Lincoln Edwin Robert Stanhope (1781-1840), major general in the army, second
son of Charles Stanhope, third earl of Harrington, and elder
brother of Leicester Stanhope. Godwin sees him occasionally between 1830 and 1836,
often at the theatre.
There are two uncertainties: Godwin uses Stanhope, L Stanhope, LeicStanhope and Linc Stanhope. This means that it is unclear
whether Stanhope and L. Stanhope, refer to Leicester or Lincoln, or whether the Stanhope entries in fact refer to Charles,
the eldest brother.
Charles' reputaton as a dandy and his close association with the Prince of Wales makes him an unlikley person for Godwin
to have been close to,
so we have assumed that entries refer to the
two younger brothers. Moreover, we believe that L Stanhope refers to Lincoln, the elder brother. This is supported by references
in Mary Shelley's journal:
'I was at the
opera yesterday on the first night of its opening - [John Dean] Paul - Sir John [Paul] and Lincoln Stanhope and others
came into our box - We spent a
very pleasant evening' (6 February 1831).
On 3 April 1832, she notes:
'Last Friday I was at the Stanhopes - there was Charles Beuclerc - Lincoln S.[tanhope] The Duke and Duchess of Leinster...'
Godwin's also records this event on 30 March 1832:
'L Stanhope’s, w. Ds Leinster, miss Porters, Birkbecks, Holmeses, Rosetti, Alkali & MWS. '
This suggests that L Stanhope entries ought to be coded as Lincoln Stanhope, as should 'Stanhope' entries, and it suggests
there is less intimacy between Godwin and Leicester Stanhope than between Mary Shelley and the Stanhopes.
However, this is misleading. Early contact with Lincoln does seem to be restricted to the theatre, and in the period when
Godwin sees
most of Lincoln Stanhope, he develops a relationship with Leicester, through Mary Shelley, so that, when Leicester marries
the daughter of
Mrs Somerville Wood in 1831, contact increases and we can place Leicester on occasions when there is a stanhope with the
Woods circle. The vast majority of cases that are uncertain,
that we have coded as Lincoln, are meetings or 'advs' at the Theatre, which match those occasions specifically identified
at Lincoln Stanhope, and while the number
of encounters with leicester Stanhope at the theatre increases in 1834-5, these are now clearly identified.
It is not clear whether Lincoln Stanhope should be included in 'Stanhopes' entries.
They are not included because the ambiguities in Godwin's use of possessives and plurals
makes it difficult to know whether Stanhope's signifies just Leicester Stanhope, or includes
other members of the family; and because we cannot be sure that even in clear cases of the
plural, 'Stanhopes' , that this necessarily includes Lincoln, since it may refer only to Leicester and his wife.
The National Portrait Gallery has a portrait of Lincoln Stanhope (1781-1840), Soldier; son of 3rd Earl of Harrington who
appears with Jane (Fleming),
Countess of Harrington (died 1824), Wife of 3rd Earl of Harrington, and also Charles Stanhope, 4th Earl of Harrington (1780-1851),
Colonel and Lord of the Bedchamber.
