Lecture
by Julian Walton in Dungarvan Sailing Club
Louisa, Marchioness of Waterford (1818 -1891):
a
bicentenary assessment and fresh discoveries
Julian Walton
is back with what will prove to be a most interesting talk.
Waterford County
Museum Dungarvan is always delighted when Julian agrees to come and deliver a
talk for us. Readers and followers of
the ‘Historical Giant’ will be drawn to the words in his lecture entitled
‘Fresh Discoveries’. The subject matter
of his talk will be, Louisa Anne Stuart, who was the
younger daughter of Lord Stuart de Rothesay, a career diplomat and Lady
Elizabeth Yorke. Beautiful, artistic and
deeply religious, who to the consternation of her family, married Henry, 3rd Marquess
of Waterford, who had hitherto been renowned for his reckless and spendthrift
behaviour in 1842. Her reign of seventeen years at Curraghmore was marked
by humanitarian endeavours which did much to alleviate the plight of the poor,
especially during the Great Famine.
After the death of her husband in a freak hunting accident, Louisa retired to
Ford Castle in Northumberland, where she survived her husband by thirty-two
years. In Ford she rebuilt the castle and village, decorating the walls
of the school with biblical stories for which the models were the local
children. She was a gifted and prolific artist and was the friend of
Ruskin, Rossetti, and other leaders of the art world.
Louisa has been the subject of four biographies and several articles.
This lecture offers fresh insights into her character, based on her
correspondence and art work at Curraghmore, much of which was not known to
previous biographers.
Now then, does that whet your
appetite for more? Julian’s lecture takes place at the Sailing Club venue on
the Quay, Dungarvan this Wednesday 18th at 8.pm. There will be an
entrance fee of €5, and as always, all are very welcome.