Thrale history

Lady Letitia DERBY

Lady Letitia DERBY

Female - 1825


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  • Name Letitia DERBY 
    Prefix Lady 
    Gender Female 
    Alias Letitia Smith 
    Death 1825  [1
    Notes 
    • She worked as a servant in a brothel in her early years and her foul mouth gave her some notoriety at the time and gave rise to the phrase "to swear like Lady Lade".

      She became the mistress of the dandy highwayman John Rann. After he was tried and hanged for his crimes, she became the mistress of the Duke of York and then moved on to his friend Sir John Lade.

      It was through Sir John that she became close to the profligate Prince of Wales (later George IV) who employed him as his racing manager. The Prince was so besotted with her that he commissioned her portrait from George Stubbs. [2, 3]
    Person ID I1034  UK Thrale family | Fairfolds and Hammonds Thrale branch, Marshalswick Thrale branch
    Last Modified 9 Jul 2024 

    Family Sir John LADE, Baronet,   b. 1 Aug 1759   d. Abt 1838 (Age 78 years) 
    Marriage Abt 1787 
    Family ID F291  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 13 Feb 2004 

  • Photos
    Lady Letitia Derby in 1793.
    Lady Letitia Derby by George Stubbs
    by George Stubbs. Oil on canvas. Royal Collection. 102.5 x 128.2 cm.
    Lady Letitia LADE
    Lady Letitia LADE
    After a Sir Joshua Reynolds painting

  • Sources 
    1. [S22] Web, http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/portrait.asp?LinkID=mp64309&rNo=0&role=sit.

    2. [S22] Web, http://www.ezilon.com/information/printer_5816.shtml.

    3. [S76] Bloom and Bloom, The Piozzi Letters. Volume 2, page 527, note 2.