During my research for my novella about Monmouth and Henrietta Wentworth, I have been wading through tons of newspapers from 1680-1699, and I came across this a few weeks ago in the adverts section of Post Man and the Historical Account (London, England) for Tuesday, September 14, 1697, Issue 370, and I thought it worthy of posting here:
Sale of all manner of household goods, at Toddington Manor, in the county of Bedfordshire, being the late dwelling-house of the Rt. Hon. the Lady Wentworth, will be exposed to sale on Monday the 20th instant; all sorts of household goods, as tapestry, hangings, velvet, and damask, and other silk and stuff beds, bedding, chairs, couches, right Indian cabinets, china, tables, stands, linens, and looking-glasses; w/a large copper brewing vessels. This sale will continue till all are sold.
This reinforces my belief that Toddington Manor, though run by the capable Philadelphia Carey, could not financially withstand the death of her un-married daughter. Henrietta Wentworth, as described in my post The Woman Who Stole A Duke’s Heart, was the Duke of Monmouth’s last lover, and having rejected the wealthy Earl of Thanet to be with doomed Monmouth, perhaps inadvertently brought about the ruin of Toddington Manor.
Everything had to be sold – just over a decade after Monmouth and Henrietta had died. All those tables the lovers had played cards at, the china they had eaten off of, the bedding upon which they had lain, the mirrors which Monmouth had used to preen himself, were sold…memories scattered to the winds of oblivion.