Duchess of Richmond's ball

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The Duchess of Richmond's ball was held in Brussels on 15 June 1815, the night before the Battle of Quatre Bras. The Duchess's husband Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond was in command of a reserve force in Brussels, which was protecting that city in case Napoleon Bonaparte invaded.

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“ My mother’s now famous ball took place in a large room on the ground-floor on the left of the entrance, connected with the rest of the house by an ante-room. It had been used by the coach-builder, from whom the house was hired, to put carriages in, but it was papered before we came there; and I recollect the paper—a trellis pattern with roses. ... When the duke [of Wellington] arrived, rather late, at the ball, I was dancing, but at once went up to him to ask about the rumours. He said very gravely, "Yes, they are true; we are off to-morrow." This terrible news was circulated directly, and while some of the officers hurried away, others remained at the ball, and actually had not time to change their clothes, but fought in evening costume. I went with my eldest brother (A.D.C. to the Prince of Orange) to his house, which stood in our garden, to help him to pack up, after which we returned to the ballroom, where we found some energetic and heartless young ladies still dancing. I heard afterwards that it had been said that "the Ladies Lennox were fine, and did not do the honors of the ball well." ...

It was a dreadful evening, taking leave of friends and acquaintances, many never to be seen again. The Duke of Brunswick, as he took leave of me in the ante-room adjoining the ball-room, made me a civil speech as to the Brunswickers being sure to distinguish themselves after "the honor" done them by my having accompanied the Duke of Wellington to their review! I remember being quite provoked with poor Lord Hay, a dashing merry youth, full of military ardor, whom I knew very well for his delight at the idea of going into action, and of all the honors he was to gain; and the first news we had on the 16th was that he and the Duke of Brunswick were killed. At the ball supper I sat next to the Duke of Wellington, when he gave me an original miniature of himself painted by a Belgian artist.

 ”

—Georgiana, Dowager Lady De Ros, [1]

It was during this ball that Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington received conformation that Bonaparte had crossed the frontier and rising from the supper-table[2]

“ whispered to ask the Duke of Richmond if he had a good map. The Duke of Richmond said he had, and took Wellington into his dressing-room. Wellington shut the door and said, "Napoleon has humbugged me, by God; he has gained twenty-four hours' march on me.... I have ordered the army to concentrate at Quatre Bras; but we shall not stop him there, and if so I must fight him there" (passing his thumb-nail over the position of Waterloo). The conversation was repeated to me by the Duke of Richmond two minutes after it occurred. ”

—Captain Bowles, [3]

[edit] List of the invitations to the ball

The following were sent invitations to the ball:[4]

