William Neville Hart
William Neville Hart (27 December 1741 in St James's Palace, London – 23 October 1804, Inveraray Castle, Scotland) was a British banker, politician and diplomat. He was born to Denise Gougeon, the wife of Lewis Augustus Blondeau. His mother was the Under Housekeeper or Mistress of the King's Household, a position she was to hold for more than fifty years.[1] Denise was the sister of Esther Gougeon, the wife of Daniel Cornelius de Beaufort. Hart's father held various positions at Court including that of Gentleman Usher to King George II.[2]
Marriages
Following the death of his father, and the remarriage of his mother to Sir William Hart Kt., a banker and Sheriff of London, William Neville Blondeau took the surname of Hart by
He married secondly Elizabeth Aspinwall. Her father was Stanhope Aspinwall, who on his mother's side, was a great great-grandson of Philip Stanhope, 1st Earl of Chesterfield.[5] Aspinwall was a diplomat who had served in Constantinople and Algiers and at the time of his death in 1771 was Secretary to Earl Harcourt, Ambassador to France. Aspinwall's wife was named Magdalena, but little else appears to be known of her.[6]
Career in England
Hart entered the banking firm of Blackwell, Hart, Darrell, and Croft, of
The Continent
After leaving
Back in England
Hart returned to England the following year and in October received a letter from the
Death
Hart's second wife, the daughter of Stanhope Aspinwall, apparently had died in 1783 and, according to
The death certificate of Hart's wife, Elizabeth Aspinwall, can be found in the Archives of Seine Maritime. She died on 12 October 1783 in Gommerville, Seine Maritime, Normandy, where she was living at the time. She was in the 38th year of her life and died of a fever.;[11] her tombstone can be seen in the park around the castle of Filières with the epitaph : ici repose sous la garde de l'amitié Elisabeth Aspinwal mariée à Guillaume Nevil Hart membre du parlement d'Angleterre morte à 34 ans le 12 octobre 1783 également distinguée par son esprit et sa beauté des Français ont élevé ce monument à la mémoire de cette angloise ; a painting of Elisabeth Aspinwal can be seen in the castle of Filières
On 23 October 1804, Hart died at Inveraray Castle, owned by the Duke of Argyll,
Children and issue
Hart and Elizabeth, the daughter of Stanhope Aspinwall, had two sons and four daughters:[12]-
- William Stanhope Hart, born 17 October 1769 and baptised 14 November at St James's Church, Piccadilly, died in his father's lifetime.
- William Neville Hart, sometime Captain in the then 79th Cameron Highlanders, was born 19 July 1772 and baptised 12 August also at St James's Church, Piccadilly. He was the father of Reverend Henry Cornelius Hart, presumably the H. C. Hart mentioned in the References.
- Elizabeth Hart, born 28 August 1768 and baptised 28 September at St James Church, Piccadilly, married on 4 June 1787 William Charles WentworthM.P. (1907–2003).
- Louisa Alexandrina Hart, born 20 December 1770 and baptised 7 January 1771 at St James Church, Piccadilly, married Lieutenant–Colonel George Lyon. Their elder son, Captain Lord Edward Fitzgerald.
- Sophia Hart, born 11 November 1773 and baptised 13 December, married 14 December 1795 Richard Newton Bennett.
- Caroline Frances Hart, born 1 February 1775t, married Dr Griffiths' younger brother, Lieutenant–General Charles Griffiths (born 3 August 1763), the foster brother to Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany (born 16 August 1763).[16]
A third son with Elisabeth Aspinwall, Francis, not identified above, was buried in Gommerville, Seine Maritime, France on 25 August 1779 aged about 3 years old. In the Parish records it states of the father "Guillaume Nevil' Hart gentilhomme anglois et Cy devant membre du parlement d'angleterre..." The mother is recorded as Elisabeth Aspinwall and their religion "religion pretendue reformee" – Protestants.[17]
References
- Plantagenet Roll of the Blood Royal: The Isabel of Essex Volume, Containing the Descendants of Isabel (Plantagenet), Countess of Essex & Eu by Ruvigny and Raineval Staff published by Genealogical Publishing Com, 1994; pp. 515 and 516.
- Oxford Journals: Notes and Queries:
- Blondeau: Gougeon; F.C.H.: 2nd S VI, 156, 25 Dec.. 1858 p. 534
- Order of St. Stanislaus: Sir William Neville Hart; H.C.Hart; 2nd S VI, 139, 28 Aug.. 1858 pp. 162 and 163
- Sir William Neville Hart and his Descendants; Frederick Copland-Griffiths; 10 S. X. 3 Oct.. 1908 pp. 263 and 264
- Stanhope Aspinwall; Frederick Copland-Griffiths; 10 S. VI. 15 December 1906 pp. 473 and 474
- [18]
Notes
- ^ 'Warrants for Minor Appointments: 1742', in Calendar of Treasury Books and Papers, Volume 5, 1742-1745, ed. William A Shaw (London, 1903), pp. 208-223. British History Online: February 11: Denise Blondeau, wife of Lewis Augustus Blondeau; accessed 26 September 2017
- ^ 'Index of officers: Bi - Bo', in Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (Revised), Court Officers, 1660-1837, ed. R O Bucholz (London, 2006), pp. 758-783. British History Online: Blondeau; Blondeau, Lewis Augustus: accessed 26 September 2017
- ^ legislation.gov.au: Chronological Tables of the Private and Personal Acts: 1765 c. 17: William Neville Blondeau (and issue): change of name to Hart
- ^ Deed Poll Office: Private Act of Parliament 1765 (5 Geo. 3). c. 17: William Neville Blondeau (and issue): change of name to Hart
- Lord Mahon:Volume II; London; Richard Bentley 1847; Note at the bottom of page 261
- Prerogative Courtof Canterbury 21 May 1771
- ^ The History of Parliament-online 1754–1790; Hart, William Neville (1741–1804), of Westminster
- ^ An Accurate Historical Account of All The Orders of Knighthood at Present Existing in Europe; Hanson, Levett (1802). pp. 227-229
- ^ An accurate historical account of all the orders of knighthood at present by Levett Hanson: Sir William Neville Hart: pp. 106 and 107
- ^ The Gentleman's Magazine and Historical Chronicle : Volume 53, 1783, 2nd Part, Dec. p.1064, Deaths (third death) – the lady of Wm. Neville Hart
- ^ Page 124, 1762 – 1788 Protestants (Montivilliers Comté et Haute-Justice), http://recherche.archivesdepartementales76.net
- ^ Oxford Journals: Notes and Queries: Sir William Neville Hart and his Descendants; Frederick Copland-Griffiths; 10 S. X. 3 Oct.. 1908 pp. 263 and 264
- ^ Household of Queen Charlotte 1761–1818: Surgeon to Household: 1792 Griffiths, John
- ^ George Richard Griffiths: Australian Dictionary of Biography – online edition
- ^ George Neville Griffiths: Parliament of New South Walws – former members
- ^ Burke's Landed Gentry; 17th Edition 1952; under Copland-Griffiths of Potterne; NOTE at bottom of 2nd column p.1082, and page 1083, right hand column – 4. Charles, Lt.-Gen
- ^ Page 62 – 63, 1775 – 1780 Gommerville, http://recherche.archivesdepartementales76.net.>
- ^ The House of Commons, 1754–1790; edited by Sir Lewis Namier and John Brooke; History of Parliament Trust pp. 591 and 592