John Dent Esquire

by Lauren Gilbert

John Dent Esquire was born August 21, 1761, 2nd son (but 1st surviving son) of Robert Dent (1731-1805) of London and Clapham, who was a banker. Robert Dent became a partner of Child’s Bank in 1763, when Robert Child became senior partner. John’s mother was Jane Bainbridge of St. James, Westminster. An old Westmoreland family with property in Appleby, his father was the son of a younger son of Robert Dent of Trainlands (1651-1702) and may have been a schoolmaster before he was hired as a clerk at Child’s Bank. Robert Dent purchased a house in Clapham, Surrey, and a share in the manor of Cockerham near Lancaster. John was initiated as a Freemason in 1788. As a Freemason, John served as Provincial Grand-Master of Worcestershire from 1792-1826 and as Grand Treasurer of the United Grand Lodge of England from 1813-1826.

John was married October 29, 1800 to Anne Jane Williamson, daughter of John Williamson, a brewer, who was also a justice of the peace and served as Mayor of Liverpool 1761-1762. He built Roby Hall near Liverpool. Anne and her sister Mary were co-heiresses of their father’s estate. John and Anne had 5 sons and 5 daughters.

John was taken into the firm of Child’s Bank in1795, and, like his father, became a partner in 1805 (the year his father died). He acquired a share of the manor of Cockerham, although he did not live in it. He also acquired a manor house on a cliff near Barton on the Hampshire coast. The family had a townhouse in Clapham; John also lived at the manor in Hampshire when Parliament was in recess.

John served as a Member of Parliament for about 30 years: he represented Lancaster (which includes Liverpool) from 1790-1812, and Poole (in Dorset on the coast). An active and diligent member, he was not considered a great speaker but was also not considered a poor one either. Serving during Pitt’s ministry, he generally supported the ministry but went his own way on certain issues. One issue which invoked strong feelings was his opposition to the abolition of the slave trade in 1793 and again in 1796 (as a representative of a constituency that included a major slave port, Liverpool, this was not surprising), supporting Col. Isaac Gascoyne who was married to his wife’s sister Mary and represented the constituency of Liverpool. He based his opposition to abolishing the slave trade on (among other things) the ideas that the abolishment of the slave trade would injure the planters who owned and relied on slave labour and that the slaves needed to be prepared for freedom before experiencing it. The issue was argued heatedly through the 1790’s; the slave trade was finally abolished March 25, 1807.

Another issue regarding which John Dent Esquire felt strongly was the Dog Tax. Byron and others referred to him as “Dog Dent” because, on April 5 1796, John proposed a tax on dogs, in support of which he followed up with vigour (he envisioned the elimination of nuisance dogs that were annoying property owners, and a tax affecting the rich with the funds raised being used for poor relief). Although Dent’s measure was not initially successful as it was considered unreasonable, Pitt later revised the measure and in 1798 it was combined in a bill that included the dog tax with taxes on carriages, horses (saddle and carriage) and male servants, to raise money for war expenditures. John supported the Bank of England in late 1796-early 1797 and stood against the establishment of a new bank. The records indicate that, throughout his career, John was a dedicated and busy Member of Parliament, contributing his thoughts and speaking on a wide range of issues. After Pitt’s government fell, he ultimately transferred his loyalty to Canning. In 1805, John declined the offer of a baronetcy.

In 1811, John Dent Esquire was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. He was also elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of London. He was a serious bibliophile (a catalogue of his impressive library was compiled in 1825). He was one of the eighteen founding members of the Roxburghe Club. (For more on the Roxburghe Club, go HERE.) As a member of the Roxburghe Club, he presented 23 books to each of the members (these books were reprints of rare texts, which were produced and bound at the giver’s expense to each member).

A copy of a portion of a rare print by Visschyer..."
the publisher is indebted to the liberality ofJohn Dent Esq; M.P. and F.A.S;
in whose magnificent library it is deposited." 

In the general election of 1812, John canvassed for the seat representing Poole but had to withdraw. Although there are indications that a seat for Petersfield was offered to him, he apparently refused it. In 1814, John changed his mind about the baronetcy and asked for it, but it was too late and the baronetcy was not awarded. In 1818, he stood for and won the seat representing Poole and held this seat until 1826.

