Sir George Chudleigh = Elizabeth, da. of Hugh Fortescue 2nd Bart. | | +---------------------+-----------------------+ | | Hugh Chudleigh = Susanna da. Sir George Chudleigh = Mary da. 2nd surv. son, | Sir R. Stroud. s. & h., 3rd Bart., | R. Lee, d. 1716. | d. 1719. | d. 1710. | | +----------+-----------+ +----------------------+ | | | | | Susanna, Anne, Henrietta = Thomas Chudleigh, Sir George d. 1740, d. 1764, d. 1756. | 2nd son, Chudleigh, m. John m. Wm. | d. before 1734. 4th Bart. Merrill. Hanmer. | d. s. p. | 1738. +-----------+--------------+ | | ELIZABETH, Sir Thomas Chudleigh, Duchess of Kingston, 5th Bart., d. s. p. 1741. d. 1788. Mrs. Hanmer, a widow, kept house for her nephew, who was squire. At the Winchester races, to which she went with a party, Elizabeth met Lieutenant Hervey, second son of the late John, Lord Hervey, and grandson of the Earl of Bristol. Lieutenant Hervey, who was in the "Cornwall," then lying at Portsmouth, a vessel in Sir John Danver's squadron, was born in 1724, and was therefore two years the senior of Elizabeth; indeed, at the time he was only just twenty. He was fascinated by the beautiful girl, and was invited by Mrs. Hanmer to Lainston. "To this gentleman," says the "Authentic Detail," "Mrs. Hanmer became so exceedingly partial that she favoured his views on her niece, and engaged her efforts to effect, if possible, a matrimonial connexion. There were two difficulties which would have been insurmountable if not opposed by the fertile genius of a female: Miss Chudleigh disliked Captain Hervey, and she was betrothed to the Duke of Hamilton. To render this last nugatory, the letters of his Grace were intercepted by Mrs. Hanmer, and his supposed silence giving offence to her niece, she worked so successfully on her pride as to induce her to abandon all thoughts of the lover, whose passion she had cherished with delight." Is this story true? It seems incredible that Mrs. Hanmer should have urged her niece to throw over such a splendid prospect of family advancement as that offered by marriage with the Duke of Hamilton, for the sake of an impecunious young sailor who was without the means of supporting his wife, and who, at that time, had not the faintest expectation of succeeding to the Earldom of Bristol. It is allowable to hope that the story of the engagement to the Duke of Hamilton, broken through the intrigues of the aunt, is true, as it forms some excuse for the after conduct of Elizabeth Chudleigh.