Forgotten Baroness: Frances Basset

Another fantastic Sapere author is joining me today with a story of one of history's many forgotten women. Jane shares my passion for bringing these ladies to the forefront in historical fiction, so I'm very happy to welcome her to the blog today.

Welcome, Jane!

~ Samantha

Baroness Frances Basset: Guest Post by Jane Cable

I have a real fascination with the history of Cornwall and the women who people it, particularly in the Regency era which, it could be argued, was the county’s heyday. Made rich by copper and tin, the county town of Truro was rivalled only by Bath as the place to see and be seen in the first decades of the eighteenth century.

There were many connections binding Cornwall’s powerful and wealthy families, both good and bad. And when you begin to tug on a string, it’s surprising what can unravel.

One tantalising loose end was a dual fought between Francis Basset, Baron de Dunstanville of Tehidy, and his cousin and fellow MP, Sir Christopher Hawkins. Another was that notorious smuggler William Burgess was Basset’s illegitimate son. Both played their parts in my book, The Lost Heir, but I wanted to give the leading roles to women.

Basset Coat of Arms

Baron de Dunstanville was not only one of the richest, but one of the most influential men of his time. Member of parliament, mine-owner, gentleman farmer, supporter of both sciences and arts, and philanthropist. His life would have been perfect and the family’s status would surely have been maintained if he’d had a male heir.

But Francis’ only legitimate child was a daughter, Frances, and not a marriageable one at that, it seems. She would have been one of the most eligible young women in England and yet she remained single. Contemporary accounts describe her as not especially fair of face, and lacking in social graces. But for all that she devoted her life to good works, particularly those relating to the education of children.

Although Gainsborough portraits exist of both her parents, the only image of Frances I could find was a sketch of her as a small child. Particularly strange because she was apparently a talented artist herself, and there were frequently painters at Tehidy to tutor her.

Sketch of Baroness Frances Basset as a child (copyright unknown)

So why did she not marry? Her father even had a special baronetcy created to pass through the female line. No mean feat, even for friends of the prime minister, but Frances remained single. In the days when marriage was so central to a woman’s role in society, with a powerful and wealthy father who was desperate to see the family name carried on, how, and why, had that happened?

I scoured historical sources, but no answer presented herself. Frances lived out her days at Tehidy with her parents and her companion, Harriet Lemon, the daughter of a wealthy local businessman. Unlike Frances, she would never have been under pressure to marry, having brothers to continue the family name.

A twist came at the end of the established history; when Frances’ mother died, the Baron married Harriet. Gossip at the time was because he was still desperate for an heir, but Harriet would have been beyond childbearing age by then. Perhaps it was love, or more pragmatically, maybe the old man needed nursing and in the interests of decency it was better to marry his carer. Either way, it seems Frances did not approve, and the couple moved to London, leaving the future baroness alone in Cornwall with her good works, her sketching, and her rather eccentric habit of bathing in the sea.

I did, however, draw one possible conclusion as to her single status – her mental health. An uncle on each side had committed suicide, so if she was considered neurodiverse in even a small way herself, all the money and status in Regency England might not have been enough for a man who wanted his own heirs to take the risk. In an age where women of any class were considered no more than chattels, sadly this seems the most likely reason. And even an unmarried baroness can slip unnoticed from history, her estate passing to dissolute male heirs who within a couple of generations had spent the entire fortune.

Connect with Jane Cable

Jane Cable writes romance with a twist and its roots firmly in the past, more often than not inspired by a tiny slice of history and a beautiful British setting.

After independently publishing her award-winning debut, The Cheesemaker’s House, Jane was signed by Sapere Books. Her first two novels for them were contemporary romances looking back to World War II; Another You inspired by a tragic D-Day exercise at Studland Bay in Dorset and Endless Skies by the brave Polish bomber crews who flew from a Lincolnshire airbase.

Jane lives in Cornwall and the books in her current Cornish Echoes series are dual timeline adventure romances set in the great houses of the Poldark era and today. As Eva Glyn she writes European-based novels of friendship and romance for Harper Collins.

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The Lost Heir

Cornwall, 2020

At the beginning of lockdown, teacher Carla Burgess needs to make some changes to her life. She no longer loves her job, and it’s certainly time to kick her on-off boyfriend into touch. But then, while walking on the cliffs, she meets Mani Dolcoath, a gorgeous American with the darkest of auras.

Mani is researching his family history, and slowly their lives and their heritage begin to entwine. The discovery of a locked Georgian tea caddy in the barn on her parents’ farm intrigues Carla, but then she starts to see orbs, something that hasn’t happened since her grandmother died. They terrify her and she’ll do anything to outrun them, but will she lose Mani’s friendship in the process?

Cornwall, 1810

Harriet Lemon’s position as companion to Lady Frances Basset (Franny) perfectly conceals the fact they are lovers. But when Franny is raped and falls pregnant their lives are destined to change forever.

The one person who may be able to help them is Franny’s childhood friend, William Burgess, a notorious smuggler. But he has secrets of his own he needs to protect. Will his loyalties be divided, or will he come through?

https://getbook.at/LostHeir