by Susan Nagel
Perceval, Spencer, 233
Pisani, Madame, 110
Pisani, Mr., 110, 134, 279
Pitt, William (the Younger), 74
Plantagenet kings, descendents of, 4
Playfair, William Henry, 232
Plutarch, 271
Potter, John, 132
Priestley, Joseph, 8
Raeburn, Sir Henry, 141
Raith House, 154, 216, 231–32, 234, 244, 251
Ramsay, Sir William, 233
Reciprocity Treaty, 250
Reform Act, 244–45 Revett, Nicholas, 133
Rhazes (physician), 120
Riaucour, Countess Henriette von, 178–80
Richard the Lionhearted, 75
Robert the Bruce, king of Scotland, 20
Rochefoucauld, comtesse de la, 240
Rollins, Charles, 11
Romney, George, 40
Rosetta stone, 105
Ruper, Mary, 221
Rush, Benjamin, 8
Ruskin, John, 229
Russell, Catherine (duchess of Rutland), 232
Russell, Sir John, 232, 252
Russell, Sir William, 232
duchesses of Rutland, 16, 232
Rutland, dukes of, 4, 16, 24, 232
Sarawak, White Rajah of, 247, 253
Schall, Count Carl Theodor, 178, 179
Schall-Riaucour, Count Charles von, 179
Scotland:
Auld Alliance of France and, 7
clan tartans in, 242
Elgin divorce in, 218–23, 227, 228
golf in, 240
independence of, 20
Mary’s early years in, 10–14
medieval capital of, 20
Nisbet property in, 10, 15–17, 230–31, 238–39, 242, 254
prime minister’s home in, 258
prosperity in, 8–10, 21, 238–39, 255
social life in, 14, 15–17
in United Kingdom, 7
women’s rights in, 9, 223, 241–43
Scott, Doctor, 87–88, 111, 124, 149, 156, 164, 169, 178, 182, 229
Scott, Sir Walter, 141, 217, 223, 232–33, 242
Scottish Treason Trials, 275
Sébastiani, Colonel/General, 114, 149, 152, 156, 162, 174, 182, 240
Selim III, Sultan:
and British treaties, 76–77, 113–15
death of, 55, 225, 277
and Elgin marbles, 2, 3–4, 137–38, 263
and French prisoners, 3
and Mary, Lady Elgin, 1, 2, 3–4, 68, 95–96, 138, 248
mother of, 107–12
Napoleon vs., 19–20, 100–101
as Selim the Conqueror, 2, 103, 105
socializing with, 67–68
Sherard, Lady Lucy (duchess of Rutland), 16
Sigaeum inscription, 58
Smallpox vaccine, 85–89, 93, 99, 111, 147, 169
Smith, Adam, 8, 16
Smith, Sir Sidney, 87, 97, 156, 231
military activities of, 19, 92, 94, 224
and peace treaties, 75–76, 100
as political enemy, 73–74, 95, 102, 105, 144, 145, 177, 199
and spoils of war, 103
Smith, Spencer:
commerce in Turkey, 20, 74
as political enemy, 73–74, 84, 95, 102, 199
Society of Dilettanti, 132–33
Sophia, Princess, 249
Staël, Madame de, 153
Sterne, Laurence, 157
Stevenson, Robert Louis, 10
Straton, Alexander, 94–95, 211, 230
Stuart, Bonnie Prince Charlie (Charles Edward), 7–8, 20
Stuart, James, 133
Sublime Porte, 19, 31
Suleiman the Magnificent, 107, 148, 276
Swinburne, Algernon Charles, 157
System of Mineralogy (Jameson), 233
Talleyrand, Charles-Maurice de, 152, 159, 161, 162, 167, 173, 184, 201, 208, 217
Tambourgi, Osman Bey, 146
Thackeray, William, 249
Times (London), 216–17
Total Abstinence Party, 254
Trollope, Anthony, 249
Turkey:
British embassy in, 105–6, 115, 116–17, 193–96
British treaties with, 75–77, 93–94, 95, 113–15
climate in, 119–21
Constantinople, 60–77
cultural artifacts from, 57–58
Elgin as ambassador to, 2, 20, 23–24, 27, 33, 34, 61–62, 66–68, 73, 75–76, 83, 84, 85, 91, 92–95, 100, 102, 104–6, 111, 112–17, 209
fires in, 116–17
French prisoners in, 3, 61, 146, 152
Janissaries in, 66–67
Ottoman Empire, 2, 3, 19
Seraglio in, 61, 67, 72, 77, 78–79, 108–12
slaves freed in, 115–16, 124
smallpox vaccine in, 86–89, 147
in Sublime Porte, 19, 31
sultans in, 107, 109; see also Selim III, Sultan
war with France, 32, 45, 103
women’s rights in, 226
Wortley Montagu in, 45–46
Turner, Daniel, 204
