John Zoffany His Life and Works. Around 1775. Johan Joseph Zoffany [aged 41]. DESBOROUGH, LADY. Panshanger, Hertford.
George [aged 36], third Earl Cowper, 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, 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 [his father-in-law] 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.
