Lady Elizabeth Finch-Hatton

Lady Elizabeth Murray was 6 when she was brought up in Kenwood House in Hampstead, London by her father's uncle Earl of Mansfield. His father Viscount Stormont was to inherit his Uncle's title and his entire wealth including the Kenwood Estate. She was joined shortly by her illegitimate  2nd cousin Dido Elizabeth Belle, it may have been possible that Lord Mansfield took Dido Belle in order to give Lady Elizabeth a playmate, as they were around the same age. While it is known that Dido Belle had responsibility of managing the dairy and poultry yards and do some menial task for her Great Uncle, as this was a typical for ladies of the gentry, many doubt that Lady Elizabeth has anything to do with dairy and poultry yards.[6]

Kenwood House, Hampstead, London

in 1766, one of 2 unmarried sister of Viscount Stormont and aunt to Lady Elizabeth, Lady Anne Murray (c.1730 – 1817) would came to live at Kenwood at the same time as Lady Elizabeth and Dido Belle, they all were joined at Kenwood at a later date by the second sister Lady Marjory Murray (c. 1730 – 1799) before Lady Mansfield died. [7]

Lady Elizabeth would also received around £100 yearly allowance from her Great Uncle while Dido received around £30, it is possibly because of Dido's race and her illegitimacy, it is also possible Lady Elizabeth received more because her father was the heir of Lord Mansfield.[5]

Dido Belle and Lady Elizabeth Murray had a close bond during their time at Kenwood, it was noted by an American visitor Thomas Hutchinson in 1779 "A Black came in after dinner and sat with the ladies, and after coffee, walked with the company in the gardens, one of the young ladies having her arm within the other." this was also around the time when their potrait was painted by David Martin.[8]

After 10 years of her mother's death, eventually her father Viscount Stormont remarried for a second time on 6 May 1776 at St George’s Hanover Square. His second wife being The Hon. Louisa Cathcart, daughter of Charles Cathcart, 9th Lord Cathcart. Her father often visited Lady Elizabeth, his 2 unmarried sister, and his uncle, all whom reside at Kenwood House by this time. It is known that Lady Elizabeth also regularly visited her father and her stepmom at his main home at Wandsworth Hill and their London home, as a couple of letters have been found, in one of them she wrote to Mary Hamilton about the birth of Louisa’s 3rd son, Charles, in which Lady Elizabeth referred to her stepmom as "our dear Lady Stormont" indicating of warm relationship between stepmother and stepdaughter. Lady Elizabeth would write a couple more letter from Kenwood and Wandsworth to Mary Hamilton, Louisa's cousin and close friend.[6]

in 7th August 1784 Mary Hamilton provided a tiny glimpse into how she viewed Lady Elizabeth:

"went with Miss Eliza Murray to see some of her works she showed me 3 beautiful aprons she was About -- she is a remarkably nice & a good Musician for she not only plays in a Masterly manner but is a composer." from her other account of Lady Elizabeth "Miss Murray is Lord Stormont’s only child by his first wife who died when she was very young. ------ She lives with Lord Mansfield & was educated by the ye. late Lady Mansfield & two of Lord Stormont’s Sisters who also reside with Lord Mansfield. She is pleasing, good humour’d — well accomplished, & conducts herself with  that propriety which ought to distinguish a woman of fashion & good education. [9]

in spring 1784 The Prince of Wales had begged Mary Hamilton’s uncle to invite Mary Hamilton to attend a royal ball which Lady Stormont was also invited, on the day of the Ball Mary Hamilton wrote in her diary that her cousin Lady Stormont had invited her stepdaughter Lady Elizabeth to the Prince’s royal ball at Carlton house, and she were present when Lady Stormont picked up hamilton on the way to the ball in her carriage, they arrived in the royal ball together and greeted right away by the prince. Although Lady Elizabeth was invited Dido Belle wasn’t invited to the royal ball. Throughout Mary Hamilton’s diary, she never once mention Dido Belle, despite her numerous visit to Kenwood, in which she had described all member of the Murray family including Lady Elizabeth, 2 unmarried aunts, old Lord and Lady Mansfield, the Parish Priest, etc.[9]

