Social Victorians/People/Santurce

Also Known As

• Family name: Murrieta del Campo Mello y Urritio
• Marques de Santurce
  • Don José Murrieta del Campo Mello y Urritio, 1st Marques de Santurce (4 June 1877 – 11 August 1915)
• Murietta

Acquaintances, Friends and Enemies

• Albert Edward, Prince of Wales
• Lord Randolph Churchill
• Billy Oliphant
• Lord Charles Beresford
• Arthur Balfour

Organizations

Don José Murrieta del Campo Mello y Urritio

(and his brothers, Cristobal and Adriano de Murrieta)

• Banking firm
• C. de Murrieta and Co.

Timeline

1889, one of the daughters married; the Prince and Princess of Wales attended the wedding.

1891, one of the daughters married; the Prince and Princess of Wales attended the wedding.

1897 July 2, Friday, Jesusa Murrieta del Campo Mello y Urritio (née Bellido), Marquisa de Santurce attended the Duchess of Devonshire's Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball at Devonshire House. Possibly her husband, José Murrieta y del Campo Downey, 1st Marques de Santurce, was also present.

Jesusa, Marquisa de Santurce in costume as the Infanta of Spain. ©National Portrait Gallery, London.

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

Jesusa Murrieta del Campo Mello y Urritio, Marquisa de Santurce

At the Duchess of Devonshire’s 1897 Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball, Jesusa, Marquisa de Santurce (at 633) went as the Infanta of Spain. No newspapers reported her presence or costume.

Lafayette's portrait of Jesusa Murrieta del Campo Mello y Urritio (née Bellido), Marquisa de Santurce as the Infanta of Spain in costume is photogravure #35 in the album presented to the Duchess of Devonshire and now in the National Portrait Gallery. The printing on the portrait says, "The Marquisa de Santurce as the Infanta of Spain."

It is not clear which Infanta of Spain Jesusa, Marquisa de Santurce meant. She is not likely dressed as the wife of Philip I of Castile, who her husband was dressed as. Joanna I of Castile (1479–1555), also known as Joanna the Mad, spent much of her married life in conflict with Philip I, who had her declared insane and imprisoned.

Portrait of Philip I of Castile (1478-1506), called the Handsome, wearing the Order of the Golden Fleece

Mr. F. de Murrieta

Mr. F. de Murrieta (at 634) — who may have been Don José, Marques de Santurce, Jesusa's husband — was dressed as Philip I. of Spain in a "doublet with long skirts and trunks, pink velvet stamped with purple flower pattern; cloak, black satin lined with crimson velvet; high crown fluted black velvet hat; order, blue moiré ribbon and Order of the Golden Fleece."

Juan de Flandes' portrait (right) of Philip I (c. 1500) shows him wearing the insignia of the Order of the Golden Fleece, although pendant not from a ribbon but the jeweled necklace.

Demographics

• Nationality: she, Spanish; he, Spanish/Peruvian but born and had been living in England

Residence

• Kensington Place
• Wadhurst Park, Sussex

Family

• Don José Murrieta del Campo Mello y Urritio, 1st Marques de Santurce (25 October 1833 – 11 August 1915)
  1. Luisa Maria Carmen del Campo Mello ( – 3 November 1951)
• Jesusa Murrieta del Campo Mello y Urritio (née Bellido), Marquisa de Santurce (c. 1834–1898)
  1. Clara Jesusa Murrieta Bellido (9 July 1866 – 1900 10 June)

Relations

• Cristobal Murrieta, brother of José and Adriano.
• Adriano de Murrieta, brother of José and Cristobal.
• Mr. C. de Murrieta and Mr. A. de Murrieta also attended social events.

Notes and Questions

1. Other Murrietas were present at social events in the 1880s and 1890s: the Mesdemoiselles de Murrieta as well as Mr. C. Murrieta and Mr. A. Murrieta. Who was Mr. F. Murrieta, who was present at this ball according to the Gentlewoman?
2. The demographic information is from a crowd-sourced website, geni.com, and thus requires confirmation.
3. The British Museum page on José de Murrieta says, "Banker and collector, especially of the work of Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema; amassed collection of English watercolours including examples by Joseph Mallord William Turner and David Cox Senr; name sometimes incorrectly spelt, often in contemporary nineteenth-century literature, 'Murietta'."
4. From a website providing addenda to Anthony Camp's Royal Mistresses and Bastards: Fact and Fiction: 1714-1936 (2007):

   Page 363 - Edward VII (additional entry) 1875-6. Jesusa de Murrieta (c.1834-1898). In April 1875 the Prince (preparing to go to India) went to Mentone for Easter and Lord Derby heard a rumour that he had gone with Mrs Murrieta, 'abundantly notorious in London' (the description is that of Lord Derby). Mrs Murrieta, the wife of a wealthy Spanish merchant who entertained lavishly at houses in Kensington Place and at Wadhurst in Sussex [Ridley (2012) 172]. On the way back from India in April 1876, he spent three days sightseeing with her in Seville, having (Lord Derby was informed) taken lodgings under an assumed name [Ridley (2012) 195]. The extent of the Prince's relationship with Mrs Murrieta, a friend of Jennie Jerome, is uncertain; it was also rumoured that she had created a Wadhurst love-nest for him and Lillie Langtry [Ridley (2012) 211-12]. She was Jesusa, daughter of Vicente Bellido. She died in St George Hanover Square RD, March Quarter 1898, aged 54. She had married at the Chateau de Bel Air, near Bordeaux, 28 May 1863, Don Jose Murrieta del Campo Mello y Urrutia. He was born in Marylebone, 25 October 1833; created Marques of Santurce, by Alfonso XII of Spain, 4 June 1877; had Royal Licence to assume and use title, 1 October 1877; and died in Uxbridge RD, September Quarter 1915, aged 81 [Ruvigny (1910) 351; GRO Death Indexes]. The Prince and Princess of Wales attended the marriages of their two daughters at Brompton Oratory in 1889 and 1891. After financial setbacks the family sold the Wadhurst estate in 1898.

5. Uncited user-provided info on Jesusa Murrieta del Campo Mello y Urritio's page in the National Portrait Gallery:

   Great favourite of Edward Prince of Wales. Chatelaine of Wadhurst Park, Sussex. In 1870 the estate was sold to Cristobal and Adriano de Murrieta, two bachelor brothers of a wealthy Spanish family. Their married brother José made his residence at Wadhurst Park. The Murrieta forebears came from Santurce, near Bilbao, in the north of Spain, from where they had emigrated to South America. In the course of two generations they had amassed a great fortune by trading, especially with Argentina. Eventually they returned to Europe and settled in England, where "C. de Murrieta and Co." developed into a firm of great importance. Don José was given the title of Marques de Santurce in October 1877 by King Alfonso XII in recognition of the many services he had rendered Spain. His wife was also Spanish, with her origins in Santurce. It was she who undoubtedly contributed a great deal towards achieving the high position the family held in English society. She was clever and fascinating as well as beautiful and a great favourite of the late King Edward VII. Among the frequent guests at Wadhurst Park were Lord Randolph Churchill, Billy Oliphant, Lord Charles Beresford and Arthur Balfour, who often came to relax in the pleasant atmosphere at the Murrieta's new family seat. Edward VII, as Prince of Wales, rarely seemed happier and more at ease than at Wadhurst Park.