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Lady Hester Stanhope.
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Lord G. did marry her nevertheless, and she had a child that died.
"Then there is the reversion of my grandfather's pension of £4,000 a-year, secured for four lives by the patent: the first Lord Chatham one, the late Lord Chatham the next, and I, of course, the third."[1]
Nov. 14.—I saw that Lady Hester grew weaker every day, and I felt alarmed about her. Still, when-
- ↑ Whether Lady Hester Stanhope was justified in entertaining expectations of the G. property and title, I am unable to say; but having by me a copy of the grant to the first Lord Chatham, it is inserted here as conclusive against her ladyship, as far as regards the pension. The circumstances were these:—the day following his (then Mr. Pitt's) resignation of office, a pension of £3,000 a-year was settled on himself and two other lives, and at the same time a title was conferred on his lady and her issue. He resigned office Oct. 9th, 1761, and the next published Gazette announced all these transactions. The notification ran thus:—That a warrant be prepared for granting to the Lady Hester Pitt, his wife, a Barony of Great Britain, by the name, style, and title of Baroness Chatham, to her heirs male, and also to confer upon the said William Pitt an annuity of £3,000 sterling during his own life, that of Lady Hester Pitt, and her son, John Pitt. Shortly after his death, May 11th, 1778, His Majesty sent a message to the Commons thus:—"George R.—His Majesty having considered the address of this house, that he will be graciously pleased to confer some signal and lasting mark of his royal favour on the family of the late William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, and being
