Lady Jersey is one of the most estimable personages of our day, and it has been a pleasure to receive her calling card.
Born Sarah Sophia Fane in March 1785, she was the eldest daughter of John Fane, 10th Earl of Westmorland and Sarah Fane, Countess of Westmorland. Yet the match between her parents had been something of a scandal. Lady Westmorland was the only child of the extremely wealthy Robert Child, who had wanted his daughter to marry a man who would take his name. In love and with a man who wasn’t going to do that, and with parental disapproval certain, Lady Westmorland eloped to Greta Green with her intended.
Disinheritance duly followed, and her father’s will left his fortune to the second son or eldest daughter to come from the marriage.
Which made little Sarah Sophia Fane a baby with some rather promising prospects.
In May 1804, she married into the noted Villiers family. And the bridegroom is question became George Child Villiers, 5th Earl of Jersey.
Lady Jersey has been one of the great ladies of Society. A leading figure of the ton and a Lady Patroness of the elusive and exclusive Almack’s, the social fate was decided by Lady Jersey. There were murmurings of intrigue and scandal, but of course no suggestions regarding this will pass our lips here. We do, after all, continue to hope that we will one day be the lucky recipient of a voucher ourselves…