which is now in the National Portrait Gallery: Edward Villiers, 5th Earl Clarendon, Lady Edith Villiers, and George Herbert Hyde Villiers, Lord Hyde.

William Villiers, 2nd Viscount Grandison, c. 1640, school of Anthony van Dyke

Edward Villiers, 5th Earl Clarendon

The Earl of Clarendon as William Villers, Lord Grandison after Vandyck. ©National Portrait Gallery, London.

Edward Villiers, 5th Earl Clarendon attended the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball. He wife died in 1894, which of course is why she did not attend.

Frederick Downer's portrait of "Edward Hyde Villiers, 5th Earl of Clarendon as William Villers, Lord Grandison after Vandyck" in costume is photogravure #62 in the album presented to the Duchess of Devonshire and now in the National Portrait Gallery. The printing on the portrait says, "The Earl of Clarendon as William Villers Lord Grandison after Vandyck."

While the clothing worn by the Viscount Grandison in the 17th-century portrait is not identical to what was worn by the Earl of Clarendon, the newspapers' descriptions are such that this painting might be an original for this photograph. Provenance locating it in his collection would go further to establish the connection.

Newspaper Accounts

• He was dressed as "Villiers Viscount Grandison, after a portrait by Vandyke in his own possession. Crimson satin doublet and breeches, richly embroidered with gold, large point lace Vandyke collar, white hose, and hat with ostrich plume."
• "The costume of the Earl of Clarendon, as Viscount Grandison, after a portrait by Vandyke in his own possession, consisted of crimson satin doublet and breeches, richly embroidered with gold large point lace, Vandyke collar, white hose, and hat with ostrich plume."
• He was dressed as "Earl of Clarendon (Villiers, Viscount Grandison, after portrait by Vandyke), crimson satin doublet; breeches embroidered with gold; white hose; hat and ostrich plume."
• "The EARL OF CLARENDON impersonated Villiers, Viscount Grandison, after a portrait of Vandyke in his possession, in crimson satin richly embroidered in gold, with large point lace collar and hat with ostrich plume."

George Herbert Hyde Villiers, Lord Hyde in costume as Romeo. ©National Portrait Gallery, London.

George Herbert Hyde Villiers, Lord Hyde

George Herbert Hyde Villiers, Lord Hyde was dressed as Romeo in the Italian procession, escorting Miss Enid Wilson as Giulietta. His costume was made of "green brocade and velvet mantle."

Henry Van der Weyde's portrait of "George Herbert Hyde Villiers, 6th Earl of Clarendon when Lord Hyde as Romeo" in costume is #97 in the album presented to the Duchess of Devonshire and now in the National Portrait Gallery. The printing on the portrait says, "Lord Hyde as Romeo."

Lady Edith Villiers

Lady Edith Villiers in costume as Lady Melbourne, after Cosway. ©National Portrait Gallery, London.

Lady Edith Villiers (at 282) was dressed as Lady Melbourne and was part of the Cosway Quadrille. Alice Hughes's portrait of "Edith (née Villiers), Countess Mount Edgcumbe when Lady Edith Villiers as Lady Melbourne after Cosway" in costume is photogravure #61 in the album presented to the Duchess of Devonshire and now in the National Portrait Gallery. The printing on the portrait says, "Lady Edith Villiers as Lady Melbourne after Cosway."

Lady Melbourne was Elizabeth, Viscountess Melbourne (1751–1818), Whig political hostess, friend of Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. She had a number of affairs and the paternity of most of her children is not clear, but she was sufficienty discreet that she never lost her political access and influence.

The dress worn by Lady Edith Villiers looks very similar to the dresses worn by Lady Margaret and Lady Victoria Innes-Ker (at 23 and 383), who were in the Cosway Quadrille with the Ladies Villiers, and that of Miss Madeline Stanley (at 552). The London Daily News describes the dresses worn by the Ladies Ker and the Ladies Villiers in the Cosway quadrille in detail. The Morning Post says that the Ladies Ker wore blue sashes which means that the Ladies Villiers wore the pink. The Daily News mentions both the Ladies Villiers as well as the Ladies Ker specifically, with the Belfast News-Letter reprinting the details from the Daily News:

• "Very artistic was the "Cosway" quadrille, in which the Ladies Ker and the Ladies Villiers took part. The long clinging gowns of Oriental cream satin were veiled in pink muslin, and had very short waists and coloured silk sashes — two of blue and two of pink."

It is possible that, as with Violet Manners, Lady Edith Villiers is wearing a costume "after Cosway" and yet is not part of the Cosway quadrille, but because she is a Miss Villiers, it seems likely she was part of that quadrille. Madeline Stanley was not a Miss Villiers, so possibly she was not part of the Cosway quadrille, and her dress is not identical to the one worn by Lady Edith Villiers, especially the sash; the shawl, however, does seem similar. Violet Manners was also dressed in a costume after Cosway and seems clearly not to have been part of that quadrille.

