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Maria Coventry, Countess of Coventry (née Gunning; 15 August 1732 – 30 September 1760) was an Irish beauty and London society hostess during the reign of King George II. She died at a young age due to lead poisoning from toxins in her beauty regimen.

Biography

Maria was born in Hemingford Grey, Huntingdonshire, England and was the eldest child of John Gunning of Castle Coote in County Roscommon, Ireland, and his wife Hon. Bridget Bourke, daughter of Theobald Bourke, 6th Viscount Mayo (1681–1741). Maria's younger siblings were Elizabeth, Catherine (married Robert Travis, died 1773), Sophia, Lizzie and John (a general in the army).^[1]

In late 1740 or early 1741, the Gunning family returned to John Gunning's ancestral home in Ireland, where they divided their time between their home in Roscommon and a rented house in Dublin. According to some sources, when Maria and her sister Elizabeth came of age, their mother urged them to take up acting in order to earn a living, owing to the family's relative poverty. The sources further state that the Gunning sisters worked for some time in the Dublin theatres, befriending actors like Peg Woffington, even though acting was not considered a respectable profession, as many actresses doubled as courtesans to wealthy benefactors. However, other sources deny this and point out that Margaret Woffington did not arrive in Dublin until May 1751, by which time Maria and her sister Elizabeth were in England.^{[citation needed]}

In the park Lady Coventry asked Kitty Fisher for "the name of the dressmaker who had made her dress."
Kitty Fisher answered she ..."had better ask Lord Coventry as he had given her the dress as a gift."
The altercation continued with Lady Coventry calling her an impertinent woman.
Kitty replied that she ... "would have to accept this insult because Maria was socially superior since marrying Lord Coventry, but she was going to marry a Lord herself just to be able to answer back."

Giustiniana Wynne, visiting London at the time.^[2]

In October 1748, a ball was held at Dublin Castle by the Viscountess Petersham. The two sisters did not have suitable attire to attend such an occasion until Thomas Sheridan, the manager of one of the local theatres, supplied them with two costumes from the green room—those of Lady Macbeth and Juliet. Wearing the costumes, they were presented to the Earl of Harrington, the then-Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Harrington must have been pleased by the meeting as, by 1750, Bridget Gunning had persuaded him to grant her a pension, which she then used to transport herself, Maria and Elizabeth back to their original home in Huntingdon, England. With their attendance at local balls and parties, the beauty of the two girls was much remarked upon. They became well-known celebrities, their fame reaching all the way to London. On 2 December 1750, they were presented at the court of St James, at which time they were sufficiently famous that the presentation was noted in the London newspapers. Maria, who was notoriously tactless, was reported to have made a notable gaffe by telling the elderly George II that the spectacle she would most like to see was a royal funeral. Fortunately, the king was highly amused.^{[citation needed]}

Within a year, Elizabeth had married the Duke of Hamilton. In March 1752, Maria married the 6th Earl of Coventry and became the Countess of Coventry. Her husband became involved with the then-famous courtesan Kitty Fisher, which caused his wife much distress.^{[citation needed]}

She was rumoured to have been involved romantically with the 3rd Duke of Grafton, but this was never confirmed beyond doubt.^[3]

Death

Maria's early death (at the age of 27) on 30 September 1760 was caused by lead poisoning^[4] from the makeup she used, which was very stylish at the time.^{[citation needed]} Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, it was fashionable for women to whiten their skin with a lead-based make up, Venetian ceruse, and paint on red rouged cheeks.^[5] The noxious effects of lead caused skin eruptions, which then encouraged women to apply more ceruse to cover the blemishes, eventually causing poisoning.^{[citation needed]}

Originally known simply as a beautiful but vain woman, Maria eventually became known in society circles as a "victim of cosmetics".^[6]

References

^ Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood (107 ed.). Burke's Peerage & Gentry. p. 929. ISBN 0-9711966-2-1.
^ Baytun History, Sir Andrew Baytun Rolt
^ "Elle Shushan – Fine Portrait Miniatures". Archived from the original on 11 March 2007. Retrieved 16 May 2006.
^ Geraldine Penrose Fitzgerald (1895). Some celebrated Irish beauties of the last century. p. 72.
^ "Analysis: Dying for makeup — Lead cosmetics poisoned 18th-century European socialites in search of whiter skin". Retrieved 13 July 2023.
^ Brooks, John. "Maria Gunning, Countess of Coventry". Retrieved 17 April 2018.

