Daughter of Frederick Augustus Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol, and Elizabeth Davers, she was a novelist and the Dutchess of Devonshire. In 1776, when seventeen years old, she married John Thomas Foster of County Louth. He was a cousin of brothers John Foster, last Speaker of the Irish House of Commons, and Bishop William Foster. Bess became pregnant by Sir Valentine Richard Quin, 1st Earl of Dunraven. Her son, Frederick Hervey Foster Quin became Britain's first homeopathic physician. The Fosters had a son, Sir Augustus John Foster (1780 - 1849) and daughter, also named Elizabeth She was born prematurely on 17 November 1778, and lived only eight days. After Foster had an affair with a servant, Bess left him. Foster refused to support his own son.
Bess inherited her father's love of antiquities and art. She was beautiful and portraits of her are numerous at both Ickworth and Chatsworth After her death, medals were struck in her honor. Ickworth Manor's Elizabeth Grove, located to the right after entering through Horringer Gate, was named for her.
Her second marriage was to William Cavendish, the 5th Duke of Devonshire. Her relationship with the Duke caused much gossip as Lady Georgiana Spencer was a heavyset, matronly woman. She encouraged the Duke to move his mistress into their home in an attempt to prevent divorce. Bess and Georgiana soon became close friends. Like her descendant Princess Diana, Georgiana was married to a man who loved his mistress. When Georgiana became pregnant by another man, the Duke divorced her and married Bess.
The Duke and Lady Elizabeth had two children, a daughter and, also in 1790 a son. After the Duke’s death, Bess lived in Piccadilly before moving to Rome in 1816. Here, Bess found a new vocation as a devoted patron of the arts, in particular, archaeology. For eleven years, she funded the excavation of the Forum, enabling the recovery of the Column of Phocas and the stones of the Via Sacra. In Rome, she also found the last love of her life - Cardinal Hercule Consalvi, secretary of state to the Vatican.
Bess inherited her father's love of antiquities and art. She was beautiful and portraits of her are numerous at both Ickworth and Chatsworth After her death, medals were struck in her honor. Ickworth Manor's Elizabeth Grove, located to the right after entering through Horringer Gate, was named for her.
Her second marriage was to William Cavendish, the 5th Duke of Devonshire. Her relationship with the Duke caused much gossip as Lady Georgiana Spencer was a heavyset, matronly woman. She encouraged the Duke to move his mistress into their home in an attempt to prevent divorce. Bess and Georgiana soon became close friends. Like her descendant Princess Diana, Georgiana was married to a man who loved his mistress. When Georgiana became pregnant by another man, the Duke divorced her and married Bess.
The Duke and Lady Elizabeth had two children, a daughter and, also in 1790 a son. After the Duke’s death, Bess lived in Piccadilly before moving to Rome in 1816. Here, Bess found a new vocation as a devoted patron of the arts, in particular, archaeology. For eleven years, she funded the excavation of the Forum, enabling the recovery of the Column of Phocas and the stones of the Via Sacra. In Rome, she also found the last love of her life - Cardinal Hercule Consalvi, secretary of state to the Vatican.
Daughter of Frederick Augustus Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol, and Elizabeth Davers, she was a novelist and the Dutchess of Devonshire. In 1776, when seventeen years old, she married John Thomas Foster of County Louth. He was a cousin of brothers John Foster, last Speaker of the Irish House of Commons, and Bishop William Foster. Bess became pregnant by Sir Valentine Richard Quin, 1st Earl of Dunraven. Her son, Frederick Hervey Foster Quin became Britain's first homeopathic physician. The Fosters had a son, Sir Augustus John Foster (1780 - 1849) and daughter, also named Elizabeth She was born prematurely on 17 November 1778, and lived only eight days. After Foster had an affair with a servant, Bess left him. Foster refused to support his own son.
Bess inherited her father's love of antiquities and art. She was beautiful and portraits of her are numerous at both Ickworth and Chatsworth After her death, medals were struck in her honor. Ickworth Manor's Elizabeth Grove, located to the right after entering through Horringer Gate, was named for her.
Her second marriage was to William Cavendish, the 5th Duke of Devonshire. Her relationship with the Duke caused much gossip as Lady Georgiana Spencer was a heavyset, matronly woman. She encouraged the Duke to move his mistress into their home in an attempt to prevent divorce. Bess and Georgiana soon became close friends. Like her descendant Princess Diana, Georgiana was married to a man who loved his mistress. When Georgiana became pregnant by another man, the Duke divorced her and married Bess.
The Duke and Lady Elizabeth had two children, a daughter and, also in 1790 a son. After the Duke’s death, Bess lived in Piccadilly before moving to Rome in 1816. Here, Bess found a new vocation as a devoted patron of the arts, in particular, archaeology. For eleven years, she funded the excavation of the Forum, enabling the recovery of the Column of Phocas and the stones of the Via Sacra. In Rome, she also found the last love of her life - Cardinal Hercule Consalvi, secretary of state to the Vatican.
Bess inherited her father's love of antiquities and art. She was beautiful and portraits of her are numerous at both Ickworth and Chatsworth After her death, medals were struck in her honor. Ickworth Manor's Elizabeth Grove, located to the right after entering through Horringer Gate, was named for her.
Her second marriage was to William Cavendish, the 5th Duke of Devonshire. Her relationship with the Duke caused much gossip as Lady Georgiana Spencer was a heavyset, matronly woman. She encouraged the Duke to move his mistress into their home in an attempt to prevent divorce. Bess and Georgiana soon became close friends. Like her descendant Princess Diana, Georgiana was married to a man who loved his mistress. When Georgiana became pregnant by another man, the Duke divorced her and married Bess.
The Duke and Lady Elizabeth had two children, a daughter and, also in 1790 a son. After the Duke’s death, Bess lived in Piccadilly before moving to Rome in 1816. Here, Bess found a new vocation as a devoted patron of the arts, in particular, archaeology. For eleven years, she funded the excavation of the Forum, enabling the recovery of the Column of Phocas and the stones of the Via Sacra. In Rome, she also found the last love of her life - Cardinal Hercule Consalvi, secretary of state to the Vatican.
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