Protestant Exiles from France/Volume 2 - Book Third - Chapter 7 - Section IV

by David Carnegie Andrew Agnew

Layout 2

IV. La Marquise de Gouvernet.

Esther Hervart (born in 1636) became (as already recorded) the wife of the Marquis de Gouvernet. She and the Marquis were firm Protestants to the end of their days; but he died soon after the marriage of Lady Eland. Thus at the Revocation the Marquise de Gouvernet was a widow. She was permitted to take refuge beside her married daughter, only on the condition of her leaving her other children in France; these included the young Marquis, another son Jean Frederic, a third son who was a Romish ecclesiastic and an Abbe, and a daughter, afterwards Comtesse de Viriville — all of whom had to conform to Romanism. The Marquise was permitted to bring her ample worldly possessions to England, and she purchased a house in St. James’s Square, London. She became an influential member of London society. She is mentioned by John Evelyn, under date 6th July 1686; he calls her Madame De Governé, and says of her, “This lady was of great family and fortune, and had fled hither for refuge. . . . Her daughter was married to the Marquis of Halifax’s son.”

The refugee Marchioness was naturalized at Westminster on 16th January 1691 (n.s.), as “Esther Hervart, widow of Charles de la Tour, late Marquis de Gouvernet.” “She occupied,” says Colonel Chester, “a distinguished position in society, and seems to have been a universal favourite.” We meet with her often in the Countess Cowper’s Diary in the reign of George I. On 16th February 1716 this clever and beautiful countess writes:—

“Madame Gouvernet offered me an emerald necklace, which I accepted rather because it was offered me and I was afraid of disobliging her, than to make myself fine; for I don’t care one farthing for setting myself out, and I hope always to make it my study rather to adorn my mind than set off a vile body of dust and ashes.”

Again on 12th March of the same year:—

“This day poor Madame Gouvernet was taken ill of a palsy. ’Tis a thousand pities. She is the most charming, agreeable woman in the world, without any of the ill humours of eighty, though of those years.”

Happily the much beloved lady recovered, and did not execute her Will till 20th October 1718. She alluded to herself thus:— “While I yet enjoy a tolerable measure of health, and God has preserved to me the free use of my senses, I have thought fitt to make my Will, in order to dispose of what estate I have here. But first, I commit my soul to God, in whose mercy I put my trust through the alone merits of my Saviour Jesus Christ, and as touching my body, I will that after it has been decently kept, it be buried in my vault at Westminster, near my dear mother and my dear daughter Eland, in a plain manner, without any ceremony, willing that there be no rooms of my house hung in mourning.” She also described herself as “now duelling, as I have for above thirty years last past, in my own house in St. James’s Square in the Liberty of Westminster.” She survived the making of her Will for nearly four years, and passed away on 4th July 1722, aged eighty-six. She left an immense quantity of china, jewels, furniture, and pictures, both French and English (including the Savile Portraits), to her grandson, Charles de la Tour, Marquis de Gouvernet, her heir. She also remembered in her Will her surviving children, John Frederick de la Tour de Gouvernet and the Countess of Viriville. She mentioned her granddaughters, sisters of the young Marquis, Frances Emelia (married to the Marquis de Monsales), Jane Angelica, and Emelia Margaret Esther. She also left £600 to the French hospital, and 200 guineas in gold to my Lady Cowpcr, wife of the Right Honourable William Lord Cowper, formerly Chancellor of Great Britain.” The Earl Cowper proved the Will on 3d August 1722.

As a specimen of the goods and chattels of a refugee lady of rank, I present my fair readers with her own inventory of moveables, from the copy preserved at Somerset House, “translated from the French:”

Memorandum or Codicil annexed to my Will, and making part thereof, containing a list of the precious stones and other jewells, silver plate, and moveables bequeathed to my grandson, Charles de La Tour, Marquis de Gouvernet.

