Biography of George Nassau Clavering-Cowper 3rd Earl Cowper 1738-1789

On 27th September 1732 [his father] William Clavering-Cowper 2nd Earl Cowper [aged 23] and [his mother] Henrietta Nassau 2nd Countess Cowper [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Countess Cowper. She the daughter of [his grandfather] Henry Nassau 1st Earl Grantham [aged 59] and [his grandmother] Henrietta Butler Countess Grantham. He the son of William Cowper 1st Earl Cowper and Mary Clavering Countess Cowper.

On 26th August 1738 George Nassau Clavering-Cowper 3rd Earl Cowper was born to William Clavering-Cowper 2nd Earl Cowper [aged 29] and Henrietta Nassau 2nd Countess Cowper [aged 25].

On 23rd September 1747 [his mother] Henrietta Nassau 2nd Countess Cowper [aged 34] died.

In 1750 [his father] William Clavering-Cowper 2nd Earl Cowper [aged 40] and Georgiana Caroline Carteret [aged 33]. Georgiana Caroline Carteret by marriage Countess Cowper.

On 18th September 1764 [his father] William Clavering-Cowper 2nd Earl Cowper [aged 55] died. His son George [aged 26] succeeded 3rd Earl Cowper, 3rd Baron Cowper of Wingham in Kent, 5th Baronet Cowper of Ratling Court in Kent. [his future wife] Hannah Anna Gore 3rd Countess Cowper by marriage Countess Cowper.

1765. Anton Raphael Mengs [aged 36]. Portrait of George Nassau Clavering-Cowper 3rd Earl Cowper [aged 26].

In 1775 George Nassau Clavering-Cowper 3rd Earl Cowper [aged 36] and Hannah Anna Gore 3rd Countess Cowper were married. He the son of William Clavering-Cowper 2nd Earl Cowper and Henrietta Nassau 2nd Countess Cowper.

John Zoffany His Life and Works. Around 1775. Johan Joseph Zoffany [aged 41]. DESBOROUGH, LADY. Panshanger, Hertford.

George [aged 36], third Earl Cowper, [his wife] Countess Cowper, Mr. and Mrs. Gore and the two Miss Gores.

Lord Cowper is standing in a green coat, pink waistcoat and breeches; Lady Cowper is in a pink dress; her father, [his father-in-law] Mr. Gore [aged 45], is playing the violincello; Mrs. Gore in a grey gown! Miss Emily Gore, in blue, playing the harpsichord and the youngest in white brocade. Canvas 37 x 30. P.

Countess Cowper was the daughter of Charles Gore, Esq., of Southampton. Her parents took her to Italy for her health, where the family resided for a long time. Mr. Gore is supposed to have been the original of Goethe's "travelled Englishman" in Wilhelm Meister. Mrs. Delany, in one of her amusing letters, mentions the meeting of Lord Cowper and Miss Gore at Florence, "when little Cupid straightway bent his bow."

They were married at Florence, and on that occasion Horace Walpole [aged 57] condoles with Sir Horace Mann [aged 68] on the prospect, as he would lose so much of the society of his great friend, Lord Cowper. Both Lady Cowper and her husband were in high favour at the Grand-Ducal Court of Tuscany, and the former was a great ornament of the brilliant (but by no means straight-laced) society of the day. Miss Berry speaks in very high terms of Miss Gore, who resided with her married sister. Three sons were born to the Cowpers in Florence. (Panshanger Catalogue, p. 308.)

Painted at the Villa Palmieri, Florence, which belonged to George, third Earl Cowper. He is standing up in the picture; Lady Cowper is in a pink dress; her father, Mr. Gore, is playing the violincello; Mrs. Gore and her youngest daughter are in grey, and Miss Emily Gore is playing the harpsichord. This picture was given to the sixth [his grandson] Earl Cowper by his brother, the Hon. Spencer Cowper, who bought it at Florence in 1845 for £20. It was strongly suspected that it was stolen from the Villa with many other objects of value when Lady Cowper died there at an advanced age in 1826. II. Nat. Loan Exhibit, Grosvenor Gallery No. 80, p. 94 Whitechapel, 1908 (157). There is also another picture at Panshanger attributed to Zoffany.

Hannah Anna Gore 3rd Countess Cowper: she was born to Charles Gore and Mary Cockerill. On 18th September 1764 William Clavering-Cowper 2nd Earl Cowper died. His son George succeeded 3rd Earl Cowper, 3rd Baron Cowper of Wingham in Kent, 5th Baronet Cowper of Ratling Court in Kent. She by marriage Countess Cowper. In 1775 George Nassau Clavering-Cowper 3rd Earl Cowper and she were married. He the son of William Clavering-Cowper 2nd Earl Cowper and Henrietta Nassau 2nd Countess Cowper. In 1826 she died.

Charles Gore: Before he and Mary Cockerill were married. She brough sufficient wealth to the marriage that he didn't need to work. On 5th December 1729 he was born at Horkstow Hall, Lincolnshire. On 23rd January 1807 he died.

On 9th August 1776 [his son] George Augustus Clavering-Cowper 4th Earl Cowper was born to George Nassau Clavering-Cowper 3rd Earl Cowper [aged 37] and [his wife] Hannah Anna Gore 3rd Countess Cowper.

On 6th May 1778 [his son] Peter Nassau Clavering-Cowper 5th Earl Cowper was born to George Nassau Clavering-Cowper 3rd Earl Cowper [aged 39] and [his wife] Hannah Anna Gore 3rd Countess Cowper. He married 20th July 1805 Emily Lamb Countess Cowper, daughter of Penistone Lamb 1st Viscount Melbourne and Elizabeth Milbanke Viscountess Melbourne, and had issue.

Before 1789 Johan Joseph Zoffany [aged 55]. Portrait of George Nassau Clavering-Cowper 3rd Earl Cowper [aged 50].

On 22nd December 1789 George Nassau Clavering-Cowper 3rd Earl Cowper [aged 51] died. His son George [aged 13] succeeded 4th Earl Cowper, 4th Baron Cowper of Wingham in Kent, 6th Baronet Cowper of Ratling Court in Kent.

In 1826 [his former wife] Hannah Anna Gore 3rd Countess Cowper died.