Augusta Emma d'Este

Lady Truro, as a young lady. Private collection.

Augusta Emma Wilde, Baroness Truro (née d'Este, 11 August 1801 – 21 May 1866) was the daughter of Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex (sixth son of King George III), later Duke of Sussex, by his marriage with the Lady Augusta Murray, second daughter of John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore, and his countess, Lady Charlotte Stewart.

The prince was married at Rome, and afterwards at St George's, Hanover Square. Upon the death of his father, Sir Augustus d’Este (her ladyship's brother) claimed the dukedom; but the House of Lords decided against the claim, on the grounds of the invalidity of the prince’s marriage, it having been contracted without the consent of the Crown, as required by the Royal Marriages Act 1772

Lady Truro had strong connections with Ramsgate, residing at Mount Albion House on the East Cliff. She owned a considerable amount of valuable property in the town, mostly situated on the Mount Albion Estate.

The d'Este Mausoleum, St Laurence Churchyard, Ramsgate.

In 1845, she married Thomas Wilde, later 1st Baron Truro (7 July 1782 – 11 November 1858). They had no children.

In later years, her ladyship suffered from severe bouts of asthma and had spent the autumn on the continent. She returned to her town residence in Eaton Square, London, where she died suddenly on 21 May 1866.^[1] The Thanet Advertiser remembered her as: "a lady of strict business habits, and rather reserved in manner, of exceedingly good general information, living, while at Ramsgate, in a very quiet and unostentatious way”.

The funeral took place on the afternoon of Monday 28 May 1866 at St Laurence Church, Ramsgate.^[2] She is interred in the family mausoleum (Grade II listed).^[3] She left an estate valued at around £70,000, of which over £40,000 was left to charity.^[4]

References