{{Ordered list |One string of fourscore and eight round pearls, weighing six grains and three-quarters each. |One string of threescore and two round pearls, weighing eleven grains each. |One string of threescore and twelve round pearls, weighing five grains each. |One string of threescore and fifteen round pearls, weighing four grains and three-quarters each. |One string of threescore and nine round pearls, weighing four grains and a half each. |Thirty-four brilliant diamonds. |Eight brilliant diamonds. |Thirteen emeralds. |Two diamonds in shape of a heart. |Two facet^[1] diamonds. |Two pearl drops, weighing two hundred and eight grains. |Two pearl drops, weighing one hundred and seventy-two grains. |Two pearl drops, weighing one hundred and ninety-six grains. |Two round pearl buttons, weighing one hundred and twenty grains. |One flat diamond, set in a locket ring over the hair of my Lady Eland. |One square half-brilliant diamond. | One oriental topaz ring. |Four middling saphyrs and one German topaz. |Two emerald drops. |One crotchett of tenn small diamonds. |One gold tweeser-case, with chain and furniture of the same. |Two gold goblets. |Two tortoiseshell snuff-boxes, set in gold. |One shagreen case, studded with gold, with the knife, spoon, and fork of the same. |Two gold snuff-boxes. |One shagreen pocket-book, set with twenty-four diamonds, besides that on the pencil, which is larger. |One gold pen, with my seal at one end, and my cypher at the other. |One etney and snuff-box of steel. |Three small gold coffee-spoons. |One small calico bed, three foot wide, and eight foot high, for the country, being stitched with coloured flowers, with five armed chairs of the same. |One suit of chamber hangings of cloath, painted with Indian figures, nine pieces, seven foot high. |One other suit of chamber hangings of cloath, painted in the Indias, drawn in porticoes, eleven in number, seven foot high, very old. |One suit of chamber hangings of white damask, pillows of coloured stuff fixed thereon. |One blew gause Indian bed, worked with gold straw work, eight pieces of tapestry, and tenn chairs of the same, all very old. |A furniture of Indian damask of four colours, with the bed, four foot wide, the door curtains, the window curtains, and chairs of the same, all very old. |Two taggs of diamonds. |One bundle of borders of old gold and silver brecard, with coloured flowers embroidered thereon. |Two tapestry armed chairs. |Four pieces of blew damask hangings, with borders of cross stitch, and three chairs. |Nine chairs of tent stitch, the ground of gold colour. |Two couches; the ground violet, with figures. |Bottoms of Hungarian Irish stitch chairs, and two door curtains. |Two large Marselian quilts, and one Indian quilt, stitched in colour. |One Indian quilt, stitched with yellow silk, basses and pillows of the same, all old. |Two satten quilts. |One large Indian lackerd cabinet, with figures. |One small Indian lackerd cabinet, with figures. |Two Indian Lackered boards, with varnished boxes, and plates. |One table of Calambour-wood, which encloses a Toylett of the same wood, ornamented with gold, containing two dressing boxes and looking glass, one pinn cusheon, one powder box, and two brushes of the same. |Two ditto cabinets upon Tables of the same. |One Indian quilt, stitched with coloured flowers. |Six pieces of Tent stitch, with figures. |One cloath bed, worked on boath sides, containing twelve pieces. |The lineing of a bed of gold mohair, the counterpain, the head cloth and the small vallances. |One bundle of Gold thread Laces, very old. |Two pieces of cloth imbroidered with silver, and thirty-two pieces of Tent stitch. |Thirteen breadths of dove-coloured silk Serge, two yards and three-quarters high, imbroidered with flowers, in figures. |Thirty-five yards of the same in several pieces, some of them drawn. |One four-leaf skreen of the same damask, with the furniture of four colours embroidered, and of the same embroidered damask sufficient to make another of four leafs at least. |One twelve-leaf lackered Tonquin