HISTORY
The wife, her lovers
and the baronet:
The scandalous case of Lady Seymour Worsley
I
n February 1782, Georgian polite
society was shocked by a scandalous
court case brought by Sir Richard
Worsley against his wife’s lover, Captain
George Bisset.
In an age when reputation in society
was everything and adultery would
destroy a reputation, this was certainly
the stuff of lurid headlines. With the
agreement of Lady Seymour Worsley, and
knowing the damage it would do to her
name, witnesses for the defence stood
up and gave lurid details of her affairs.
Society could not get enough of the
salacious details and the case became
the talk of London society.
Sir Richard Worsley had been aged just
17 when in 1768 he inherited his title and
the 11500-acre estate of Appuldurcombe
House on the Isle of Wight. His was an old
title, his ancestor having been appointed
Captain of the Island by Henry VIII. The
Worsleys were prominent in local politics,
and although Sir Richard could live
comfortably, he needed money if he were
to extend his influence in national politics.
A favourable marriage to a wealthy heiress
was seen as the ideal solution to his
problems.
Seymour Fleming was the youngest
daughter of Sir John and Jane Fleming.
Sir John was considerably older than
his wife, and his death in 1763 left the
six-year-old Seymour with a considerable
fortune. She moved to Yorkshire in
1770, when her mother married the
wealthy, elderly Edwin Lascelles, owner
of Harewood House. Seymour had a
reputation for being independent and
stubborn, with a love of horses and cards.
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By Michael Long
Sir Richard Worsley had first met
Seymour in 1772 when she was 14.
Within a week of their second meeting
at York races, three years later, they were
engaged; within three months they were
married. A son would follow in August
1776. In law, Seymour’s enormous
inheritance now became the property of
her husband.
The couple moved to Appuldurcombe
House, and Worsley purchased land
to expand his estates. The house was
remodelled in the contemporary Baroque
style and he employed Capability Brown
to landscape the gardens. He used his
wealth to purchase positions of influence,
becoming a Fellow of the Royal Society
as well as being appointed Governor of
the Isle of Wight and a Privy Councillor.
His role as Governor was paramount, as
the Island was under threat of invasion
in 1779 from a Franco-Spanish fleet
carrying 40,000 men.
His political positions were what
alienated Seymour from her husband.
While his life revolved around politics, the
military, and his estate, she yearned for
fashionable society. She became friendly
with Lady Georgina Cavendish, the
scandalous young Duchess of Devonshire,
and moved in social circles that contained
many Whig politicians, rivals of her
husband. In London, she embarked on
a series of affairs. In fact, Sheridan in his
1777 play, ‘School for Scandal.’ based
his character of newly-wed Lady Teazle
directly on the flighty Seymour.
In 1780, George Bisset moved into
Knighton Gorges, a house close to
Appuldurcombe. Sir Richard and Bisset
became close friends and Bisset was
given a commission of Captain in the
South Hampshire Militia. This was a
time of heightened crisis because of the
ongoing war with France and in 1781 the
militia were ordered to Kent to counter a
feared French invasion. Worsley rented a
large house close to Maidstone allowing
Bisset to lodge with him and his wife.
The following year, in 1781, the Militia
was ordered to Kent to counter a feared
French invasion. Worsley rented a large
house close to Maidstone, allowing Bisset
to lodge with him and his wife.
It was then that Seymour and Bisset
began an affair and, rather than act to
stop it, Sir Richard actively encouraged it,
persuading Bisset to spend time with his
wife provided he could watch. At the trial,
it was reported that he would peer into
the bedroom from an open door or look
through keyholes at the two lovers. The
cartoonists of the time made a great deal
of such detail.
In September 1781, Sir Richard
persuaded his wife and Bisset, to
accompany him to the spa baths at
Maidstone. The arrangements for bathing
were segregated with men and women
bathing in separate rooms. After both
men had bathed, Sir Richard found a high
window outside the women’s baths and
called out to his wife that Bisset wished to
look at her. Upon this, he lifted Bisset onto
his shoulders to allow him to look into the
women’s baths where he spent the next
few minutes gazing at the naked Seymour,
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