Lady Hester Stanhope is today remembered as a bold spirit who lived an independent life in the Middle East in the early years of the nineteenth century. She wrote many fine letters which she sent to the great men of her day, informing them about politics, culture and daily life in the countries where she lived. The publication of volumes of
Memoirs(1845) and
Travels(1846), provided Victorian society with the image of a somewhat reckless, independent-minded woman who violated many of the repressive conventions of the period.
Lady Hester Stanhope was born in 1776. Her father, Charles, Lord Mahon, was to be the third Earl Stanhope in 1786; her mother, Hester Pitt, was the eldest child of Lord and Lady Chatham. Lady Hester was left motherless at the age of four, while her father was very
1786 words
Citation: Traverso, Catherine. "Lady Hester Stanhope". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 26 February 2007; last revised 17 July 2008. [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4190, accessed 27 November 2024.]
