Henry Chaplin, 1st Viscount Chaplin, 1841 - 1923
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The Chaplins had been landowners in Lincolnshire since
1658. Henry Chaplin was born at Ryhall hall, near Stamford in 1841, third son of the
Rev. Henry Chaplin and Caroline Horatia. Henry Chaplin came into
his inheritance which include Blankney Hall & large estates in
Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire when he was 21. In the summer of 1864, he fell in love with Lady Florence Paget, known as the 'Pocket Venus' due to her great beauty and tiny figure. The engagement was brief and their wedding as due to be the society event of the year. Chaplin's good friend from Oxford, the Prince of Wales was one of the first to offer his congratulations. Chaplin set about improving Blankney Hall for his bride and prior to the wedding she visited to inspect the stables and kennels. They returned to London and spent an evening at the opera. The following day she showed her father her wedding dress.
Chaplin was not the only eligible bachelor to be
attracted to Lady Paget. Lord Henry Plantagenet, the 4th Marquis
of Hastings had also taken a fancy to her. Aware of her engagement to
Chaplin, he nevertheless, pressed his attentions upon her. Unbeknownst
to Chaplin, she responded to Hastings advances and the scene was set for
one of the social sensations of the year.
On the pretext of buying some more items for her trousseau, Lady Paget left Chaplin to visit Marshall & Snelgrove's in London's Oxford Street. She walked straight through the shop and out the other side into an Hastings' awaiting carriage. She was then whisked off to Euston where they were immediately married. She informed Chaplin by letter the next day. He was devastated to have lost his first true love in such a way and immediately left for Scotland and then India to allow the scandal to die down. This could have been the end of the tale but ...... Henry Chaplin & the 1867 Derby Lady Paget picture used with kind permission of Valerie Martin |