Turner, Joseph M. W., 51
United Kingdom, see Great Britain
Valida Sultana (Mihrisah), 4, 55, 72, 107–12, 138
Victoria, queen of England, 226, 232, 248–49, 256
Walpole, Horace, 37, 243
Washington, George, 37
Watt, James, 8, 231
Wedgwood, Josiah, 8
Wharton, Edith, 159
Wheler, George, 132
Whitworth, Lord, 149, 150
Wilkie, Sir David, 231
Willey, Thomas, 222
William IV, king of England, 245
William the Conqueror, 20
Wittman, William, 55, 57–58, 62, 87, 104, 119, 122, 278 Wotherspoon, Mr. (estate manager), 183
Xerxes, throne of, 126
Yarmouth, Lady, 166–68, 171
Ziyauddin, Yusuf (Grand Vizier), 4, 32, 63–68, 76–77
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Some 125 years ago, while their husbands were planning the Metropolitan Museum of New York, a group of ladies formed what is now the oldest ongoing literary society in America, the Causeries du Lundi. The name, meaning “Monday Chatterings,” was an homage to the weekly contemplative newspaper column by French author Sainte-Beuve. It was at a Causeries meeting in the year 2000 when Polly Smith, once married to the uncle of the current Lord Elgin, introduced our group to the letters of Mary Nisbet. Like the proverbial dog with a bone, I could not get enough of Mary’s story and wanted to know more. That began this adventure.
I am first and foremost grateful to Polly, grandmother of novelist Galaxy Craze, for giving unswerving support to writers and particular encouragement to me. Polly accompanied me to England and Scotland where we had some adventures of our own and she opened doors that I’m certain would have remained closed to an outsider.
In addition, I would like to thank my husband, Jon Nagel, and my daughter, Hadley Nagel, for their constant devotion and forbearance while I went on this all-consuming journey.
This book would not have been possible without the kindness, patience, and incredible generosity of Andrew, the 11th Earl of Elgin and 15th Earl of Kincardine. I am grateful to him for so many things, least of all his climbing—with an old war injury—on a very high ladder to examine a painting for me. Although his knowledge of history is most impressive, his character as a gentleman is even more so. I would also like to thank Lord Elgin’s very able and unflappable assistant, Mary Donnelly, who worked so very hard on my behalf.
I couldn’t possibly begin to thank Julian Brooke—the real Cary Grant—and Gladys Brooke, whose gracious hospitality and tenacious efforts on my behalf turned this book from an idea into a reality. Julian Brooke, a direct descendant of the 7th Earl of Elgin and Mary Nisbet, had always believed that Mary had lived a fascinating life, and as the living patriarch and guardian of the family, he allowed me to be her messenger. I am forever grateful for his trust. Thank you, also, to Julian’s nep
hew, Richard P. J. Blake, another direct descendant of the union between Mary Nisbet and the 7th Earl of Elgin, for his infectious enthusiasm and for providing me with Mary’s diaries and pictures. I would also like to thank Richard H. M. Ferguson of Raith who, with very good humor, allowed me to invade his life with questions and bombard him with phone calls. He was most generous with his archival information and his staff. Thank you, Sir Francis Ogilvy, for allowing me the opportunity to touch and see firsthand so many of Mary’s possessions at Winton House, and thank you, Robert Steadman and historian Stephen Bunyan, for shepherding that unforgettable experience.
