| Frances Talbot Countess of Tyrconnel |
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"La Belle Jennings" |
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| Born | c. 1647 Sandridge, Hertfordshire |
| Died | 9 March 1730 Dublin |
| Known for | Restoration-era beauty |
Frances Talbot, Countess of Tyrconnel (née Jenyns, spelled Jennings in most modern references; c. 1647 – 9 March 1730) was a noteworthy figure at the English Restoration-era court, along with her younger sister, Sarah Jennings. Once a Maid of Honour to the Duchess of York, she was twice widowed and eventually died in poverty.
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The daughter of Richard Jenyns and Frances Thornhurst, Frances was born at Sandridge, Hertfordshire, England. Her beauty earned her the nickname of "La Belle Jennings." Macaulay describes her as “beautiful Fanny Jennings, the loveliest coquette in the brilliant Whitehall of the Restoration".[1] In 1664, Frances was appointed maid of honour to the Duchess of York, Anne Hyde. Pepys records an incident in which she disguised herself as an orange seller, but was eventually recognised because of her expensive shoes.
In 1665, Frances married Sir George Hamilton, Comte de Hamilton, Maréchal de Camp, son of Sir George Hamilton, 1st Baronet and Mary Butler. With him, she had three daughters:
After Hamilton's death, Frances married an old suitor she had previously rejected, Richard Talbot in 1681. Talbot was later created Earl of Tyrconnel in the Irish peerage and subsequently Duke of Tyrconnel, although this last title was bestowed by James II after the Glorious Revolution and was not widely recognised. Nonetheless, Frances is frequently called Duchess of Tyrconnel.[2] They had no children.
Her husband was appointed as Lord Deputy of Ireland and the couple lived in Dublin. Following his defeat at the Battle of the Boyne, the King fled to their home and was met by Frances. King James remarked, ‘Your countrymen, madam, can run well’. She replied ‘Not quite so well as your majesty, for I see that you have won the race’.[3]
After her husband's death in 1691, Frances was reduced to poverty and for a while, she had a dressmaker’s stall near the Royal Exchange. She dressed in white with her face covered by a white mask and was described as "the white milliner".[4] In the 1840s, this was dramatized and performed as a play at Covent Garden.
Following the accession of Queen Anne, Frances (and her stepdaughter, Charlotte Talbot) had some of her husband’s former property restored to them by act of parliament — presumably assisted by her sister’s influence with the queen. She eventually retired to and died in the Poor Clares nunnery in Dublin. She was buried in St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin.
A biography of Frances and her second husband - Little Jennings and Fighting Dick Talbot: A Life of the Duke and Duchess of Tyrconnel - by Philip Sergeant was published in 1913.