BORN 1658, DIED 1744.
By Sir Godfrey Kneller.
THE youngest daughter of Richard Jennings, Esq. of Sundridge, near St. Albans, by the daughter and heir of Sir Gifford Hornhurst. When quite young she went to Court, where her sister Frances (afterwards Lady Tyrconnell) was already remarkable, as much for the laxity of her conduct as for her beauty. Sarah’s features may not have been as regular as those of her sister, but her countenance was most expressive, her complexion beautiful, and the profusion of her fair hair, formed a most attractive combination. Amidst her crowd of adorers, the young, handsome, and insinuating Colonel Churchill stood pre-eminent; he was poor, and by many accused of avarice already, yet he preferred the portionless girl to a rich heiress with a plain face, when the match was suggested to him.
Sarah Jennings was a woman of inordinate ambition and iron will, and she made use of her close friendship with the Princess (afterwards Queen) Anne to rise in the world and push her husband’s fortunes, even before his own distinguished talents had insured his eminence. The tyranny which the high-spirited, hot-tempered Lady of the Bedchamber exercised over her Royal mistress for many years are matters too well known to be here recapitulated. The romantic correspondence between ‘Mrs. Morley’ and ‘Mrs. Freeman,’ showing the manner in which Queen Anne, even after her marriage, gave herself up to the dominion of her favourite, until the self-imposed yoke became intolerable, and was suddenly and completely severed, are historical facts bound up with public events. The Duchess of Marlborough was supplanted by her own protégée, Mrs. Masham, and peremptorily dismissed, in spite of ‘rages, prayers, and scenes.’ Voltaire says: ‘Quelques paires de gants qu’elle refusa à la Reine, un verre d’eau qu’elle laissa tomber sur la robe de Madame Masham, changèrent la face de Europe!’—alluding to the political changes which followed the downfall of Sarah. In her latter days her temper became ungovernable; she quarrelled with her husband, her son-in-law, her grandchildren; and on one occasion, when the Duke, wishing to pacify her rage, complimented her on her long fair hair, which was still luxuriant, the furious lady cut it off, and flung it in her husband’s face! At his death a long coil of golden tresses was found in the Duke’s drawer. Sarah survived her husband twenty years, and, in spite of her age (it must be remembered she was very rich), had many suitors, amongst them the Duke of Somerset and Lord Coningsby. To the latter, after reminding him she was sixty-three, she replied: ‘Were I only thirty, and you could lay the world at my feet, I would never bestow on you the heart and hand which belonged exclusively to John, Duke of Marlborough.’
Lady Cowper (the Chancellor’s wife) saw a great deal of the Duchess at Court; they exchanged constant visits, and corresponded, but Lady Cowper had no opinion of her Grace; she describes her trying to make mischief by repeating ill-natured speeches, and goes on to say: ‘She is certainly an ill woman, and does not care what she says of anybody, to wreak her malice or revenge.’
No. 9.
CHARLOTTE, COUNTESS FAUCONBERG.
Peeress’s robes.