All roads lead to Tina Brown—in publishing and in my own personal life—my mentor, my friend, and the human being I aspire to emulate every day. I am convinced that my daughter’s “Auntie Tina” was sent to America, neither to run Vanity Fair nor The New Yorker nor Talk nor the airwaves, but to be my guardian angel, and no one can tell me otherwise. The other half of my “Tina B sandwich” is Tina Bennett, literary agent extraordinaire and my very own warrior, who put me in the path of Meaghan Dowling, a wonderful, visionary editor who guides with respect and intelligence. Thank you to the wonderful HarperCollins-William Morrow team, including Rome Quezada and Betty Lew.
I have discovered, along the way, selfless professionals willing to walk an extra mile, find that accurate article, uncover that out-of-print source. Thank you to: David Smith, librarian to the stars, at the New York Public Library; Tammy Wofsey of the Shanahan Library, Marymount Manhattan College; Holly Quick of the Dirleton Historical Society; at the National Archives of Scotland: John McLintock, Robert Brown, Marilyn Mazs; Henry Vivian-Neal, Secretary to the Friends of Kensal Green Cemetery; and two very fine research assistants: in London, Louise Boone, and in Edinburgh, Elizabeth Jackson. Thank you to Dr. Donna Kurtz at the Ashmolean Museum for turning me over to Sir John Boardman, whose expertise on the subject of Greek antiquities is unparalleled, as are his patience and very good nature. Thank you to Murat and Nina Koprulu, and Patricia, Lady Daunt, for their helpful guidance on historic Constantinople; and to Ian Everard with Caledonian Heritable for his affable tour of Archerfield.
And last but not least, Marian and Richard Bott, Louise Duncan, Andrew Farkas, Karen Lauder, and Leila Hadley Luce, for their invaluable friendship.
About the Authors
SUSAN NAGEL is the author of a critically acclaimed book on the novels of Jean Giraudoux. She has written for the stage, the screen, scholarly journals, the Gannett newspaper chain, and Town & Country. A professor in the humanities department of Marymount Manhattan College, she lives in New York City.
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.
Copyright
MISTRESS OF THE ELGIN MARBLES. Copyright © 2004 by Susan Nagel.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
EPub Edition © JUNE 2010 ISBN: 978-0-062-02924-9
FIRST EDITION
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Nagel, Susan
Mistress of the Elgin Marbles: a biography of Mary Nisbet, Countess of Elgin/ Susan Nagel.—1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p.) and index.
ISBN 0-06-054554-2
1. Ferguson, Mary Nisbet, 1777–1855. 2. Diplomats’ spouses–Great Britain—Biography. 3. Elgin, Thomas Bruce, Earl of, 1766—1841—Marriage. 4. Elgin marbles. I. Title.
NB92.N34 2004
941.07′092—dc22
[B] 2003068568
04 05 06 07 08 WBC/RRD 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 21
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NOTES
Chapter 1: Launched from a Safe Harbor
1. There were, of course, occasional complaints issued by marginal groups. The famous Scottish Treason Trials (1793-94), however, resulted not from a desire for Scottish separatism but out of intrigue with the French Revolution and distaste for monarchy in general. The fringe group responsible for the so-called treason (the charges were actually reduced to sedition) included both Englishmen and Scottish rebels.
In addition, both King George III (by increasing greatly the number of Scottish peers during his reign) and Parliament (by enforcing more liberal rights among hereditary Scottish peers in the House) demonstrated notable public conciliatory behavior.
2. The 1st Earl of Rutland had been chamberlain to both Jane Seymour and Anne of Cleves when they were queens of England. Later, the title was elevated to a dukedom.
