Mary MOLESWORTH [24781]

  General Notes:

Mary (called Mall¹⁴)
Born c 1682: "Maria filia secunda genita ætat 6 annor. Ao' l688" ¹⁵. She became the first wife of George Monck¹⁶ Esq, of Stephen's Green, Dublin, MP for Philipstown between 1703-13. During the early period of her marriage she appears to have lived an unsettled existence in Yorkshire¹⁷. This is explained by a derangement which her husband had begun to suffer from some time around 1712¹⁸, to the extent that she was obliged to separate from him altogether, eventually taking lodgings with her children in 1714¹⁹, probably in Bath, where she died in 1715. Like her elder brothers, John and Richard (later 2nd and 3rd Viscounts), she possessed a remarkable talent for poetry and literature, in which she would no doubt have found solace in her separation. Coote's Pedigree states:
"Mary lived in a vely retired Manner, at Standsworth, near Sheffield Yorkshire²⁰. Whilst others were spending their Time and Money in the Gaieties of the Court and the Town of London, she applied herself to Books, of which she had a good Collection. In this Retirement she made herself Mistress of the French Spanish and Italian Languages; and translated some of the brightest Passages of verses and [paper torn] English Poetry. These being found, after her Death, in loose Papers, lying in her Scritore, were collected, and published by her Father, with a Dedication to Queen Caroline."These works, published on 26th March 1716 under the title Marinda. Poems & Translations upon several occasions²¹, were prefaced with the following observations by her father :
"Most of them are the Product of the leisure Hours of a Young Gentlewoman lately Dead, who in a Remote country Retirement, without any Assistence but that of a good Library. and without omitting the daily Care due to a large Family, not only perfectly aquired the several Languages here made use of, but the good Morals and Principles contain 'd in those Books, so as to put them in Practise as well during her Life and languishing Sickness, as at the hour of her Death. In short she died not only like a Christian, but a Roman Lady, and so at once became the Object of the Grief and Comfort of her Relations. As much as I am obliged to be sparing in commending what belongs to me, I cannot forbear thinking some of these Circumstances uncommon enough to be taken Notice of I loved her more because she deserved it, than because she was mine. And I cannot do greater honor to her Memory than by consecrating her labors or rather diversions to your Royal Highness, as we found most of them in her Escrittore after her death, written with her own Hand. little expecting, and as little desiring the Publick shou'd have any Opportunity ofApplauding or Condemning them."
The collection comprises eclogues, familiar epistles, odes, madrigals, translations from French and Italian²², and verses on domestic subjects, such as On Marinda's Toilette²³. Out of the collection the best known is possibly the frequently anthologized Verses Written on her Death-Bed at Bath to her husband in London²⁴. She was buried at Edlington Hall, Yorkshire, where a memorial at the church reads:
"Here lie the remains of MARY, the wife of Colonel MONK, daughter to the Right honourable Lord Molesworth, formerly of this town. She died Feb. 17, l715-6²⁵."
She left by her marriage a son, Henry Stanley, and two daughters, Sarah and Margaret²⁶.
Ref: "Robert Molesworth & his "Account of Denmark" by William Molesworth, MA (Cantab), MLitt (Dub) https://anaccountofdenmark.wordpress.com/
Footnote references can be found in "Children of the First Viscount"
https://anaccountofdenmark.wordpress.com/children-of-the-1st-viscount/ or in the Books section of this website.

Mary married George MONK [24782] [MRIN: 8937].