Charlotte Ashburnham, Countess of Ashburnham


Charlotte Ashburnham, Countess of Ashburnham, formerly Lady Charlotte Percy, was the second wife of George Ashburnham, 3rd Earl of Ashburnham, and the mother of the fourth earl.
Lady Charlotte was the eldest daughter of Algernon Percy, 1st Earl of Beverley, and his wife, the former Isabella Burrell. Her brother was George Percy, 5th Duke of Northumberland.
The earl's first marriage, to the Hon. Sophia Thynne, ended with her death in 1791. Of their four children, both sons and one daughter predeceased their father, leaving only Lady Elizabeth Sophia Ashburnham, who died unmarried on 13 March 1879, aged 92. As a result, it was the eldest surviving son of his second marriage who would inherit the earldom.
Lady Charlotte Percy married the future earl at Orwell Park, Ipswich, on 25 July 1795, when he was known as Viscount St Asaph. They had 13 children:
George succeeded his father as Earl of Ashburnham in 1812, and, on his own death in 1830, was succeeded by his fourth, but eldest surviving, son, Bertram. Charlotte then became Countess Dowager.
Charlotte's portrait was painted by John Hoppner. An engraving is held at Hanbury Hall, Worcestershire. Another, by Charles Wilkin, is held by the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.