Mary Granville

1700-1788. After first marriage became Mary Pendarves; after second marriage Mary Delany. British artist.

The daughter of Bernard Granville and Mary Westcomb was born in Coulston, Wiltshire in 1700. Mary was not only very well educated and mastered French fluently, history, English literature and the classics. She also was a good musician, a “superb needlewoman” (ODNB) and was clever at “drawing, cutting and design” (ODNB). She was sent to live with her childless aunt Lady Stanley, where she also met the famous composer George Frideric Handel with whom she stayed in contact for the rest of her life (Dewes).

In September 1717 Mary was invited to join the Lansdowne household at Longleast, where she met her first future husband Alexander Pendarves of Roscrow (1660-1725) who at this time was already 57 years old and a wealthy and childless gentleman and friend of her uncle. His wish for an “heir to furthering his political alliance” (ODNB) made him propose to Mary and because her family was “dependent on her uncle’s generosity” (ODNB), Mary accepted it.

It was a very unhappy marriage for both spouses and Mary had to live totally isolated from her family and friends because of the jealousy of her husband. Even when they moved back to London, his sister had to keep an eye on her, however she could finally see her beloved ones. The domestic control ended when Pendarves died unexpected in 1725.

During her widowhood she wrote many letters to her friends, her mother and her sister so that there was a great collection of them; “her autobiographical fragment, in the form of letters to the duchess, was written about 1740” (ODNB).

Her second husband was the Irish Anglican cleric Patrick Delany (1685/6–1768) and this time both partners “were clearly attracted to each other” (ODNB). But, alas, Delany also died at some point. Unbeknownst to us Mary had been doing art ever since she was a young woman. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography sums up her efforts thusly: “Although the flower collages were Delany's major work of art, she left other evidence of her talents. She designed and embroidered panels for clothing, chair covers, bed hangings and coverings, and other furnishings. She was a fine copyist of paintings, a maker of silhouettes, and a creative crafter of shellwork” (ODNB).

Bibliography

Dewes, Simon. Mrs. Delany. London: Rich & Cowan, 1989.

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB) [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/7442 ]