In his later years, John suffered from tic douloureux. He suffered a great deal from this condition. He supposedly tried to kill himself in 1825 by jumping off a cliff near his villa (the cliff was too low, so the fall didn’t kill him). This condition is known today as Trigeminal Neuralgia and is a condition of the trigeminal or 5th cranial nerve in the face (there is one of these nerves on each side of the face). This disorder causes sudden, intense pain, usually on one side of the face, without warning, and is considered to be one of the most painful conditions known. The cause is not known, so there is no way to prevent the attacks. Although modern medicine provides some measure of relief today, little could have helped him except possibly laudanum.

John wrote his will July 29, 1824; his wife Anne was beneficiary. He died Nov 14, 1826. In his obituary, which appeared in the February edition of The Gentleman’s Magazine, his hiring at Child’s was attributed to “Accident and superior penmanship...” (1) His library, which was extolled in his obituary, was sold at auction March-May of 1827. His will was recorded March 5, 1827. His widow Anne died May 20, 1856.

Footnote:
(1) From The Gentleman's Magazine: And Historic Chronicle from January to June 1827 (GoogleBooks) cited below.

Sources include:

eMedicineHealth. “Tic Douloureux (Trigeminal Neuralgia)”. HERE

GoogleBooks. The Gentleman’s Magazine: And Historic Chronicle From January to June 1827. Volume XCVII Part the First HERE; British Freemasonry 1717-1813, Volume 5 HERE; A Catalogue of the Library of John Dent, Esq., M.P. F.R.S. HERE; A History of British Taxes and Taxation in England: From Earliest Times to the Present Day, Vol. III Direct Taxes and Stamp Duties by Stephen Dowell, pp. 293-304. HERE; Lord Byron: Selected Letters and Journals, p. 165. [Poem: "Dear Doctor I have Read your Play]

History of Parliament Online. “Dent, John (?1761-1826) of Clapham, Surr; Cockerham, Lancs; and Barton Cottage, nr Christchurch, Hants.” HERE

National Archives. "Will of John Dent Esq." Prob11-1722-272.

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online. "Dent, John (1761-1826) by D. R. Fisher. First published September 23, 2004, this version May 26, 2016. (Thanks to Jacqueline Reiter who generously assisted me with this.) HERE


Image: Wikimedia Commons. (Image in public domain) HERE

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Lauren Gilbert lives in Florida with her husband, with roses, hibiscus, plumeria and heliconias blooming and fresh pineapple ripening in the yard. She is working on her second novel, A RATIONAL ATTACHMENT. Her first published book, HEYERWOOD: A NOVEL is still available through Amazon and other fine booksellers. She has a BA in English with a minor in Art History and is a long-time member of the Jane Austen Society of North America. You can find more information on her website HERE.

"Queen Sarah" Lady Jersey

Sarah Sophia Child-Villiers, Countess of Jersey (nee' Fane), (1785-1867)

By Lauren Gilbert

Best known as one of the feared Lady Patronesses of Almack's, she was born Sarah Sophia Fane in March 3, 1785, the eldest daughter of John Fane, the 10th earl of Westmorland, and his wife Anne Child (or Sarah Anne Child), the only child of the banker, Robert Child. Disapproving of  the earl, Mr. Child tried to stop the marriage when Anne eloped with John at age 17 to Gretna Greene in 1782. (He actually pursued the couple without success.) Determined that neither the earl nor his heir would benefit from the marriage, Robert Child changed his will so that his estate would bypass his daughter and go to either her second son or her eldest daughter. Robert Child died the same year of his daughter’s marriage, so Sarah Sophia was born to be an heiress. There is no indication of what Sarah Sophia’s relationship with her parents or siblings was. Her mother died when Sarah Sophia was eight.

Sarah Sophia married George Villiers, Viscount Villiers, on May 23, 1804, at home in Berkley Square. However, there were several hints of an elopement to Gretna Green for her as well.  Many of the sources I found were careful not to cite the place of marriage. (This may be a result of confusion with her mother, both being named Sarah. It is also possible that Sarah Sophia and George did elope but also had a ceremony to satisfy family or convention.) By all accounts, she held him in great affection. George became the 5th Earl of Jersey and 8th Viscount Grandison in 1805. Sarah Sophia had fully inherited the Child fortune and property after the deaths of her mother and grandmother, including Osterley Park, at a very young age, and took control when she came of age at age 21 in 1806. In an age of women as chattels, Sarah was unique in that her inheritance made her the senior partner of Child & Co., a position she held for over 60 years. She took an active interest in the bank, visiting the premises, checking profit and loss statements, and intervening in employee issues. The couple had five sons and three daughters, seven of whom survived to adulthood.

