The Creevey Papers
Thomas Creevey to Elizabeth Ord, 1 September 1828
“Condover Hall, Sept. 1, 1828.
“. . . Our coach was full, but we dropt two at
Oxford, and to my great delight we left the other filthy wretch at Birmingham
at 6 in the morning. He had been eating prawns all night, and flinging the
![]()
![]()
| 170 | THE CREEVEY PAPERS | [Ch. VII. |
![]()
skins at the bottom of the coach. However, I changed
coaches at Birmingham, so it was all mighty well. Having breakfasted then at
that early hour, I came alone to Shrewsbury . . . and embarked in a chay for
Condover Hall, just 5 miles from Salop. Altho’ the two Stoke young ladies
. . . have always praised the house much to me, their praises have been
much—very much—below its deserts. It is a charming and most
incomparable house. . . . Dear Mr. and
Mrs. Smythe Owen and I have lived in
the most perfect harmony since 4 o’clock on Saturday afternoon, but other
human being have I seen none, except the parson at church yesterday, whom I was
in hopes to have seen more of. He is Mr.
Leicester, nephew to the late Lord de
Tabley. . . . Having known his father in the days of my youth at Cambridge as by far the most
ultra and impertinent dandy of his day, I was curious to see the son. It was
precisely the same thing over again. This beautiful youth (for such he is),
aged 27, has been appointed by the Court of Chancery guardian to his nephew
Lord de Tabley, aged 16. About 6 weeks ago, he was
married to his aunt Lady de Tabley, who
expects to be confined next month. I am sorry she is not [illegible] for this second marriage. On her part she forfeits £500 a
year out of her jointure of £1500; and his diocesan, the Bishop of Lichfield, has given him notice he
shall eject him from his living for marrying his aunt, which reduces his income
to nothing. . . .”
William Lamb, second viscount Melbourne (1779-1848)
English statesman, the son of Lady Melbourne (possibly by the third earl of Egremont) and
husband of Lady Caroline Lamb; he was a Whig MP, prime minister (1834-41), and counsellor
to Queen Victoria.
Charles Leicester (1795-1858)
The eldest son of Henry Augustus Leicester; educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, he
was rector of Westbury, Shropshire (1820-52).
Georgiana Maria Leicester [née Cottin] (1794-1859)
The granddaughter of the architect Sir William Chambers and daughter of Josiah Cottin; in
1810 she married John Fleming Leicester, first baron de Tabley; according to the Peerage,
she later married the Reverend
Frederic Leicester. According to
Thomas Creevey, she married her nephew, the Rev.
Charles Leicester
(1795-1858), for which he was threatened with eviction by the bishop.
Henry Augustus Leicester (1765-1816)
The second son of Sir Peter Leicester, fourth baronet and brother of the first baron de
Tabley; he was a contemporary of Thomas Creevey at Trinity College, Cambridge. In 1791 he
married Letitia Smyth Owen, of Condover, Shropshire.
Charlotte Maria Smythe Owen [née Maddocks] (1828 fl.)
The daughter of John Edward Maddocks of Denbighshire and his wife Elizabeth Craven; in
1824 she married Edward William Smythe Owen of Condover Hall in Shropshire.
