Elizabeth Foster, 'Bess' is one of the larger than
life characters that occasionally flits across the pages
of history. Born in 1757 as Elizabeth Christiana Hervey,
the daughter of the eccentric Frederick Hervey, Earl of
Bristol and Bishop of Derry, she led a privileged life
and married John Thomas Foster in 1777. Following their
separation, Foster took her infant sons from her and the
distressed Bess led a bitter life, made more tolerable
by the kindness and affection shown to her by her best
friend, Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. The friendship
developed into a further intimate friendship with
'Canis' the nickname given to the Duke by Bess and
Georgiana. Soon they were living in a menage a trois
resulting in two illegitimate children, which Bess bore
in exile in France, terrified of discovery and social
ostracism. The births were successfully kept secret, and
the children themselves grew up without knowing who
their true mother was. The children were Caroline St.
Jules, and a son, Augustus (later Augustus Clifford, 1st
Baronet), who were later raised at Devonshire House with
the Duke's legitimate children by Georgiana.Two years
after Georgiana's death in 1806, Bess married 'Canis'
and the couple lived together in happiness at Devonshire
House and at Chatsworth, but the happiness was
short-lived, for after only 21 months 'Canis' died. Bess
spent much of the remainder of her life in Italy. Fluent
in French and Italian, and living abroad for many years,
Bess maintained a voluminous correspondence, and as a
consequence an amazing picture has been built of this
amazing woman, the friend of Marie Antoinette, the
Prince Regent and many in the top circles of society in
England, France and Italy. Following John Foster's
death, she was re-united with her beloved Frederick and
Augustus, and much of the correspondence in later years
is between her and her influential sons. |
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