Biography of Elizabeth Whittle -1696

Elizabeth Whittle was born to William Whittle of the City of London.

On 08 Dec 1651 Stephen Fox (age 24) and Elizabeth Whittle were married.

On 02 Jan 1660 [her son] Charles Fox was born to [her husband] Stephen Fox (age 32) and Elizabeth Whittle in Brussels [Map]. His godfather was King Charles II of England Scotland and Ireland (age 29).

Pepy's Diary. 11 Nov 1660. Home to dinner, and then walked to Whitehall, it being very cold and foul and rainy weather. I found my Lord at home, and after giving him an account of some business, I returned and went to my father's (age 59) where I found my wife, and there we supped, and Dr. Thomas Pepys (age 39), who my wife told me after I was come home, that he had told my brother Thomas that he loved my wife so well that if she had a child he would never marry, but leave all that he had to my child, and after supper we walked home, my little boy carrying a link, and Will leading my wife. So home and to prayers and to bed. I should have said that before I got to my Lord's this day I went to [her husband] Mr. Fox's (age 33) at Whitehall, when I first saw his lady, formerly Mrs. Elizabeth Whittle, whom I had formerly a great opinion of, and did make an anagram or two upon her name when I was a boy. She proves a very fine lady, and mother to fine children. To-day I agreed with Mr. Fox (age 33) about my taking of the; £4000 of him that the King had given my Lord.

Pepy's Diary. 07 Sep 1662. Lord's Day. Up betimes and round about by the streets to my office, and walked in the garden and in my office till my man Will rose, and then sent to tell Sir J. Minnes (age 63) that I would go with him to Whitehall, which anon we did, in his coach, and to the Chapell, where I heard a good sermon of the Dean of Ely's, upon returning to the old ways, and a most excellent anthem, with symphonys between, sung by Captain Cooke (age 46). Then home with [her husband] Mr. Fox (age 35) and his lady; and there dined with them, where much company come to them. Most of our discourse was what ministers are flung out that will not conform: and the care of the Bishop of London (age 64) that we are here supplied with very good men.

Pepy's Diary. 14 Dec 1666. The house sat till three o'clock, and then up: and I home with [her husband] Sir Stephen Fox (age 39) to his house to dinner, and the Cofferer (age 62) with us. There I find Sir S. Fox's Stephen Fox (age 39) and lady, a fine woman, and seven the prettiest children of theirs that ever I knew almost. A very genteel dinner, and in great state and fashion, and excellent discourse; and nothing like an old experienced man and a courtier, and such is the Cofferer Ashburnham (age 62).

Pepy's Diary. 14 Aug 1668. Thence to White Hall, and there wait at the Council-chamber door a good while, talking with one or other, and so home by water, though but for a little while, because I am to return to White Hall. At home I find Symson, putting up my new chimney-piece, in our great chamber, which is very fine, but will cost a great deal of money, but it is not flung away. So back to White Hall, and after the council up, I with Mr. Wren (age 39), by invitation, to [her husband] Sir Stephen Fox's (age 41) to dinner, where the Cofferer (age 64) and Sir Edward Savage; where many good stories of the antiquity and estates of many families at this day in Cheshire, and that part of the Kingdom, more than what is on this side, near London. My Lady [Fox] dining with us; a very good lady, and a family governed so nobly and neatly as do me good to see it.

Around 1669 [her daughter] Jane Fox Countess Northampton was born to [her husband] Stephen Fox (age 41) and Elizabeth Whittle.

