Henrietta Laura Pulteney

(b. Dec. 26, 1766, Westminster, London – d. July 14, 1808, Brighton, Sussex, England )

Gender: F

Laura Pulteney (1766-1808) was the daughter of Frances Pulteney and William Pulteney. After the death of mother in 1782, she spent several years at a convent in Paris, to which she was escorted by Elizabeth Carter (see Carter to Montagu 21 September, 5 October and 23 October 1782, 22 September, 18 & 26 November 1783). In 1794 Laura married her father’s cousin James Murray (1755-1811), who also took the surname Pulteney. Since the earldom of Bath had become extinct on the death of the Earl of Bath, her father petitioned for her to be made Countess of Bath in her own right, which was problematic since the Marquessate of Bath had been created for the 3rd Viscount Weymouth in 1789. She was made Baroness of Bath in 1792, when she was twenty-six, and Countess of Bath in 1803, but the title became extinct after she died without issue.

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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