Virginia (Pattle) Somers (1827 - 1910)

Born 14 Jan 1827 in Calcutta, India

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Died 29 Sep 1910 at age 83 in London, England, United Kingdom

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Biography

Virginia Pattle was born January 14, 1827, in Calcutta, India. She was the eighth child of James and Adeline Pattle.

After the death of her parents, James and Adeline, in 1845, Virginia and sister Sophia went to live with their sibling, Sarah Prinsep, in London. Virginia was nineteen at the time.

Kathleen Fitzpatrick notes in her book “Lady Henry Somerset” that the Pattle sisters were devoted to each other. They “scorned” fashion and didn’t wear “crinoline nor stays.” While together the sisters were known to talk Hindustani and were noted for creating their own clothing style.

It was on one occasion Virginia was wearing a beautiful long grey cloak that artist G. F. Watts first viewed her. From that day forward she became one of his favorite subjects to draw and paint. One such portrait caught the eye of a young man, Lord Charles Somers (later Somers-Cocks) who was young, rich, and artistic himself. Kathleen Fitzpatrick writes that if given a chance “to choose a profession he would have been an artist.” Lord Somers traveled the world and sketched the sites. It was on one of those visits to the academy he came upon the portrait of Miss Virginia Pattle by G. F. Watts. Weeks later while visiting Lord Palmerston’s drawing room, he met Miss Pattle and was instantly smitten.

After being praised as the prettiest of the Pattle sisters, Virginia surprisingly was the last of the Pattle sisters to marry. She was known at times to cry with frustration that her suitors fell for her looks not anything beyond that. It was said she had many marriage requests and she turned them down. Lord Somers must have been different, because when he proposed to her, she accepted. Her bridegroom was styled Viscount Eastnor at the time of their marriage. He was the son of John Somers-Cocks, 2nd Earl Somers who was a wealthy English landowner, and his mother, Lady Caroline Harriet, who was a lady in waiting for the young Queen Victoria. Lady Caroline was the daughter of Philip Yorke, 3rd Earl of Hardwicke and Lady Elizabeth Lindsay.

On October 2, 1850, they were married in Westminster, London, England. He was thirty-one and she was twenty-three years old. Although Virginia’s mother was no longer alive to attend her wedding, her Grandmother Lady De L’Etang was and made a trip from France to attend. It was the social event of the season.

The young couple set out for a honeymoon trip on the Treviot Steamer and Charles writes to his mother and sister. “I have taken a great quantity of drawing things to Madeira – which contains some of the finest scenery in the world.”

*Charles and Virginia welcomed their first child Isabella Caroline on August 3, 1851, in Hertfordshire, England. Lady Isabella would marry Lord Henry Richard Charles Somerset who was the son of Henry Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort and Lady Georgiana Charlotte Curzon. Lord Somerset and Isabella would have a turbulent marriage that only produced one child Henry Charles Somerset Augustus born May 18, 1874. Henry married first Lady Katherine De Vere Beauclerk and had a son Henry Robert Somers Fitzroy de Vere Somerset. He married secondly Brenda dowager Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava. They did not have any children.

Virginia inherited her mother’s love of travel, and she was fortunate to find a companion who also enjoyed it. Shortly after Isabella was born the couple took a trip to camp out among the Bedouin Arabs.

*On September 24, 1852, Adeline Marie, was born in Herefordshire, England. The name Adeline continued in the family. Adeline would marry George William Francis Sackville Russell on October 24, 1876. Her husband would later inherit the title of the 10th Duke of Bedford. George was born April 16, 1852, and baptized May 24, 1852, in Seven oaks, Kent, England. They did not have any children together, but George had a daughter prior to their marriage. His daughter lived with them until he died, she was then sent to live with her uncle, Herbrand Russell, and his family. She remained with her uncle until she married. I found a child aged 10 in the England censes for their household as “scullery maid” but no other child listed in their household. The Duke of Bedford also had an illegitimate child with Charlotte Alice Fox Olding. She had a son.

While it was a happy time for the couple it is unfortunate that on October 5, 1852, the Honorable John Somers-Cocks, 2nd Earl Somers died in St George, Hanover Square, London, England. He was sixty-four years old.

*The couple welcomed their third and last child, Virginia, on September 22, 1855, in St. Martin in the Fields, London.

Just after the young couple settled in their London home, Carlton House Terrace, Lady Somers contracted scarlet fever and, in a series called “Scarlet Fever Letters,” documents show how the family dealt with the crisis. The children were taken to Hampstead to stay with their aunt “Mia.” Charles went to Holland House and stayed with sister-in-law, Sara. His worry over his wife was apparent as he wrote to her twice a day. Later these letters were fumigated and bundled together.

Their children attended many elite affairs including a children’s party at Buckingham Palace where Isabella danced with Prince Arthur. On that same occasion Isabella wandered throughout the palace and came upon the Queen’s chair where she promptly climbed upon and made herself at home. The Queen and some of her guests entered the room and the young girl remained seated. The story goes that the Queen said with a smile, “This is little Isabel.” The young lady replied, “Lady Isabel, if you please.”

On one occasion while Charles and Virginia were traveling abroad tragedy struck. Their young daughter, Virginia, died suddenly of diphtheria. She succumbed quickly before anyone realized how sick she was. Her parents were devastated, and it would be a pivotal point in their lives. Virginia was so heartbroken over their daughter’s death she tried to erase her very existence by destroying letters, portraits anything related to her time alive. Lady Somers was frightened of losing another child, so she sequestered their two remaining children away from others outside the home as much as possible. Her fear was such she regulated their food and activities.

The couple continued to travel and on occasion would take the children to visit their Great Grandmother’s house in Versailles, France. This was a favorite time in the children’s lives. Their Great Grandmother, Lady De L’Etang, was probably the opposite of their mother. In their activities they were allowed to be like “normal” children. Their fond memories were shared in letters to their parents.

The couple entertained at their home at Eastnor Castle which letters show they decorated together. Part of that comprised of trips to Italy and Paris. On those trips Virginia filled in her time yachting on the Mediterranean while her husband, along with frequent guests, artists Sir Coutts Lindsey and Edward Lear, sketched. While the couple continued to travel, their daughters continued their education and training. This included taking baskets of goods to the village sick and elderly.

On September 26, 1883, Charles Somers-Cocks 3rd Earl Somers passed away in Berkhampstead, Hertfordshire, England. He was sixty-four years old. The earldom and viscountcy of Eastnor became extinct. Virginia did not marry again.

Her daughters Isabella and Adeline took on the responsibility of helping raise nieces Laura, Rachel Gurney and Blanche Clogstoun. Rachel's education was paid for by the Duke and Duchess of Bedford. Rachel later assisted the Duchess with her philanthropic work.

Virginia's daughter Isabella recounts her mother’s passing in letters of 1910 that tell us some of the daily struggles with her mother’s illness:

“Sept 11 …My mother’s illness. I have been with her all August and daily she has taken one step nearer the riverbank. Yesterday when I came up and looked into her face, I realized for the first time the meaning of “Dying Eyes”-dear eyes so full of eagerness, so full of the love of life, dim and seeming to look out on this world with difficulty as though they must now close soon.”

“Sept 29 …She is gone, she who never failed in love, to whom I, old as I am, was as her little child, to whom I brought so much of my troubles…darling, darling mother.”

Lady Virginia Somers died on September 29, 1910, in Berkeley Square, London, England. She was eighty-three years old. ~Deborah Spooner 2022

Sources

• https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/89711464/person/262109106373/facts

• thepeerage.com