Montagu, Elizabeth Robinson

Elizabeth Robinson (1720-1800), an English society leader. She was a native of York. Her husband, the Earl of Sandwich, died, leaving her a young widow with beauty and fortune. She devoted herself to literary pursuits--delighting in assembling literary people at her beautiful London home. She is said to be the original bluestocking. Among the people who frequented her parlors were Dr. Samuel Johnson, Burke, Garrick, Joshua Reynolds, Hannah More, Lord Lyttleton, Horace Walpole, and others. The subjects of this and the following sketch are of interest chiefly in connection with anecdotes of literary London.