  • H.R.H. the Prince of Orange.
  • H.R.H. Prince Frederic of Orange.
  • H.R.H. the Duke of Brunswick. (Killed by a gunshot at Quatre-Bras)
  • Prince of Nassau
  • Duc d’Arenberg
  • Prince Auguste d’Arenberg
  • Prince Pierre d’Arenberg
  • Le Maire de Bruxelles
  • Duc et Duchesse de Beaufort et Mademoiselle
  • Due et Duchesse D’Ursel
  • Marquis et Marquise D’Assche
  • Comte et Comtesse D’Oultremont
  • Comtesse Douairiere D’Oultremont et les Mesdemoiselles.
  • Comte et Comtesse Liedekerke Beaufort
  • Comte et Comtesse auguste Liedekerke et Mademoiselle
  • Comte et Comtesse Latour Lupin
  • Comte et Comtesse Marcy D’Argenteau
  • Comte et Comtesse de Grasiac
  • Comtesse de Luiny
  • Comtesse de Ruilly
  • Baron et Baronne D’Hooghvoorst
  • Mademoiselle D’Hooghvoorst et Monsieur C.D’Hooghvoorst
  • Monsieur et Madame Vander Capellan
  • Baron de Herelt.
  • Baron de Tuybe
  • Baron Brockhausen
  • General Baron Vincent (Wounded at Waterloo)
  • General Pozzo de Borgo
  • General Alava
  • Comte de Belgade
  • Comte de la Rochefoucauld
  • Gen. D’Oudenarde
  • Col. Knife(?), A.D.C.
  • Col. Ducayler
  • Major Ronnchenberg, A.D.C.
  • Col. Tripp, A.D.C.
  • Capt. De Lubeck, A.D.C. to H.R.H. the Duke of Brunswick.
  • Earl and Countess Conyngham and Lady Elizabeth Conyngham.
  • Viscount Mount-Charles and Hon. Mr. Conyngham (Afterwards 2nd marquess Conyngham)
  • Countess Mount-Norris and Lady Julianna Annesley
  • Countess Dowager of Waldegrave
  • Duke of Wellington
  • Lord and Lady Fitzroy Somerset (Neither were present; Lord Fitzroy lost his arm at Waterloo)
  • Lord and Lady John Somerset
  • Mr. and Lady Frances Webster.
  • Mr and Lady Caroline Capel and Miss Capel
  • Lord and Lady George Seymour and Miss Seymour.
  • Mr. and Lady Charlotte Greville
  • Viscountess Hawarden
  • Sir Henry and Lady Susan Clinton (He was Lt.-Gen. and G.C.B. and commanded a division)
  • Lady Alvanley and the Miss Ardens
  • Sir James, Lady, and Miss Craufurd
  • Sir George Berkeley, K.C.B., and Lady Berkeley
  • Lady and Miss Sutton
  • Sir Sidney and Lady Smith, and Miss Rumbolds
  • Sir William and Lady Johnstone
  • Sir Hew and Lady Delancey
  • Hon. Mrs. Pole (Afterwards Lady Maryborough)
  • Mr., Mrs., and Miss Lance, and Mr. Lance, jun.
  • Mr. and the Miss Ords.
  • Mr. and Mrs. Greathed.
  • Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd
  • Hon Sir Charles Stuart, G.C.B. (Minister at Bruxelles) and Mr. Stuart
  • Earl of Uxbridge (Commanded the Cavalry; lost his leg at Waterloo)
  • Earl of Portarlington
  • Earl of March, A.D.C. to H.R.H. the Prince of Orange
  • Gen. Lord Edward Somerset (Commanded a brigade of cavalry, wounded at Waterloo)
  • Lord Charles FitzRoy
  • Lord Robert Manners
  • Lt-Gen. Lord Hill (Commanding the 2nd Corps)
  • Lord Rendlesham
  • Lord Hay, A.D.C. (Killed at Quatre Bras)
  • Lord Saltoun
  • Lord Apsley (Afterwards Earl Bathurst)
  • Hon. Col. Stanhope (Guards)
  • Hon. Col. Abercromby (Guards; wounded)
  • Hon. Col. Ponsonby (Afterwards Sir Frederick Ponsonby, K.C.B.; severely wounded)
  • Hon Col. Acheson (Guards)
  • Hon. Col. Stewart
  • Hon. Mr. O. Bridgeman, A.D.C. to Lord Hill
  • Hon. Mr. Percival
  • Hon. Mr. Stopford
  • Hon. Mr. John Gordon
  • Hon. Mr. Edgecombe
  • Hon. Mr. Seymour Bathurst, A.D.C. to Gen. Maitland
  • Hon. Mr. Forbes.
  • Hon. Mr. Hastings Forbes
  • Hon Major Dawson
  • Hon. Mr. Dawson 18th Lt. Dr.
  • Maj.-Gen. Sir Hussey Vivian (Commanded a brigade of Cavalry)
  • Mr. Horace Seymour, A.D.C. (afterwards Sir Horace Seymour, K.C.B.)
  • Col. Hervey, A.D.C. (Afterwards Sir Felton Hervey, Bart)
  • Col Fremantle, A.D.C.
  • Lord George Lennox (A.D.C.)
  • Lord Arthur Hill, A.D.C. (afterwards Gen. Lord Sandys)
  • Hon. Major Percy, A.D.C. (Son of 1st Earl of Beverley. He brought home three Eagles and dispatches)
  • Hon. Mr. Cathcart, A.D.C. (Afterwards Sir George Cathcart. Killed at Inkermann, 1854)
  • Hon. Sir Alexander Gordon, A.D.C. (Died of his wounds at Waterloo)
  • Sir Colin Campbell, K.C.B., A.D.C.
  • Sir John Byng, G.C.B. (Created Earl of Strafford. Commanded 2nd brigade of Guards)
  • Lt.-Gen. Sir John Elley, K.C.B.
  • Sir George Scovelt, K.C.B. (Major commanding Staff Corps of Cavalry)
