Social Victorians/People/Grosvenor

Also Known As

• Family name: Grosvenor
• These are members of the extended family of the Duke and Duchess of Westminster and some subsidiary titles.

Timeline

1877 April 24, Hon. Thomas George Grosvenor and Sophie Williams married.

1887 October 25, Hon. Algernon Henry Grosvenor and Catherine Dorothea Mary Simeon married.

1895 November 30, Sophie Williams Grosvenor and Sir Albert Gray married.

1897 July 2, Friday, the Hon. Algernon and Catherine Grosvenor as well as possibly Robert Victor Grosvenor, 3rd Baron Ebury, attended the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball at Devonshire House. The Hon. Catherine Grosvenor is #510 on the list of people who attended; the Hon. Algernon Grosvenor is #509; the Hon. R. Grosvenor is #81.

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

The Duke and Duchess of Westminster, who were also members of this family, were present, and they, along with Lady C. Grosvenor, are treated on the Westminster page.

Hon. R. Grosvenor

At the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball, a person the London Morning Post calls Hon. R. Grosvenor was there as a Knight of the Round Table. Hon. R. Grosvenor might be Robert Victor Grosvenor, 3rd Baron Ebury, the Hon. being appropriate because he was the son of a baron. While his father, Robert Wellesley Grosvenor, 2nd Baron Ebury, could also be the Hon. R. Grosvenor, the son's age is closer to that of the other knights of the Round Table than his father's (see Question and Note #2, below). Every knight of the Round Table wore

• "white satin tabard, royal blue cloak embroidered in scarlet and gold over chain mail armour, with helmet, spurs, and two-handed sword complete, each with his own crest embroidered on his tabard."

Hon. Algernon and Catherine Grosvenor

The Hon. Catherine and Algernon Grosvenor are both known to have attended the ball. Catherine Grosvenor is distingished from the Lady C. Grosvenor who walked in the "Oriental" procession because she was identified in the commemorative album.

The Hon. Catherine Grosvenor as Marie Louise. ©National Portrait Gallery, London.

Empress Marie-Louise by François Gérard, 1810

Catherine Dorothea Mary Simeon Grosvenor, the Hon. Mrs. Algernon Grosvenor, also attended. Lafayette's portrait of "Catherine Dorothea Mary Grosvenor (née Simeon) as Marie Louise" in costume is photogravure #168 in the album presented to the Duchess of Devonshire and now in the National Portrait Gallery. The printing on the portrait says, "The Hon. Mrs. Algernon Grosvenor, as Marie Louise."

Commentary on the Hon. Catherine Grosvenor's Costume

• The Hon. Catherine Grosvenor is wearing elbow-length white gloves and a flower stole as well as a headdress that might include a veil?

The Historical Marie Louise

Several Marie Louises are possible for the original for this portrait. The dress looks like a Victorian version of late 18th or early 19th century with the empire waist and the apparently less structured bodice. Napoléon I's second wife was Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma (12 December 1791 – 17 December 1847), which seems likely, but no available portrait shows a very similar dress. The portrait (at right) is of Marie-Louise, Empress of France (and Duchess of Parma) by François Gérard (4 May 1770 – 11 January 1837).

Demographics

• Nationality: British

Titles

• Baron Ebury of Ebury Manor
  • Robert Grosvenor, 1st Baron Ebury of Ebury Manor (1857 – 18 November 1893)
  • Robert Wellesley Grosvenor, 2nd Baron Ebury (18 November 1893 – 13 November 1918)
  • Robert Victor Grosvenor, 3rd Baron Ebury (13 November 1918 – 5 November 1921)

• Duke of Westminster (UK peerage, created 1874)
  • Bendor (Hugh Richard Arthur) Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster (22 December 1899 – 19 July 1953)
  • Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster (27 February 1874 – 22 December 1899)
• Marquess of Westminster
  • Hugh Lupus Grosvenor (17 February 1845 – 27 February 1874)
• Earl of Grosvenor, courtesy title of eldest son and heir to the Duke
  • Bendor (Hugh Richard Arthur) Grosvenor (22 January 1884 – 22 December 1899)
  • Victor Alexander Grosvenor (1874?– 22 January 1884)
• Countess Grosvenor
  • Sibell Mary Lumley Grosvenor ( – 22 January 1884)

Family

• Robert Grosvenor, 1st Marquess of Westminster (22 March 1767 – 17 February 1845)
• Lady Eleanor Egerton (19 July 1770 – 29 November 1846)
  1. Richard Grosvenor, 2nd Marquess of Westminster (27 January 1795 – 31 October 1869)
  2. Thomas Grosvenor Egerton, 2nd Earl of Wilton of Wilton Castle (30 December 1799 – 7 March 1882)
  3. Robert Grosvenor, 1st Baron Ebury of Ebury Manor (24 April 1801 – 18 November 1893)

