page_title: Stephen Fox-Strangways, 1st Earl of Ilchester
section_title: Marriage and children
hierarchical_section_title: Stephen Fox-Strangways, 1st Earl of Ilchester / Marriage and children
caption_attribution_description: English: 1762 Mezzotint "Ladies Sarah Lenox and Susan Strangeways, with Charles James Fox". Triple portrait of a young Charles James Fox (1749-1806) standing beside his first cousin Lady Susan Fox-Strangways (1743-1827) at a corner of Holland House, both three-quarter length, Lady Susan holding dove in her hands; with his aunt Lady Sarah Lennox (1745–1826) (his mother's youngest sister) leaning out of window above, towards her; after Sir Joshua Reynolds. British Museum, 1832,1211.77. See: Liechtenstein, Princess Marie, Holland House, 2 Vols., London, 1874, p.81: Lady Sarah Lennox and Charles James Fox acted together in private theatricals at Holland House. The painting is described by Mary Fox (Princess Marie of Liechtenstein) (1850-1878), adopted daughter of Henry Fox, 4th Baron Holland (1802-1859) of Holland House, in her History of Holland House (Liechtenstein, Princess Marie, Holland House, Vol.2, London, 1874, pp.43-4): Lastly, we come to the ftxr-famed picture of Lady Sarah Lennox, Mr. Fox (Charles James), and Lady Susan Strangways. Lady Sarah Lennox, a beautiful girl, is leaning out of a window of Holland House, whilst C. J. Fox, at the time only thirteen or fourteen years old, is walking below with Lady Susan Strangways, who offers a dove to Lady Sarah. Of the three figures. Lady Sarah's is the most graceful. But the charm of the picture, to our mind, lies in the originality of the grouping, and in its subdued, harmonious colouring — subdued, without being monotonous, though the proximity of the background, by occasioning defective perspective, makes a real fault in the composition. The inclination of Lady Sarah's head is exquisite, and her features are fine, but do not convey to us the impression of the beautiful woman we are led to believe she was, by the enthusiasm her beauty caused. Is it that we are less enthusiastic for beauty nowadays, or is it that her charm lay in an expression impossible to translate upon canvas&#160;? But no&#160;! Sir Joshua must have been equal even to that — the fault must be with us. Lady Susan is not so handsome, nor is her position so graceful&#160;; but her delicate colouring and pretty drapery play their parts well here. Fox, in a blue coat, contrasting effectively with the drapery of Lady Susan, has a paper in his hand, and looks very old for his age&#160;; which sign of the future great statesman's precocity may give additional interest to Sir Joshua's work. But even without Fox's presence, the picture would be especially interesting, Lady Sarah Lennox and Lady Susan Strangways each being the heroine of a true romance.
context_page_description: Stephen Fox-Strangways, 1st Earl of Ilchester PC was a British peer and Member of Parliament.
context_section_description: In 1735, at the age of 31, an arranged marriage was made for him with thirteen-year-old Elizabeth Horner, daughter and sole heiress of Thomas Horner (1688-1741), MP, of Mells Manor in Somerset, Sheriff of Somerset in 1711/12, by his wife Susanna Strangways, eventual sole heiress of her brother Thomas Strangways (d.1726) and a daughter of Thomas Strangways (1643–1713), MP, of Melbury House. In accordance with the terms of his wife's inheritance from her childless brother in 1726, Thomas Horner had adopted for himself and his descendants the surname and arms of Strangways. The marriage was arranged secretly by the bride's mother  Susanna Strangways, whose "paramour" was Henry Fox, Stephen's younger brother. Thomas Horner objected strongly to the marriage (which his wife denied to him any involvement in arranging), not only because he considered his daughter too young, but also because he opposed the Whig politics of the Fox family. His manor of Mells passed by tail male to his younger brother. In 1758 Stephen Fox also assumed the additional surname and arms of Strangways, in accordance with the terms of his wife's inheritance. By his wife he had the following children:
  Henry Thomas Fox-Strangways, 2nd Earl of Ilchester (9 August 1747 – 5 September 1802)
  Lt.-Col. Hon. Stephen Strangways Digby Fox-Strangways (3 December 1751 – 12 March 1836)
  Rev. Hon. Charles Redlynch Fox-Strangways (27 April 1761 – 4 November 1836), who married Jane Haines
  Lady Susannah Sarah Louisa Fox-Strangways (1743 – 1827), known as "Susan". She was the childhood object of affection of her first cousin the future Whig statesman Charles James Fox (1749-1806), who in 1760 when a schoolboy at Eton, composed a prize-winning Latin verse describing a pigeon he found to deliver his love-letters to her "to please both Venus its mistress and him". The scenario was captured in a painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds. The young Charles was however very disappointed when in 1764 she eloped with the "unsuccessful" Irish actor William O'Brien. The match caused a scandal in high society, with Horace Walpole commenting: "Even a footman were preferable - the publicity of the hero's profession perpetuates the mortification".
  Lady Lucy Fox-Strangways (1748 – 16 August 1787), married Colonel Hon. Stephen Digby
  Lady Christian Henrietta Caroline Fox-Strangways, called Harriet (3 January 1749/50 – 21 July 1815), who in 1770 married Colonel John Dyke Acland (1746-1778) of Tetton and Pixton in Somerset, a Tory Member of Parliament for Callington in Cornwall, a major landowner in the Westcountry who due to his  traditional Tory opinions was considered a "provincial boor" by the Fox family's Whig set which gathered at Holland House. She was a heroic figure who accompanied her husband whilst he was fighting in the American War of Independence, and there crossed the Hudson River into enemy lines to nurse him after he was wounded, which scene was later recorded in a painting exhibited in the Royal Academy. Their  daughter and only surviving child Kitty Acland married Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Carnarvon (1772–1833).
  Lady Frances Muriel Fox-Strangways (Aug 1755 – 5 May 1814), who married Valentine Quin, 1st Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl
caption: 1762 Mezzotint "Ladies Sarah Lennox and Susan Strangeways, with Charles James Fox" at Holland House, Kensington. He stands beside his first cousin Lady Susan Fox-Strangways, holding a pigeon, while his aunt Lady Sarah Lennox (1745–1826) (his mother's youngest sister) leans out of a window above. After original by Sir Joshua Reynolds, British Museum
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