THE GORGEOUS GUNNING SISTERS

In 1751 the gorgeous Gunning sisters took London society by storm.

Their mother Bridget was a direct descendent of Grainne O’Malley the infamous pirate queen of Connaught and she and her husband lived at Castlecoote House, a handsome mansion just outside Roscommon town.

The family had virtually no money but Bridget had useful family connections in society and realised she had an immense asset in the beauty of her two older daughters.

In October 1748, the Gunning sisters were invited to a ball at Dublin Castle, but they could not afford suitable dresses for the occasion. Enter Tom Sheridan; manager of Dublin’s Theatre Royal and father of the playwright, Richard Brinsley Sheridan. The Gunning sisters caused sensation dressed as Lady Macbeth and Juliet and were subsequently presented to King George II.

Both sisters were painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds, a work which can be seen in the main hall at Castlecoote today.

In January 1752, the golden-haired Elizabeth met the 6th Duke of Hamilton at a St. Valentine's Day masquerade ball in London. Seized by intoxicated desire, the Scottish aristocrat summoned the local parson to perform a marriage ceremony there and then. The parson refused because the Duke had neither license nor ring, so the Duke hauled Elizabeth into Mayfair Chapel, where no licence was required, swiped a ring from a bed-curtain, and they emerged as the Duke and Duchess of Hamilton. Elizabeth’s marriage was a reasonably happy one. However, this fell apart when the Duke caught a chill out hunting and died in January 1758.

Within months, Elizabeth married Jack Campbell, the 36-year-old Marques of Lorne, who became the 5th Duke of Argyll. She became a close friend of Queen Charlotte and was made a Baroness by George III. She died in London aged 57. Two of her sons became Duke of Hamilton and two of her sons became Duke of Argyll.

Maria married the 6th Earl of Coventry. She died aged 27 on 30th September 1760. Over 10,000 people viewed her coffin. She left three children, including the 7th Earl of Coventry.