External links

Media related to Maria Coventry, Countess of Coventry at Wikimedia Commons

Some Old Time Beauties at Project Gutenberg

[burke-1] Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood (107 ed.). Burke's Peerage & Gentry. p. 929. ISBN 0-9711966-2-1.

[2] Baytun History, Sir Andrew Baytun Rolt

[3] "Elle Shushan – Fine Portrait Miniatures". Archived from the original on 11 March 2007. Retrieved 16 May 2006.

[4] Geraldine Penrose Fitzgerald (1895). Some celebrated Irish beauties of the last century. p. 72.

[5] "Analysis: Dying for makeup — Lead cosmetics poisoned 18th-century European socialites in search of whiter skin". Retrieved 13 July 2023.

[Brooks-6] Brooks, John. "Maria Gunning, Countess of Coventry". Retrieved 17 April 2018.

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[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|18th-century English beauty and society hostess}}
-{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2012}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
 {{Use British English|date=March 2012}}
-[[File:Maria Coventry, Countess of Coventry (after Francis Cotes).jpg|right|thumb|200px|The Countess of Coventry, after [[Francis Cotes]]]]
+[[File:Maria Coventry, Countess of Coventry (after Francis Cotes).jpg|right|thumb|200px|The Countess of Coventry by [[Francis Cotes]]]]
-'''Maria Coventry, Countess of Coventry''' (''née'' '''Gunning'''; 1733 – 30 September 1760) was a famous Irish beauty and [[London]] society hostess during the reign of King [[George II of Great Britain|George II]]. She died at a young age from lead and mercury poisoning, killed by the toxins used in her beauty regimen.<ref name="dm">{{cite news|last1=Oliver|first1=Amy|title=Vanity mirror used by tragic 18th century society beauty, 27, who died of make-up poisoning sells for £300,000|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2151541/Vanity-mirror-used-tragic-18th-century-society-beauty-27-died-make-poisoning-sells-300-000.html|accessdate=23 July 2017|work=The Daily Mail|date=29 May 2012}}</ref>
+'''Maria Coventry, Countess of Coventry''' (''née'' '''Gunning'''; 15 August 1732 – 30 September 1760) was an Irish beauty and London [[Socialite|society hostess]] during the reign of [[George II of Great Britain|King George II]]. She died at a young age due to lead poisoning from toxins in her beauty regimen.
 == Biography ==
-[[File:MariaCountessOfCoventry.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The Countess of Coventry.]]
+[[File:MariaCountessOfCoventry.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The Countess of Coventry]]
-Maria was born in [[Hemingford Grey]], [[Huntingdonshire]] and was the eldest child of John Gunning of Castle Coote, [[County Roscommon]] and his wife Hon. Bridget Bourke, daughter of [[Viscount Mayo|Theobald Bourke, 6th Viscount Mayo]] (1681–1741). Maria's younger siblings were [[Elizabeth Campbell, 1st Baroness Hamilton|Elizabeth Gunning, Duchess of Hamilton and Argyll]], Catherine (married Robert Travis, died 1773), Sophia, Lizzie and John (a general in the army).<ref name="burke">{{cite book |title= Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood|publisher=Burke's Peerage & Gentry |editor= Mosley, Charles |editorlink= Charles Mosley (genealogist) |edition=107 |year= 2003 |page=929 |pages= |ref=Burke |isbn=0-9711966-2-1}}</ref>
+Maria was born in [[Hemingford Grey]], [[Huntingdonshire]], England and was the eldest child of John Gunning of [[Castlecoote|Castle Coote]] in [[County Roscommon]], Ireland, and his wife Hon. Bridget Bourke, daughter of [[Viscount Mayo|Theobald Bourke, 6th Viscount Mayo]] (1681–1741). Maria's younger siblings were [[Elizabeth Hamilton, 1st Baroness Hamilton of Hameldon|Elizabeth]], Catherine (married Robert Travis, died 1773), Sophia, Lizzie and John (a general in the army).<ref name="burke">{{cite book |title= Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knighthood|publisher=Burke's Peerage & Gentry |editor= Mosley, Charles |editor-link= Charles Mosley (genealogist) |edition=107 |year= 2003 |page=929 |ref=Burke |isbn=0-9711966-2-1}}</ref>
-In late 1740 or early 1741, the Gunning family returned to John Gunning's ancestral home in Ireland, where they divided their time between their home in Roscommon and a rented house in [[Dublin]]. According to some sources, when Maria and her sister Elizabeth [[Coming of age|came of age]], their mother urged them to take up acting in order to earn a living, owing to the family's relative poverty. The sources further state that the Gunning sisters worked for some time in the Dublin theatres, befriending actors like [[Margaret Woffington|Peg Woffington]], even though acting was not considered a respectable profession, as many actresses doubled as [[courtesan]]s to wealthy benefactors. However, other sources deny this and point out that Margaret Woffington did not arrive in Dublin until May 1751, by which time Maria and her sister Elizabeth were in England.