skreen, with figures. |One four-leaf folding low skreen, tent stitch, with antique figures, and four pieces of the same work to add to it, if occasion. |Two tables and two large stands of Calumbour wood. |One small bureau of ditto wood, inlaid with rays of princes mettle, and one scrutore of the same. |One little table and one glass cupboard, of Calumbour wood. |One lackered Tonquin coffer, with figures. |Two small glass cupboards. |Two large looking-glasses, with green ebony frames, and one other large looking-glass. |One bed of Spanish point, with festoons of gold and silver colour, fixed upon white damask, four curtains, vallences and bases of the same lined with white satin, the counterpane, head cloath, and the tester, embroidered, five arm’d chairs and two door curtains of the same. |One suit of hangings, the ground white, half painted, and half worked, containing five pieces, one piece without any border. |One brown damask bed, with gold-coloured flowers, tenn armed chairs, one couch, one door curtain, eight chair bottoms, and four pieces of hangings of the same. |Two carpetts of Indian velvett, the ground with red flowers. |One small tapestry carpet, with gold ground. |One Indian carpet, with gold ground and coloured flowers. |One damask bed, with a violet ground, and flowers of gold straw work, and of colours with borders of velvet cut in Persian figures, six pieces of hangings belonging to the bed, whereof the middle are Persian carpets gold ground, and the borders of gold coloured silk serge, on which are fixed the same figures with the bed, nine arm’d chairs, two door curtains, six borders, with figures and birds. |Eight curtains of white damask and twelve yards of white mohair. |Thirty silver plates, weighing 531 ounces. |One large silver dish, weighing 66 ounces. |Four small silver dishes, weighing 125 ounces. |One silver pan, weighing 36 ounces. |One silver bason, one deep dish, weighing 33 ounces. |One silver kettle and cover, weighing 107 ounces. |One silver chaffing dish or lamp, weighing 47 ounces 9 dwt. |One silver water boyler, weighing 42 ounces 10 dwt. |One silver chocolate pott, weighing 24 ounces. |One silver chocolate pott, weighing n ounces 10 dwt. |One sugar castor, mustard castor, and peper castor, of silver, 41 ounces. |Two silver salt sellars. |Twelve spoons and twelve forks of silver, weighing 58 ounces. |One large silver soup spoon, weighing 10 ounces 10 dwt. |One silver skimmer, weighs 7 ounces 19 dwt. |Eight small knives, eight small forks and spoons of silver, for fruit. |Twelve silver halted knives, weighing 22 ounces. |Two German silver salvers, gilt, weighing 21 ounces 7 dwt. |Eight German silver salvers, gilt, wighing 118 ounces. |Six gobletts and three vases of silver gilt, weighing 78 ounces 15 dwt. |Two large salt sellars, with two goblets, with covers of silver gilt, weighing 91 ounces. |One silver tea-pott, gilt. |One small silver skillet. |Two silver Indian tea-potts, 30 ounces. |Two pair of silver branches, weighing 138 ounces. |One pair of Berlin silver candlesticks, weighing 50 ounces 5 dwt. |Three pair of small silver candlesticks, weighing 26 ounces. |Two pair of silver candlesticks, gilt. |Two pair of silver candlesticks, snuffers, and snuff-pan of the same. |One silver tea table, weighing 133 ounces 5 dwt. |One silver bason on a pedestal in form of a stand, weighing 79 ounces 8 dwt. |One silver cistern pierced, supported by four dolphins. |One small branched candlestick of silver gilt, weighing 34 ounces. |One small German Silver cistern, gilt, weighing 33 ounces. |Two Triangular German salt sellars of silver gilt. |One small silver set half gilt, containing three small dishes, four plates, one goblet, one salt sellar, one knife, one spoon, and one fork of the same, weighing 58 ounces 2 dwt. |Two silver knobs for a grate, and five handles for tongues, fire shool, &C, and four hooks to support the fire shouel, &c, all of silver. |One German silver pott for broach and cover gilt. |One small German barrell ornamented with silver. |One silver clock. }}

