The Honourable Emily Egerton
(1837-1918)

Born in or about 1837, Emily Marion Tatton was the daughter of William Tatton (1806-1883), created Baron of Egerton in 1859.

The Honourable Emily Egerton appears on the 1861 census, aged 24, living at 7 St James’s Square, Westminster, with her parents, her older sister, Alice, and her younger siblings, Beatrice, Alexander and Loftus. Also present on the night of the census were 25 servants.

On 2 April 1863 at St James's in Piccadilly she married Percy Mitford, son of Henry Revely Mitford of Exbury in Hampshire by Lady Georgiana Ashburnham, third daughter of the 3rd Earl Ashburnham. At the time of his marriage, the groom was attaché to the British Embassy at Brussels.

Her husband died on 4 July 1884 at his residence in Park Street, Mayfair. He had 'for some time been suffering from an attack of suppressed gout' (Essex Newsman, 5 July 1884). According to his obituary in the Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser (5 July 1884), 'The late Mr Percy Mitford entered the army as ensign in the 43rd Light Infantry in May, 1853, and in 1855 was transferred to the Scots Fusiler Guards, but in the following year sold out. He afterwards entered her Majesty's diplomatic service, and was attached to the British Legations at Dresden, Berlin, and Brussels. He was then appointed, in June, 1853, third secretary in her Majesty's diplomatic service at Frankfort, and subsequently served as second secretary at Copenhagen and Berlin. Mr Percy Mitford was highly popular with all who knew him. He was a man of genial temper, and no one had a kinder heart. Mr Percy Mitford was elder brother of Mr Algernon Bertram Mitford, of the Board of Public Works.'

The Honourable Emily Marion Mitford died, aged 82, on 5 December 1918, leaving an estate valued at £107,057. The abstract of her will lists her residences as Mitford House, Lennox Gardens [in Chelsea], and 'Daisymead,' Old Windsor. She died at Mitford House. According to her short obituary in the Globe (6 December 1918), she was 'at one time a Woman of the Bedchamber to H.R.H. the Duchess of Cambridge.'

[From an album compiled and decorated by the Honourable Augustus Gough-Calthorpe, later 6th Baron Calthorpe.]