+In late 1740 or early 1741, the Gunning family returned to John Gunning's ancestral home in Ireland, where they divided their time between their home in Roscommon and a rented house in [[Dublin]]. According to some sources, when Maria and her sister Elizabeth [[Coming of age|came of age]], their mother urged them to take up acting in order to earn a living, owing to the family's relative poverty. The sources further state that the Gunning sisters worked for some time in the Dublin theatres, befriending actors like [[Peg Woffington]], even though acting was not considered a respectable profession, as many actresses doubled as [[courtesan]]s to wealthy benefactors. However, other sources deny this and point out that Margaret Woffington did not arrive in Dublin until May 1751, by which time Maria and her sister Elizabeth were in England.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}
 [[File:Mary Gunning, Countess of Coventry.jpg|thumb|''Portrait of a pensive woman on a sofa'', a 1749 painting of Mary Gunning in Turkish costume by [[Jean-Étienne Liotard]]]]
 {{Quote box
  | quote  = In the park Lady Coventry asked [[Kitty Fisher]] for "the name of the dressmaker who had made her dress."<br/>Kitty Fisher answered she ..."had better ask Lord Coventry as he had given her the dress as a gift."<br/>The altercation continued with Lady Coventry calling her ''an impertinent woman''.<br/>Kitty replied that she ... "would have to accept this insult because Maria was socially superior since marrying Lord Coventry, but she was going to marry a Lord herself just to be able to answer back." | source =[[Giustiniana Wynne]], visiting London at the time.<ref>[http://www.bayntun-history.com/AndrewBayntunRolt1755.htm Baytun History, Sir Andrew Baytun Rolt]</ref> | width  =25% | align  =right}}
-In October 1748, a ball was held at [[Dublin Castle]] by the Viscountess Petersham. The two sisters did not have any dresses for the gathering until Tom Sheridan, the manager of one of the local theatres, supplied them with two costumes from the green room, those of [[Lady Macbeth]] and [[Juliet]]. Wearing the costumes, they were presented to the [[William Stanhope, 1st Earl of Harrington|Earl of Harrington]], the then-[[Lord Lieutenant of Ireland]]. Harrington must have been pleased by the meeting as, by 1750, Bridget Gunning had persuaded him to grant her a pension, which she then used to transport herself, Maria and Elizabeth back to their original home in Huntingdon, England. With their attendance at local balls and parties, the beauty of the two girls was much remarked upon. They became well-known celebrities, their fame reaching all the way to London. On 2 December 1750, they were presented at the court of St James, at which time they were sufficiently famous that the presentation was noted in the London newspapers. Maria, who was notoriously tactless, was reported to have made a notable gaffe by telling the elderly [[George II of Great Britain|George II]] that the spectacle she would most like to see was a royal funeral. Fortunately, the king was highly amused.
+In October 1748, a ball was held at [[Dublin Castle]] by the [[Caroline Stanhope, Countess of Harrington|Viscountess Petersham]]. The two sisters did not have suitable attire to attend such an occasion until [[Thomas Sheridan (actor)|Thomas Sheridan]], the manager of one of the local theatres, supplied them with two costumes from the green room—those of [[Lady Macbeth]] and [[Juliet]]. Wearing the costumes, they were presented to the [[William Stanhope, 1st Earl of Harrington|Earl of Harrington]], the then-[[Lord Lieutenant of Ireland]]. Harrington must have been pleased by the meeting as, by 1750, Bridget Gunning had persuaded him to grant her a pension, which she then used to transport herself, Maria and Elizabeth back to their original home in Huntingdon, England. With their attendance at local balls and parties, the beauty of the two girls was much remarked upon. They became well-known celebrities, their fame reaching all the way to London. On 2 December 1750, they were presented at the court of St James, at which time they were sufficiently famous that the presentation was noted in the London newspapers. Maria, who was notoriously tactless, was reported to have made a notable gaffe by telling the elderly [[George II of Great Britain|George II]] that the spectacle she would most like to see was a royal funeral. Fortunately, the king was highly amused.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}
-Within a year, Elizabeth had married the [[Duke of Hamilton]]. In March 1752, Maria married the [[George Coventry, 6th Earl of Coventry|6th Earl of Coventry]] and became the Countess of Coventry. For their [[honeymoon]], the earl and countess traveled around [[Europe]] accompanied by Lady Petersham, but neither lady enjoyed it much, especially Maria, who particularly disliked [[Paris]]. The countess' ignorance of the [[French language]] and her husband's decision not to allow her to wear red powder as makeup (which was fashionable in Paris at the time) intensified her dislike of the city and the trip. On one occasion, her husband saw her arrive at dinner with powder on her face and tried to rub it off with his handkerchief. Her tactlessness, which had amused George II, struck the French court as simply bad manners.