A Memorandum of my Paintings, Pictures, and China.

1. The picture of my father, by Mignard.
2. The picture of my mother, by Mignard.
3. A child sitting on a cusheon with a dog and a parrat, by Mignard.
4. A child in swadling cloaths sleeping on a cusheon, by Mignard.
5. A child’s head, by Mignard.
6. The picture of the first wife of the old Marquis of Hallifax, by Lilly.
7. The picture of the second wife of the old Marquis of Hallifax, by Lilly.
8. The picture of my daughter sitting in a chair, as big as the life, by Kneller. [Portrait of Lady Eland.]
9. Another picture of my daughter on half length. Kneller.
10. The picture of Sir William Coventry. Kneller.
11. The picture of my Lord Hallifax, half length.
12. The picture of my Lord Leicester. Lilly.
13. The picture of my Lady Sunderland, sister of my Lord Leicester, in the habit of a shepherdess. Lilly.
14. The picture of the Princess Conty.
15. The picture of my brother, the Master of Requests [D’Hervart].
16. The picture of Madame de Senozan, my grand daughter.
17. The picture of Madame the Countess de Viriville, my daughter.
18. A Charity, a large picture.
19. The Nativity of Saint John, a large piece.
20. A flock of sheep, by Rassan.
21. A picture, by Polbrille.
22. A day-break.
23. An head, by Pelerin, in bust.
24. Three Landskips, by Gaspe.
25. Another landskip.
26. Saint Peter’s head, as big as the life.
27. Another head of an old man.
28. Two seasons of the year, viz.: the summer and winter, by Fouquière.
29. A piece of several pidgeons.
30. Two men standing upright, as big as the life, by Van Dyke, in two pictures.
31. A maid with a child on a cushion, by Mignard.
32. Ten flower pieces, by Baptist.
33. A garland and festoon of flowers, in two pieces, by Botson.
34. Twelve pictures of divers animals.
35. Ten pictures, gold ground, which were designed for my mother’s bed.
36. Twelve pictures of small figures, which were designed for my mother’s bed.
37. Fourteen pictures of divers fine birds upon vellum covered with glass.
38. Twenty-two small pictures of the Bible, workt in Tent stitch.
39. Six long and narrow pictures of gardens, painted on white mohair.
40. A Saint Jerome and his lyon in a large desart.
41. The picture of my Lord Eland, by Knellar.
42. A large Dutch landskip with figures.
43. The picture of my son, the Abbé.
44. The triumph of love, by Petrarque.
45. A small picture, representing the Fountain in the little Garden of the Hotell d’Hervant [d’Hervart?]^[2]

A Memorandum of my China.

{{Ordered list| |Two greenish bottles with white flowers. |One marble veind urn. |Two great beakes with serpents. |One large beaker with coloured flowers. |Six green goblets. |Two marble veind, ditto. |One large pott and cover, and two small ones. |Two cornetts and covers. |Two cornetts without covers. |Two large cornetts. |Three large water potts. |Two bottles. |Three small bottles with coloured flowers. |Two bottles, Phillimot, with coloured flowers. |One pott, Phillimot and white. |Eight urns. |One large beaker. |Two small beakers. |Two beakers with figures. |Two bottles. |Two bottles of new china. |Two beakers of new china. |One bottle, all of one colour. |Two potts and covers of new china. |One piece of red china ware. |Two cornetts, blew and white. |One large dish. |Two Japan bowles. |Two green bottles. |Two cornetts and two beakers, blew and white. |Four green cupps. |Two small muggs. |One small coffee-coloured urn, with white flowers. |Two blew and white cisterns. |One marble veind cistern. |Four small marble veind cisterns. |One large coloured dish. |Two large green dishes. |Seventeen green plates. |One large blew and white dish. |Six dishes, white and coloured. |Eleven plates, white and coloured. |One bowle of the same sort. |One blew and white bason, dragons at the bottom. |One large blew and white pott and cover. |Two large blew and white urns. |Two blew and white bottles. |Two yellow cupps. |One large brown tea pott, covered with a lyon. |One other large brown tea pott. |Two coloured tea potts. |Two coloured sallet dishes. |Two coloured beakers, with roses. |Two cupps and covers of the same. |One bowle of the same, with roses. |Two black urns, with coloured flowers. |Two mustard potts. |Two potts and covers. |Two large blew and white urns. |One blew and white bowle. |One coloured Japand dish. |Twenty plates, the ground green, with coloured flowers. |Two beakers, the ground white, with circles. |One bowle, the ground white, with coloured circles. |One tea pott, the ground white, with coloured circles. |Two other tea potts. |Four salvers, with vine blossoms. |Six green dishes. }}

There is besides a great deal of china in common use, as, dishes, plates, tea potts, basons, cupps, &c, which are all to be delivered to my grandson, the Marquis de Gouvemet. There are several other moveables of use in my house, viz., tables, chairs, coffers, beds, bedsteads, and other movables, for the use of the footmen, table linnen, &c, which I do not mention in particular, which must be delivered to the said Marquis de Gouvemet, my grandson, as also the pewter kitching furniture and other utensils of household stuff, &c.

1. Diamand taillé en facette — Boyer.
2. I thank M. Depping of the Bibliothèque Ste Geneviève for his revision of the above list, and for his highly probable suggestion that No. 45 is, in reality, a Portrait of De la Fontaine, the great fabulist, seated in the garden of the hotel of his intimate friend, Monsieur d’Hervart, Master of Requests. (This mansion is now the Post-Office of Paris.) The originals of Wills “translated from the French” were returned to the families of the testators, so that it is now impossible to verify the translations.