Sarah Sophia, also known as Sally, became a leader of the "Ton", and wielded a great deal of influence in Society. Considered a beauty, she made a name for herself by being extremely rude and behaving theatrically. She chattered incessantly, acquiring the nickname of "Silence." Determined to stand apart from her mother-in-law, the scandalous Frances, Lady Jersey, who was mistress of the Prince of Wales, Sarah Sophia made a great show of personal virtue, although she apparently throve on gossip. In spite of her affectations, she appears to have been regarded with fondness by many of her peers. In a letter written in 1816 to her brother, General Alexander Beckendorf, Princess Lieven described Lady Jersey as one of her “most intimate friends.” (Princess Lieven also said in a later letter to Prince Metternich that “…Lady Jersey has the most dangerous tongue I know.” Written in 1823, it would appear that there had been a falling out.) Although she called herself Sally, one of her nicknames in Society was “Queen Sarah.” Several novels featured characters supposedly based on Lady Jersey. When Lady Caroline Lamb published her novel GLENARVON in 1816, Lady Jersey was ostensibly the inspiration for the character of Lady Augusta. As a result, “Queen Sarah” banned Caroline from Almack’s, effectively ending Caroline’s social career.

Sarah Sophia and her husband entertained at their home in Berkley Square, and Middleton Park in Oxfordshire. They seem to have spent little time at Osterley Park in Middlesex. Sarah Sophia is supposed to have introduced the Quadrille to Almack's in 1815. She was a noted political hostess for her husband, who legally added the name of Child in 1819 to become George Child-Villiers, Earl of Jersey. An avid hunter and racing aficionado, her husband held offices in the households of William IV and of Queen Victoria. Sarah was interested in politics, and not shy about expressing her opinions. She seemed to have switched from Whig to Tory views by the 1820’s. She supported Caroline against George IV when he tried to divorce Caroline, wearing a portrait of Caroline in public. Sally also spoke openly against the Reform Bill of 1832.

George died October 3, 1859, followed shortly by their eldest son. Her grandson (her oldest son’s son) inherited the title. After her husband’s death, she stayed busy, entertaining and taking an interest in what was going on around her. Charitable concerns were a special interest, particularly the establishment of schools on the family estates to assist tenants and laborers. She died of a ruptured blood vessel, according to her obituary, at Berkley Square on January 26, 1867, at age 81, outliving her husband and six of her seven children. Both Lord and Lady Jersey were buried at Middleton Stoney, Oxfordshire.

[This is an updated version of a post on my own blog January 29, 2013, which was in turn an expansion of some information I posted on Goodreads on Oct. 20, 2011 in the Historical Info for Historical Fiction Readers group. You can see the post on my blog HERE )


Sources include:

Image: Wikimedia Commons. "Sarah Sophia Child-Villiers (nee' Fane), (1785-1867)." by Alfred Edward Chalon (1780-1860). HERE (Photo by Jan Arkesteijn, posted June 27, 2012.)

Gronow, Captain Rees Howell. Reminiscences of Captain Gronow. Originally published 1862: Smith, Elder & Co., London; republished by IndyPublish.com, McLean, VA.

Quennell, Peter, ed. The Private Letters of Princess Lieven to Prince Metternich 1820-1826. 1938: E. P. Dutton & Co. Inc. NY. (P. 283)

Robinson, Lionel G. Letters of Dorothea, Princess Lieven, during her Residence in London, 1812-1834. 1902: Longmans, Green, and Co. London. (P. 29)

RBS Heritage Hub. "Sarah Sophia Child-Villiers." Here

FIND A GRAVE. "Sarah Sophia Fane Child-Villiers." HERE 

Number One London. "Death of Lady Jersey in 1867," by Kristine Hughes and Victoria Hinshaw. Posted March 3, 2012. HERE 

The Peerage On-line. "Lady Sarah Sophia Fane." HERE

Regency History. “Lady Jersey (1785-1867).” By Rachel Knowles, posted Nov. 4, 2011. HERE 

A Web of English History. “Sarah Sophia Child, Lady Jersey, 1785-1867.” Dr. Marjory Bloy. HERE

Lauren Gilbert is the author of HEYERWOOD: A Novel, and a long-time member of the Jane Austen Society of North America.  She lives in Florida with her husband, and is working on her second novel, A RATIONAL ATTACHMENT.  Visit her website HERE