Mary Edwards (1705–1743)

Edwards was probably born in London in about 1704 or 1705. Her mother came from the Dutch family who had drained the fens and her father, Francis Edwards (d. 1729), a member of the landed gentry, owned lands in Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, London & Middlesex, Essex, Hertfordshire and Kent and he had shares in the New River Company in Islington. Her father died in 1729 and as there was no will then his riches would be left to his widow and her mother Anna Margaretta Vernatti. However her mother renounced her claim and passed on the estate to Mary. The value was estimated to be between £50,000 and £60,000 and this amount made Mary the richest woman in Britain.[1]

"Edwards Hamilton family on a Terrace", 1734 by William Hogarth

She fell in love and Lord Anne Hamilton reputedly married her in or before 1731, in a clandestine marriage said to have been in the chapel of the Fleet Prison. It was reported in The Gentleman's Magazine but the chapel records do not (now) include details and Mary Edwards recanted the marriage and never used his surname.[1] Lord Anne assumed Mary Edwards’ name and arms as Lord Anne Edwards Hamilton. Their portraits were painted by Hogarth with their son Gerard Anne Edwards.[2] Sometime after 1734, because Lord Anne was becoming spendthrift with his “wife’s” fortune, they separated and Mary Edwards took the extraordinary step of repudiating her marriage, declared herself a single woman and took steps to create evidence that no marriage had taken place.[3] Their child, Gerard Anne Edwards, became illegitimate, but this appears to have been planned as his 1733 baptism records his surname as Edwards and his mother as single.[4]

In 1742 she was again painted by William Hogarth. She was said to be one of his main patrons and she was breaking with conformity by taking an interest in art.[4] That painting is now in the Frick collection.[5] Mary Edwards commissioned William Hogarth to paint Taste in High Life in 1742. This painting lampoons the extravagant fashion of the day and overspending. In the same year, in October, her "husband" married Anna Powell, and there was no charge of bigamy. The ODNB cites this as evidence that although she lived with Lord Anne Hamilton and had a child they were never legally married.[1]

Edwards died in Kensington in 1743 and she was buried simply but beside her father in St Andrews Church in Welham. She had taken great care with her son's education and she transferred all her wealth to him.[1] Her son Gerard Anne Edwardes (1734–1773), married in 1754, Lady Jane Noel, daughter of Baptist Noel, 4th Earl of Gainsborough of the first creation. They were the parents of Sir Gerard Noel, 2nd Baronet, ancestor of the Earls of Gainsborough of the second creation.