Marchioness of Anglesey

A carte-de-visite portrait of the Marchioness of Anglesey (1830-1874).

Born Ellen Jane Burnand on 3 September 1830 she was the daughter of George Burnand, a stock broker of 4, Sussex Square, Paddington (1851 census). She married, firstly, at St James's church in Paddington on 10 July 1851, James Morton Bell 'a merchant, the son of another merchant of considerable wealth' (The Times, 6 December 1859). The couple had a house in Gloucester Terrace, near Hyde Park. In 1859 James Morton Bell sued for divorce on the grounds of his wife's adultery with the Marquis of Anglesey.

'In October, 1858, Mrs Bell was at Worthing, and on the 23rd of that month, during Mr Bell's absence, she left her father's house and went to Lillyman's Hotel in Lower Brook-street, where she was joined by her waiting maid, Sarah Densley. The Marquis of Anglesey visited her there every day. After remaining for a fortnight she and her maid and the Marquis went together to the Calverley Hotel at Tonbridge-wells. Mrs Bell passed by the name of Mrs Burton, and they occupied one sitting-room and two bedrooms near each other and took all their meals together. About a fortnight afterwards they removed to lodgings in Halfmoon-street, Piccadilly, where the Marquis and Mrs Bell lived as man and wife, Mrs Bell then taking the name of Lady Anglesey. They remained there until March, when Mrs Bell went to the Castle Hotel, Richmond' (The Times, 6 December 1859).

On 5 December 1859 the jury awarded James Morton Bell £10,000 in damages. She married, secondly, on 8 March 1860, Sir Henry Paget, 2nd Marquess of Anglesey. She was his third wife.

The Marchioness of Anglesey died at Worthing, Sussex, at the age of 43, on 2 June 1874, and was buried there.

Photographed by Camille Silvy of London on 15 August 1861.