The Ladies Villiers

While it is not certain right now, it seems more likely that at least one of the Ladies Villiers, who were in a quadrille with the Ladies Ker, was the daughter of Victor and Margaret Child-Villiers, Earl and Countess of Island of Jersey than other young women in this family. Lady May Julia Child-Villiers is the most likely choice for the other Lady Villier. But it is possible they are from the extended family of the Earl of Clarendon, as Mr. E. Villiers probably is.

Mr. E. Villiers

At the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball, Mr. E. Villiers (at 326) was dressed as a Yeoman in the Queen Elizabeth procession. He was one of the six halberdiers attending on the Queen, their costumes copied from Holbein's picture at Hampton Court.

Demographics

• Nationality: British

Family

• George William Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon (26 January 1800 – 27 June 1870)
• Lady Katherine Grimston (18 April 1810 – 4 July 1874)

1. Lady Constance Villiers (1840 – 17 April 1922)
2. Lady Alice Villiers (17 September 1841 – 23 November 1897)
3. Lady Emily Theresa Villiers (9 September 1843 – 22 February 1927)
4. Edward Hyde Villiers, Lord Hyde (30 January 1845 – 26 February 1846)
5. Edward Hyde Villiers, 5th Earl of Clarendon (11 February 1846 – 2 October 1914)
6. Colonel Hon. George Patrick Hyde Villiers (27 September 1847 – 10 January 1892)
7. Lady Florence Margaret Villiers (21 September 1850 – 25 August 1851)
8. Rt. Hon. Sir Francis Hyde Villiers (13 August 1852 – 18 November 1925)

• Edward Hyde Villiers, 5th Earl of Clarendon (11 February 1846 – 2 October 1914)
• Lady Caroline Agar, the Countess of Clarendon (21 March 1857 – 9 May 1894)

1. George Herbert Hyde Villiers, 6th Earl of Clarendon (1877–1955)
2. Lady Edith Villiers (8 November 1878 – 1 August 1935)

• Emma Mary Augusta Hatch Bourke (1855 – 9 March 1935)

• George Herbert Hyde Villiers, 6th Earl of Clarendon (7 June 1877 – 13 December 1955)
• Hon. Adeline Verena Ishbel Cocks (1886 – 6 February 1963)

1. George Herbert Arthur Edward Hyde Villiers, Lord Hyde (6 May 1906 – 27 April 1935)
2. Lady Nina Joan Edith Virgina Villiers (10 December 1908 – 28 October 1971)
3. William Nicholas Somers Laurence Hyde Villiers (17 July 1916 – 24 February 2000)

Different Villiers

• Charles Villiers (1830 – 15 October 1893)
• Florence Mary Tyssen-Amherst ( – 7 October 1927)

1. Gertrude Mary Amelia Villiers (- 30 August 1949)
2. Charles Hyde Villiers (– 23 May 1947)
3. Florence Margaret Rose Villiers (- 20 January 1952)
4. Gwendolyn Villiers – 1961)
5. Ernest Amherst Villiers (14 November 1863 – 26 September 1923)
6. William Noel Villiers (1864 –)
7. Bertram Villiers (1865 –)
8. Edward Cecil Villiers (16 February 1866 – 16 April 1939)
9. Evelyn Fountaine Villiers (male) (4 May 1875 – January 1955)

• Ernest Amherst Villiers (14 November 1863 – 26 September 1923)
• Hon. Elaine Augusta Guest ()

1. George Villiers ()
2. Barbara Villiers (1899 – 23 December 1971)
3. Charles Amherst Villiers (9 December 1900 – 12 December 1991)
4. Veronica Villiers (1909 – 5 November 1998)

Questions and Notes

1. Lady M. Villiers (at 433) is probably Lady Margaret Child-Villiers. More people were named Villiers than the family of the Earls of Clarendon, like the family of the Earl of Jersey and Robert Edwin Villiers and the Mr. E. Villiers of the entertainment industry.
2. Emma Mary Augusta Hatch Villiers had been married before she married Edward Villiers, to Major Hon. Edward Roden Bourke, and they had 5 children.
3. All of the surviving daughters of the 4th Earl had married by 1897, so they all had different last names by then and none could have been a Miss Villiers.
4. A Mr. E. Villiers was the secretary of Rachel, Countess of Dudley in 1885. In 1905, Mr. E. Villiers was a Liberal M.P., from Brighton. Mr. E. Villiers was a member of the Pelican Club in 1890.