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Elizabeth Vesey


(b. 1715, County Kilkenny, Ireland – d. 1791, Cremorne Gardens, Chelsea, London )

Gender: F

Elizabeth Vesey (1715-1791) was the daughter of Sir Thomas Vesey, 1st Baronet Vesey (c1668-1730) and Mary Muschamp. Her father was ordained as a priest in the Church of Ireland in 1700, and was Bishop of Ossory from 1714-1730. In 1731, at the age of 16, she married William Handcock; he died in 1741. In 1746 she married her cousin Agmondesham Vesey. They had no children. Elizabeth Vesey was, along with Elizabeth Montagu and Frances Boscawen, one of the key Bluestocking hostesses. She was known for her attempts to create an air of informality at her salons, and was said to have exhorted her guests to “come in your blue stockings” rather than in evening dress. Fanny Burney recalled Lord Harcourt saying that “Mrs Vesey is vastly agreeable, bur her fear of ceremony is really troublesome; for her eagerness to break a circle, is such, that she insists upon everybody’s sitting with their backs one to another; that is, the chairs are drawn into little parties of three together, in a confused manner, all over the room.” [Diary & Letters of Madame D’Arblay, (London, Henry Colburn, 1842), Vol 1, p.184] Vesey’s friends referred to her as “the Sylph”, for her absent-minded and impractical nature. She was looked after by her companion Mrs Handcock, the sister of her first husband. She was often anxious and in need of reassurance; following the death of her husband and his cruel refusal to provide for her financially, she suffered a mental collapse (it was said she wept every day for the rest of her life) and this was transformed in her final years into severe dementia.

Also known as:

  • Elizabeth Vesey

Authorities

Electronic Enlightenment DOIexternal link
Oxford DNB DOIexternal link
VIAF Authority File IDexternal link
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Mentioned in 93 letters

Title EMCO ID
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Hester Thrale Piozzi 8
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Mary Robinson 1144
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 1247
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 1591
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 1592
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 1595
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 1758
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to James Beattie 1785
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Mary Robinson 1845
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Mary Robinson 1862
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to James Beattie 1872
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Mary Hamilton 1876
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 1945
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 1946
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 1966
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 2027
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 2031
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 2033
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 2036
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 2045
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 2051
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 2052
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 2053
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 2073
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 2075
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Mary Robinson 2132
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Mary Robinson 2133
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to James Beattie 2198
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 2497
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 2498
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 2499
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 2546
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 2586
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 2589
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 2617
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 2618
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 2619
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 2623
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 2624
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 2659
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 2660
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 2662
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 2663
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 2664
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3090
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3098
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3104
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3108
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3109
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3110
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3111
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3112
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3115
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3262
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3268
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3270
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3271
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3357
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3396
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3398
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3400
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3401
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3402
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3404
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3405
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3406
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3408
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3409
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3537
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3538
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3539
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3540
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3541
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3542
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3543
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3544
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3547
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3548
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3549
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3550
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3552
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3553
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3554
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3555
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3556
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3557
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3562
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3563
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 3573
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 4208
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 4210
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Carter 4211
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to John Burrows 4531

Recipient of 266 letters

Showing transcribed and un-transcribed letters | show transcribed only

Title Sent Received EMCO ID
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Vesey 0/0/1767 1923
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Vesey Handcock Sept. 10, 1767 2108
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Vesey Handcock 0/0/1765 2110
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Vesey Handcock 0/0/1765 2111
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Vesey Handcock 0/0/1765 2112
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Vesey Handcock 0/0/1765 2113
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Vesey Handcock 0/0/1765 2114
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Vesey Handcock Feb. 1, 1766 2115
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Vesey Handcock Feb. 4, 1766 2116
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Vesey Handcock Feb. 22, 1766 2117
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Vesey Handcock Sept. 6, 1766 2118
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Vesey Handcock Oct. 20, 1766 2119
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Vesey Handcock Nov. 4, 1766 2120
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Vesey (Handcock) 0/0/0 2157
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Vesey (Handcock) Nov. 25, 1784 2332
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Vesey (Handcock) Nov. 25, 1784 2333
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Vesey (Handcock) Dec. 9, 1784 2334
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Vesey (Handcock) Dec. 9, 1784 2335
Letter from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Vesey (Handcock) 0/0/0 2336
Photocopy of letters from Elizabeth Montagu to Elizabeth Vesey Sept. 25, 1787 2452

Please note that all dates and location information are provisional, initially taken from the library and archive catalogues. As our section editors continue to work through the material we will update our database and the changes will be reflected across the edition.

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