Lanesborough

Submitted by edpope on

Lanesborough's 29.12.1799 / 19.1.1800 again / 12.6.1802 meet Lanesborough,SM, EBD / 3.3.1807 King, L Lanesborough at mrs Hippisley's ? 8.3.1807 dine at Plunket's, w. King, L Lk

I think all the above entries referred to John King's wife the Countess of Lanesborough. Another possibility would be her son by her first marriage Lord Lanesborough, but I think that unlikely. At the two dinners at Lanesborough's at least half the guests also appeared at King's dinners. Lady Lanesborough was probably present at most of the dinners at King's (they were said to be inseparable) and Godwin didn't generally record the presence of his hosts' wives. Whether John King was present at the Lanesborough dinners and Godwin stuck to his practice when the genders were reversed I've no idea. There were some guests at both Lanesborough dinners whom Godwin never recorded at King's (Milton, Laval, and Gore - if he was different from Goire who was at King's on 21.1.1800). Nor can I guess why or where these dinners took place - though perhaps to help attract more titled guests (see Milton, Landaff, Laval). The meeting in 1802 was also with SM (Sophia Marescotti, daughter of Lady Lanesborough) and EBD (Eliza Butler Danvers her daughter-in-law of a month). The 1807 entries were examples of how Godwin did record wives when they were with their husband at someone else's place. The GD website has L Lk underlined on 8.3.1807 but a close look at the original will show it was an h not a k