• Richard Grosvenor, 2nd Marquess of Westminster (27 January 1795 – 31 October 1869)
• Lady Elizabeth Mary Leveson-Gower (8 November 1797 – 11 November 1891)
  1. Lady Theodora Grosvenor ( – 24 Mar 1924)
  2. Lady Agnes Grosvenor ( – 22 Jan 1909)
  3. Lady Jane Louisa Octavia Grosvenor ( – 13 Jul 1921)
  4. unknown son Grosvenor
  5. unknown daughter Grosvenor
  6. Lady Eleanor Grosvenor (c. 1821 – 4 May 1911)
  7. Lady Mary Frances Grosvenor (c. 1822 – 2 Jan 1912)
  8. Lady Elizabeth Grosvenor (9 Jul 1824 – 16 Dec 1899)
  9. Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster (13 Oct 1825 – 22 Dec 1899)
  10. Lady Caroline Amelia Grosvenor (c. 1828 – 24 Mar 1906)
  11. Lady Octavia Grosvenor (c. 1832 – 29 May 1921)
  12. Lord Gilbert Norman Grosvenor (6 Jan 1833 – 20 Mar 1854)
  13. Richard de Aquila Grosvenor, 1st Baron Stalbridge (28 Jan 1837 – 18 May 1912)

• Robert Grosvenor, 1st Baron Ebury of Ebury Manor (24 April 1801 – 18 November 1893)
• Hon. Charlotte Arbuthnot Wellesley (25 January 1808 – 21 November 1891)

1. Robert Wellesley Grosvenor, 2nd Baron Ebury (25 January 1834 – 13 November 1918)
2. Hon. Thomas George Grosvenor (6 February 1842 – dsp. 8 October 1886)
3. Captain Hon. Norman de l'Aigle Grosvenor (22 April 1845 – 21 November 1898)
4. Hon. Algernon Henry Grosvenor (2 July 1864 – 27 March 1907)
5. Hon. Richard Cecil Grosvenor (7 January 1848 – dsp. 28 October 1919

• Robert Wellesley Grosvenor, 2nd Baron Ebury (25 January 1834 – 13 November 1918)
• Hon. Emilie Beaujolais White ( – 18 December 1923)

1. Robert Victor Grosvenor, 3rd Baron Ebury (28 June 1868 – 5 November 1921)
2. Hugh Grosvenor (8 October 1869 – 6 August 1900)
3. Maud Grosvenor (18 August 1874 – 2 June 1948)
4. Gilbert Grosvenor (18 September 1878 – 16 February 1891)
5. Hon. Alice Katherine Sibell Grosvenor (26 September 1880 – 17 April 1948)
6. Francis Egerton Grosvenor, 4th Baron Ebury (8 September 1883 – 15 May 1932)

• Sophie Williams ( – 6 May 1938)

• Hon. Thomas George Grosvenor (6 February 1842 – dsp. 8 October 1886)
• Sir Albert Gray ( – 27 February 1928)

• Hon. Algernon Henry Grosvenor (2 July 1864 – 27 March 1907)
• Catherine Dorothea Mary Simeon ( – 18 February 1917)

Relations

• Elizabeth (Harriet), Marchioness of Ormonde was a Grosvenor belonging to the family of Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster.

Questions and Notes

1. Possibly Robert Victor Grosvenor, 3rd Baron Ebury, attended the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball at Devonshire House. Someone called "Hon." could have been the son of a Baron who had not yet assumed his title?
2. Possibly one way to confirm which Grosvenor Hon. R. Grosvenor was would be to look at the other Knights of the Round Table, in case they made up a social network? According to the Morning Post and the Gentlewoman, the Knights of the Round Table were George, Baron Rodney; Hon. R. Grosvenor; Seymour Henry Bathurst, 7th Earl Bathurst; and Hon. Grosvenor Hood. According to the Daily News, the Knights of the Table Round were "Lord Ashburton, Lord Rodney, Lord Bathurst, Lord Ampthill, and Lord Beauchamp." George, Baron Rodney was 40 at the time of the ball; Hon. Robert Victor Grosvenor, 3rd Baron Ebury was 29; Seymour Henry Bathurst, 7th Earl Bathurst was nearly 33; Hon. Grosvenor Hood was 29; Lord Francis Ashburton was nearly 31; Lord Ampthill was 28; Lord Beauchamp was 25. Robert Wellesley Grosvenor, 2nd Baron Ebury was 63 at the time of the ball; Robert Victor Grosvenor, 3rd Baron Ebury was 29.
3. Why didn't Algernon Henry Grosvenor get the 2nd Baron Ebury title?
4. Lady C. Grosvenor, walking in the procession following the two Queens of Sheba, was likely to be the daughter of the Duke of Westminster (because the honorific is lady).