+Within a year, Elizabeth had married the [[James Hamilton, 6th Duke of Hamilton|Duke of Hamilton]]. In March 1752, Maria married the [[George Coventry, 6th Earl of Coventry|6th Earl of Coventry]] and became the Countess of Coventry. Her husband became involved with the then-famous [[courtesan]] [[Kitty Fisher]], which caused his wife much distress.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}
+She was rumoured to have been involved romantically with the [[Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton|3rd Duke of Grafton]], but this was never confirmed beyond doubt.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://portraitminiatures.com/details/brits/bd-SpencerCoventry.htm |title=Elle Shushan – Fine Portrait Miniatures |accessdate=2006-05-16 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311032224/http://portraitminiatures.com/details/brits/bd-SpencerCoventry.htm |archivedate=11 March 2007 }}</ref>
-Maria's popularity and beauty was such that on her return to London, she was mobbed when she appeared in [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]] and was eventually given a guard by the king, led by the [[Henry Herbert, 10th Earl of Pembroke|Earl of Pembroke]]. Her husband became involved with the then-famous [[courtesan]] [[Kitty Fisher]], which caused Maria much distress.
-Maria also became involved in at least one affair. She was rumoured to have been involved romantically with the [[Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton|3rd Duke of Grafton]], but this was never confirmed beyond doubt.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://portraitminiatures.com/details/brits/bd-SpencerCoventry.htm |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2006-05-16 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311032224/http://portraitminiatures.com/details/brits/bd-SpencerCoventry.htm |archivedate=11 March 2007 |df= }}</ref>
 == Death ==
-Maria's early death (at the age of 27) on 30 September 1760 was caused by [[lead poisoning]] from the makeup she wore, which was very stylish at the time. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, it was fashionable for ladies to have pale white skin and red rouged cheeks; to achieve this look, lead-based [[Venetian ceruse]] was often used. The noxious effects of lead caused skin eruptions, which then encouraged ladies to apply more ceruse to cover the blemishes, eventually causing blood poisoning.
+Maria's early death (at the age of 27) on 30 September 1760 was caused by [[lead poisoning]]<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/somecelebratedir00gera/page/72/mode/1up?view=theater|title=Some celebrated Irish beauties of the last century |year=1895|author=[[Geraldine Penrose Fitzgerald]]|page=72}}</ref> from the makeup she used, which was very stylish at the time.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}} Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, it was fashionable for women to [[Skin whitening|whiten their skin]] with a lead-based make up, [[Venetian ceruse]], and paint on red rouged cheeks.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Analysis: Dying for makeup — Lead cosmetics poisoned 18th-century European socialites in search of whiter skin |url=https://brighterworld.mcmaster.ca/articles/analysis-dying-for-makeup-lead-cosmetics-poisoned-18th-century-european-socialites-in-search-of-whiter-skin/ |access-date=2023-07-13 |language=en-US}}</ref> The noxious effects of lead caused skin eruptions, which then encouraged women to apply more ceruse to cover the blemishes, eventually causing poisoning.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}
 Originally known simply as a beautiful but vain woman, Maria eventually became known in society circles as a "victim of cosmetics".<ref name="Brooks">{{cite web|url=https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O79601/maria-gunning-countess-of-coventry-plaque-brooks-john/|title=Maria Gunning, Countess of Coventry|last=Brooks|first=John|accessdate=17 April 2018}}</ref>
@@ Line 30: / Line 29: @@
 ==External links==
+{{commonscatinline}}
-{{commons category|Maria Coventry, Countess of Coventry}}
 {{Gutenberg|no=16079|name=Some Old Time Beauties}}
 {{Authority control}}
-{{DEFAULTSORT:Coventry, Maria Coventry, Countess Of}}
+{{DEFAULTSORT:Coventry, Maria Coventry, Countess of}}
-[[Category:1733 births]]
+[[Category:1732 births]]
 [[Category:1760 deaths]]
-[[Category:British countesses]]
+[[Category:English countesses]]
 [[Category:People from Hemingford Grey]]
 [[Category:18th-century English people]]

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