After Lady Mansfield's death, Lady Elizabeth's 2 aunts Lady Anne and Lady Marjory would took charge of the household accounts, as they were worried for their uncle Lord Mansfield and wanted to sooth him by being his constant companion, both Anne and Marjory would also helped write their uncle's dictation when he can no longer write. Mary Hamilton also attested to their personality in her diary saying "they are very respectable characters -- sensible easy & attentive in their manner & extremely cheerful & good humour'd no airs--- their manner, & dress properly correspond to their age & situation in life. they very kindly press'd me to come again soon to Ken Wood"[7]

During Lady Elizabeth’s time at Kenwood, her father the future 2nd Earl of Mansfield had already begun renovating Kenwood House with his uncle’s full permission,

Her father wanted to make Kenwood House a country seat like his ancestral Viscount Stormont seat Scone Palace, he added the music room and wings to Kenwood House.[10][11]

Kirby Hall, Northamptonshire

15 December 1785, at 25 of age Lady Elizabeth Mary Murray married George Finch-Hatton, they were married at Lord Mansfield’s town house by special license. George Finch-Hatton was from another long-established Aristocratic Finch family, George Finch-Hatton was also Lord Mansfield's wife’s nephew. He inherited Eastwell Park in 1769 from his uncle 8th Earl of Winchilsea and Kirby Hall from his father in 1771. George Finch-Hatton also became the heir to his Grandfather titles upon the death of his unmarried cousin George Finch 9th Earl of Winchilsea.[6]

Lady Elizabeth Murray's dowry was said to be around £17,000. The amount of £10,000 was given by Lord Mansfield and an additional of £7,000 from her father.[6] she would also receive her aunts's wealth of £12,000 in due times. invested this would make Lady Elizabeth's wealth around £30,000.

After the wedding service performed by Archbishop of York at Mansfield’s town house, the married couple head to Kenwood for the wedding celebrations. Although there are no record of Dido Belle being at the wedding service, she would certainly be at the wedding celebrations at Kenwood. After the celebrations, Lady Elizabeth finally left Kenwood House and started her married life interchangeably at her husband 2 vast estate, Kirby Hall and Eastwell Park.[6]

Eastwell Park at Ashford. Demolished in 1926 and rebuilt as Eastwell Manor. (Lost Heritage)

They had three children:

• Louisa Anne Hatton (d. 1 March 1875).
• George Finch-Hatton, 10th Earl of Winchilsea (19 May 1791 – 8 January 1858).
• Reverend Daniel Heneage Finch-Hatton (1795 – Jan 1866).

Coincidentally, George Finch-Hatton's father, Edward, and the 1st Earl of Mansfield's wife, Elizabeth, were both children of Daniel Finch, 7th Earl of Winchilsea, and Anne Hatton, the sole heiress to Viscount Hatton.

From the society page of the day, Lady Elizabeth Finch-Hatton was quite a social butterfly, she socialised with people within her aristocratic circle, she also attended and hosted Balls, one of which was the Ball she arranged for her three younger daughters:

“Saint James Chronicle 10 May 1817 Lady Finch Hatton’s Ball – this elegant Lady opened Mansfield House, in Portland Place, on Thursday evening, with a ball and supper. It was a juvenile party, for the express purpose of introducing the three accomplished Misses Hatton into the fashionable world.”[6]

Mansfield House in 37 Portland Place was the biggest and most luxurious townhouse in the street purchased by Lady Elizabeth's father for a staggering £8,000,[12][13] a place she frequented a lot growing up. By 1817, it was already inherited by Elizabeth's brother 3rd Earl of Mansfield, Lady Elizabeth seemed to have close relationship with her eldest half brother, as he sometimes would be educated at Kenwood House alongside Elizabeth, he also named his second born daughter after Lady Elizabeth and their aunt Lady Anne Murray.

• Let Justice Be Done by Mixed Blessings Theatre Group – a 2008 play featuring the possible influence that Elizabeth Lindsay's cousin Dido Elizabeth Belle might have had on the Somerset v Stewart ruling of 1772.
• Sarah Gadon portrayed Lady Elizabeth in the film Belle (2013).