Pepy's Diary. 15 Feb 1669. Up, and with Tom to White Hall; and there at a Committee of Tangier, where a great instance of what a man may lose by the neglect of a friend: Povy (age 55) never had such an opportunity of passing his accounts, the Duke of York (age 35) being there, and everybody well disposed, and in expectation of them; but my Lord Ashly (age 47), on whom he relied, and for whose sake this day was pitched on, that he might be sure to be there, among the rest of his friends, staid too long, till the Duke of York (age 35) and the company thought unfit to stay longer and so the day lost, and God knows when he will ever have so good a one again, as long as he lives; and this was the man of the whole company that he hath made the most interest to gain, and now most depended upon him. So up and down the house a while, and then to the plaisterer's, and there saw the figure of my face taken from the mould: and it is most admirably like, and I will have another made, before I take it away, and therefore I away and to the Temple [Map], and thence to my cozen Turner's, where, having the last night been told by her that she had drawn me for her Valentine, I did this day call at the New Exchange, and bought her a pair of green silk stockings and garters and shoe-strings, and two pair of jessimy gloves, all coming to about 28s., and did give them her this noon. At the 'Change [Map], I did at my bookseller's shop accidentally fall into talk with Sir Samuel Tuke about trees, and Mr. Evelyn's (age 48) garden; and I do find him, I think, a little conceited, but a man of very fine discourse as any I ever heard almost, which I was mighty glad of. I dined at my cozen Turner's, and my wife also and her husband there, and after dinner, my wife and I endeavoured to make a visit to Ned Pickering (age 51); but he not at home, nor his lady; and therefore back again, and took up my cozen Turner, and to my cozen Roger's (age 51) lodgings, and there find him pretty well again, and his wife mighty kind and merry, and did make mighty much of us, and I believe he is married to a very good woman. Here was also Bab. and Betty, who have not their clothes yet, and therefore cannot go out, otherwise I would have had them abroad to-morrow; but the poor girls mighty kind to us, and we must skew them kindness also. Here in Suffolk Street lives Moll Davis (age 21); and we did see her coach come for her to her door, a mighty pretty fine coach. Here we staid an hour or two, and then carried Turner home, and there staid and talked a while, and then my wife and I to White Hall; and there, by means of Mr. Cooling, did get into the play, the only one we have seen this winter: it was "The Five Hours' Adventure:" but I sat so far I could not hear well, nor was there any pretty woman that I did see, but my wife, who sat in my Lady Fox's pew¹ with her. The house very full; and late before done, so that it was past eleven before we got home. But we were well pleased with seeing it, and so to supper, where it happened that there was no bread in the house, which was an unusual case, and so to bed.

Note 1. We may suppose that pews were by no means common at this time within consecrated walls, from the word being applied indifferently by Pepys to a box in a place of amusement, and two days afterwards to a seat at church. It would appear, from other authorities, that between 1646 and 1660 scarcely any pews had been erected; and Sir C. Wren is known to have objected to their introduction into his London churches. B.

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Before 1675 [her son-in-law] Charles Cornwallis 3rd Baron Cornwallis (age 19) and [her daughter] Elizabeth Fox Baroness Cornwallis were married at Westminster Abbey [Map]. She by marriage Baroness Cornwallis.

In 1679 [her son] Charles Fox (age 18) and [her daughter-in-law] Elizabeth Carr Trollope (age 18) were married. There was no issue from the marriage. She brought the Water Eaton estate, near Cricklade, and £6000 and/or £2000 each year to the marriage

Evelyn's Diary. 06 Sep 1680. [her husband] He is generous, and lives very honorably, of a sweet nature, well-spoken, well-bred, and is so highly in his Majesty's (age 50) esteem, and so useful, that being long since made a knight, he is also advanced to be one of the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, and has the reversion of the Cofferer's place after Harry Brouncker (age 53). He has married his [her daughter] eldest daughter (age 11) to my [her future son-in-law] Lord Cornwallis (age 15), and gave her £12,000, and restored that entangled family besides. He matched his son to [her daughter-in-law] Mrs. Trollop (age 19), who brings with her (besides a great sum) near, if not altogether, £2,000 per annum. Sir Stephen's lady (an excellent woman) is sister to Mr. Whittle (age 49), one of the King's (age 50) chirurgeons. In a word, never was man more fortunate than Sir Stephen; he is a handsome person, virtuous, and very religious.

On 28 Feb 1681 [her daughter] Elizabeth Fox Baroness Cornwallis died.

Evelyn's Diary. 29 Oct 1682. Being my birthday, and I now entering my great climacterical of 63, after serious recollections of the years past, giving Almighty God thanks for all his merciful preservations and forbearance, begging pardon for my sins and unworthiness, and his blessing on me the year entering, I went with my Lady Fox to survey her building, and give some directions for the garden at Chiswick; the architect is Mr. May (age 61), somewhat heavy and thick, and not so well understood: the garden much too narrow, the place without water, near a highway, and near another great house of my Lord Burlington (age 14), little land about it, so that I wonder at the expense; but women will have their will.

In 1686 [her son-in-law] George Compton 4th Earl of Northampton (age 21) and [her daughter] Jane Fox Countess Northampton (age 17) were married. He the son of James Compton 3rd Earl of Northampton and Mary Noel Countess Northampton.

On 11 Aug 1696 Elizabeth Whittle died.

On 28 Oct 1716 [her former husband] Stephen Fox (age 89) died.

[her daughter] Elizabeth Fox Baroness Cornwallis was born to Stephen Fox and Elizabeth Whittle