Sir Richard Worsley – husband of the scandalous Lady Worsley – died at Appuldurcombe House on 8th August 1805.
The baronet was a significant figure in Isle of Wight history. He was elected MP for Newport in 1774, then MP for Newtown in 1790. Sir Richard was Comptroller of the King’s Household and Governor of the Isle of Wight; he also wrote a history of the Isle of Wight.
Worsley was also a noted antiquarian and collector. He was a Fellow of the society of Antiquaries of London, amassing a collection of gems, paintings, sculpture and reliefs through his extensive travels in Greece, Italy, Egypt, Turkey and the Crimea. His was said to have been the most extensive collection of Greek sculpture in Britain. The collection was displayed at his house at Appuldurcombe, where the grounds were landscaped by England’s greatest gardener Capability Brown.
However, Sir Richard is not mainly remembered for as a historian, antiquarian or politician. His main claim to fame is his role in a sensational court case involving his wife Seymour Fleming that titillated Georgian society. This was made into the BBC series the Scandalous Lady W (2015) starring Natalie Dormer. All the salacious details can be found in the following Island Echo article.
After the sensational court case, Sir Richard quit his parliamentary seat and ventured to the continent of Europe, becoming British ambassador to the Republic of Venice in 1794.
On his return to the Isle of Wight, Sir Richard went into seclusion, living with his ‘housekeeper’ Sarah Smith at Sea Cottage (later known as Marine Villa) in St Lawrence in the Undercliff. He had small classical temples built in the grounds and attempted to add a vineyard. He also constructed St Lawrence well.
Worsley succumbed to apoplexy at the age of 54. He is buried in All Saints’ Church Godshill in a huge, classical sarcophagus, that was nicknamed ‘Worsley’s Bath’.
On Sir Richard’s death, Appuldurcombe passed to his niece, Henrietta Anna Maria Charlotte, who went on to marry Charles Anderson-Pelham, 1st Earl of Yarborough.
218 years ago, yet still this news arrived before Red Funnel.
Or Wightlink !!!!
Comptroller, that’s a word I’ve not heard since I was at Ryde High School. I had an economics teacher in the sixth form who often would use that word. Shame I cannot remember his name. Does anyone who attended Ryde High in ’79/’80 remember the name of the Economics teacher? He was short in height, plumb, with a thick hairy beard, thick glasses and spoke with a lisp. Does anyone remember his name? I know he left the Island to teach at the University of Manchester.
Mr Fitch I think
So much to this story and a fascinating read by Hallie Rubenhold in her book Lady Worsley’s Whim. Guarantee you won’t put it down.
Can see why he died of apoplexy after going through an eventful marriage to that scrubber.
Have you been watching the excellent tv programme on Channel 5 about Buckingham House/Palace? Even wealthy people didn’t take ablutions seriously back then; therefore, imagine the weeks of sweat trapped by tight clothing. The programme highlighted that, until after Queen Victoria, people didn’t wash; maybe a wipe-around with a damp flannel now and again. It makes you wonder how anyone was intimate due to body odour. Oh, and then there was the infestation of scabies, commonplace within all classes of society.
I expect that you mean well but you are not getting me aroused with that dirty talk.
I think you will find that the Romans were extremely keen on personal hygiene as were other more civilized cultures.