3. The Nisbet family included Sir Patrick Nisbet of Eastbank, who was a knight and the third son of Henry Nisbet, provost of Edinburgh from 1597 to 1598. Patrick was a strong supporter of King James VI and King Charles I. Patrick’s son, John, was a famous lawyer and was so admired for his intelligence that he became advocate to King Charles II from 1663 to 1677. Upon this appointment by King Charles, John purchased the estate of Dirleton in 1663. The matriculated family arms in the Lyon register bears the motto Discite justitiam. In 1801, William Hamilton Nisbet altered the family’s coat of arms, quartering the coat of Nisbet of Dirleton, as previously registered by John Nisbet, with those of Hamilton of Pencaitland and an additional motto, “Ride Through.”
Sir John had no surviving sons and left the estate of Dirleton to William Nisbet, son of Alexander Nisbet of Craigintinnie. John’s daughter, Lady Harden, sued to have the will overturned, claiming injustice as his only child. Although she was successful in receiving monetary payments, the estate of Dirleton remained in the line of William. William’s son, William, added the name “of Craigintinnie and Dirleton” to his title. The third William in the line became “William Nisbet of Dirleton,” totally dropping Craigintinnie from the title. This William married Mary, the only child and heiress of Alexander Hamilton of Pencaitland and Dechmont. Mary was also the heiress of entail of James, 5th Lord of Belhaven. Their son, William Hamilton Nisbet of Belhaven and Dirleton, Mary’s father, was born in 1747.
4. In the twentieth century, celebrated socialite and writer Lady Diana Cooper, born Diana Manners, added another public face to this illustrious family.
Chapter 2: New Horizons
1. In 1536, when French king Francis I and Ottoman sultan Suleiman the Magnificent joined forces against the mighty Hapsburg Empire, the French and the Turks enjoyed an unparalleled merging of riches. Suleiman’s empire stretched from the East through Egypt, controlling commercial and military traffic, while the French gained strength in the West Indies. When England and France went to war over the American colonies and
France lost its edge in the New World, Napoleon and his Directory decided that they could recoup their losses by exploiting what seemed to be chaos in the Middle East. In addition, if they could cut England off from India, it would be sweet revenge.
2. “The Ottomans have no connexion with your king, nor your country: we never sought for your advice, your interference, or friendship: we have no minister, no agency, no correspondence with you…. We want not your friendship, aid, or mediation…. Avarice, if we are well informed is your chief characteristic. You would buy and sell your God. Money is your deity; and all things are commerce with your ministry, with your nation…. The grand signor has no public intercourse with your court; he wants none; he wishes for none…. You have no religion but gain. Avarice is your only god; and the christian faith you profess, but a mask for your hypocrisy.” (Public Characters, 267-69).
3. James Boswell’s mother, Elizabeth Bruce, was the youngest sister of Alexander Bruce, the 3rd Earl of Kincardine.
4. Henry Dundas had a long and distinguished parliamentary career representing the county and city of Edinburgh. In 1782, he was appointed secretary of the navy, and in 1791, he became a member of the cabinet. When he retired in 1801 and refused a pension, £2,000 per year was forced on his wife. Greatly admired, he was given the titles of Viscount of Melville (Edinburgh) and Baron of Dunira (Perth) in 1802.
Chapter 5: Letters: A Lifeline
1. Katie Hickman, whose mother was a British ambassador’s wife, relates in her book, Daughters of Britannia, the important role of the mail to the diplomatic wives so isolated and far from home.
Even though they are separated by nearly 200 years, when the anguished Countess of Elgin writes about her longing for news from home, it could be my own mother writing…. Messengers were frequently attacked and robbed, and every single precious letter either destroyed or lost. Amazingly, even in the late twentieth century the non-arrival of the bag has been the cause of as much disappointment and pain. (xxvi–xxvii)
2. Selim III was assassinated in 1807 after his fierce Janissary soldiers refused to accept his “New Order” policy based on Western military procedures. His nephew, Mustafa IV, succeeded him for one year until he, too, was assassinated. Mustafa’s brother, Mahmut II, then ruled from 1808 to 1839.