Arabella Diana Cope

Arabella Diana Cope (1769 – 1 August 1829) was a British noblewoman. She held the title of Duchess of Dorset through her first marriage to John Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset, and became Countess of Whitworth following her second marriage to Charles Whitworth, 1st Earl Whitworth.

Family Origin:

Arabella Diana was the second daughter of Sir Charles Cope, 2nd Baronet, and his wife Catherine Bishopp. Her paternal grandparents were Jonathan Cope and his first wife, Arabella Howard. Her maternal grandparents were Sir Cecil Bishopp, 6th Baronet, and Anne Boscawen.

Siblings and Half-Siblings:

She had an older sister, Catherine Cope, who became the Countess of Aboyne and was married to George Gordon, 9th Marquess of Huntly. Through her mother's second marriage to Charles Jenkinson, 1st Earl of Liverpool, she gained two half-siblings: Charlotte Jenkinson, who married James Walter Grimston, 1st Earl of Verulam; and Charles Cecil Cope Jenkinson, 3rd Earl of Liverpool, married to Julia Evelyn Medley Shuckburgh-Evelyn. Her step-brother was Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool, who served as Prime Minister from 1812 to 1827.

First Marriage:

At approximately 20 or 21 years of age, Arabella married John Frederick Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset, on 4 January 1790. He was 44 years old at the time and the son of Lord John Sackville and Frances Leveson-Gower. During her marriage, Arabella managed the Sackville estates in multiple counties, including Kent, Sussex, Essex, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Derbyshire, and Staffordshire, effectively overseeing and accumulating significant wealth. The marriage produced three children:

- Mary Sackville (30 July 1792 – 20 July 1864): She married first Other Windsor, 6th Earl of Plymouth, and after his death, William Amherst, 1st Earl Amherst, Governor-General of British India. She did not have children.

- George John Frederick Sackville, 4th Duke of Dorset (15 November 1793 – 14 February 1815): He did not marry and had no offspring.

- Elizabeth Sackville-West, Baroness Buckhurst (11 August 1795 – 9 January 1870): She married George Sackville-West, 5th Earl De La Warr, with whom she had nine children.

Widowhood and Second Marriage:

Her first husband died on 19 July 1799 at age 54. Less than two years later, on 7 April 1801, Arabella married Charles Whitworth, who was then the future Earl Whitworth. Charles was the son of Sir Charles Whitworth, a Member of Parliament, and his wife Martha Shelley. She acquired the title of Countess of Whitworth on 25 November 1815 upon her husband's accession. Charles Whitworth died on 13 May 1825 at the age of 72.

Death:

Arabella Cope died on 1 August 1829, at approximately 60 years old.

Note: Her life included significant management responsibilities over extensive estates and the holding of noble titles through marriage alliances.

References:

External link:

- Arabella Cope at Find a Grave