  • Sir George Wood, Col. R.A.
  • Sir Henry Bradford
  • Sir Robert Hill, Kt (Brother of Lord Hill)
  • Sir Noel Hill, K.C.B. (Brother of Lord Hill)
  • Sir William Ponsonby, K.C.B. (Brother of Lord Ponsonby; commanded a brigade of cavalry; killed at Waterloo)
  • Sir Andrew Barnard (Afterwards Governor of Chelsea Hospital)
  • Sir Denis Packe, Maj.-Gen., G.C.B. (Commanded a brigade)
  • Sir James Kemp, Maj-Gen, G.C.B (Commanded a brigade)
  • Sir Pulteney Malcolm
  • Sir Thomas Picton, Lt.-Gen. (Commanded 5th Division, killed at Waterloo)
  • Maj-Gen. Sir Edward Barnes, Adjt-Gen. (Wounded at Waterloo)
  • Sir James Gambier
  • Hon. General Dundas
  • Lt-Gen. Cooke (Commanded 1st Division)
  • Maj.-Gen. Maitland (Afterwards Sir Peregrine, G.C.B.; commanded 1st brigade of Guards)
  • Maj.-Gen. Adam (Not present; commanded a brigade. Afterwards Sir Frederick Adam, K.C.B.)
  • Col. Washington
  • Col. Woodford (Afterwards F.M. Sir Alexander Woodford, G.C.B. Governor of Chelsea)
  • Col. Rowan, 52nd (Afterwards Sir Charles Rowan, Chief Commissioner of Police)
  • Col. Wyndham (Afterwards Gen. Sir Henry Wyndham)
  • Col. Cumming, 18th Light Dragoons.
  • Col. Bowater (Afterwards Gen. Sir Edward Bowater)
  • Col. Torrens (Afterwards Adjt.-Gen. in India)
  • Col. Fuller
  • Col. Dick 42nd (Killed at Sobraon, 1846)
  • Col Cameron, 92nd (Killed at Quatre Bras)
  • Col. Barclay, A.D.C. to the Duke of York
  • Col. Hill(?) (Col. Clement Hill, brother to Lord Hill)
  • Major Gunthorpe, A.D.C. to Gen. Maitland
  • Major Churchill, A.D.C. to Lord Hill and Q.M.G. (Killed in India)
  • Major Hamilton, A.D.C. to Gen. Sir E. Barnes
  • Major Harris, Brigade Major to Sir Hussey Vivian (Lost an arm)
  • Major Hunter Blair (Wounded)
  • Capt. Mackworth, A.D.C. to Lord Hill
  • Capt. Keane, A.D.C. to Sir Hussey Vivian
  • Capt. FitzRoy
  • Capt. Widman, 7th Hussars, A.D.C. to Lord Uxbridge
  • Capt. Fraser, 7th Hussars (Afterwards Sir James Frasier, Bt)
  • Capt. Verner, 7th Hussars
  • Capt. Elphinstone, 7th Hussars (taken prisoner June 17)
  • Capt. Webster
  • Capt. Somerset, A.D.C. to Gen. Lord Edward Somerset
  • Capt. Yorke, A.D.C. to Gen. Adam (Afterwards Sir Charles Yorke, not present)
  • Capt. Gore, A.D.C. to Sir James Kempt
  • Capt. Pakenham, R.A.
  • Capt. Dumaresq, A.D.C. to Gen. Sir John Byng (Wounded in the chest by a musket ball, delivering a despatch to Wellington. d. 1836)[5]
  • Capt. Dawkins, A.D.C.
  • Capt. Disbrowe, A.D.C. to Gen. Sir G. Cook.
  • Capt. Bowles, Coldstream Guards (Afterwards Gen. Sir George Bowles, Lieutenant of the Tower)
  • Capt. Hesketh, Grenadier Guards
  • Capt. Gurwood (Afterwards Col. Gurwood)
  • Capt. Allix, Grenadier Guards
  • Mr. Russell, A.D.C.
  • Mr. Brooke, 12th Dragoon Guards
  • Mr. Huntley, 12th Dragoon Guards
  • Mr. Lionel Hervey (In Diplomacy)
  • Mr. Leigh
  • Mr. Shakespear, 18th
  • Mr. O’Grady, 7th Hussars (Afterwards Lord Guillamore)
  • Mr. Smith, 95th Brigadier-Major to Sir Denis Packe; killed at Waterloo
  • Mr. Fludyer, Scots Fusilier Guards
  • Mr. Montagus (John and Henry, late Lord Rokeby, G.C.B.)
  • Mr. A. Greville
  • Mr. Baird
  • Mr. Robinson, 32nd
  • Mr. James
  • Mr. Chad
  • Mr. Dawkins
  • Dr. Hyde
  • Mr. Hume
  • Rev. Mr. Brixall.

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Georgiana, Dowager Lady De Ros. References
  2. ^ "In the course of the evening the duke asked my father for a map of the country and went into his study, which was on the same floor as the ball-room, to look at it. He put his finger on Waterloo, saying the battle would be fought there. My father marked the spot with his pencil, but alas! That map was lost or stolen for it never returned from Canada with his other possessions." (Georgiana, Dowager Lady De Ros. References)
  3. ^ Archibald Forbes Camps, Quarters, and Casual Places,(Project Gutenberg). In the chapter The inner history of the Waterloo Campaign cites the Letters of the First Earl of Malmesbury
  4. ^ "The following list of the invited guests was given by my mother to Lord Verulam, who sent me a copy of it. Several of the officers were not present, being on duty" (Georgiana, Dowager Lady De Ros. References ).
  5. ^ The Gentleman's Magazine July 1838 page 443