Maria, Lady Walpole

Maria, Lady Walpole (née Skerret, also spelled Skerritt or Skerrett), was born in 1702 and died on 4 June 1738. She was the daughter of Thomas Skerret, a wealthy merchant based in London. In 1738, she married Robert Walpole, a prominent British politician who served as Prime Minister. Upon their marriage, Lady Walpole contributed a dowry of £30,000.

Prior to her marriage, Maria Skerret was the long-term companion of Robert Walpole, a relationship that lasted from 1723 until her death in 1738. During this period, the couple resided together in Richmond and at Houghton Hall in Norfolk, where Walpole’s estate was located. Walpole had become estranged from his first wife, Catherine, and was known to have several mistresses during this time.

Lady Walpole was publicly known and socially accepted in her era. She was referenced in popular culture, including being alluded to as "Polly" in John Gay’s 1728 ballad opera *The Beggar's Opera*, in which the character 'Macheath' represented Walpole. Additionally, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu mentioned her in correspondence, referring to her as "Molly," and described her as part of her circle of close friends.

Following Walpole's retirement from the position of Prime Minister in 1742, he was elevated to the title of Earl of Orford. Through his influence with King George II, he secured a noble rank for his illegitimate daughter by Lady Walpole, Maria, granting her the status and precedence of an earl’s daughter, after which she was known as "Lady Maria Walpole." Their daughter Maria was born in 1725 and later married Colonel Charles Churchill of Chalfont, with whom she had two daughters.

Lady Walpole passed away in childbirth, specifically due to a miscarriage, three months after her marriage in 1738. She was interred at the Church of St Martin, located on the Walpole estate at Houghton Hall in Norfolk, England.

In terms of her titles over her lifetime, she was styled as Miss Maria Skerritt from her birth until her marriage in 1738, after which she was known as Lady Walpole until her death later that year.

Her life is chiefly documented in genealogical sources, including Burke’s Peerage and a genealogy database associated with European royalty, which detail her familial connections and social standing.