A professional family of mistresses
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A group of descendants starting from France, working into England and to Malta provides a line of inter-related
connections with Royalty and Nobility. We find that many lovers were European,
English and Maltese noble and royalty.
In a direct line, we treat a group of professional mistresses who
climbed to the top of their profession seeking fame and fortune.
We start with one of King Charles II of England and Scotland, a man of many mistresses over
his life and numerous illegitimate children too many to count. His son, the 1st
Duke of Richmond, too had a mistress, yet another famous French line of
bastardry interconnecting with the French Royal family. Much of the data has
been published online for many years but this piece of work aims to highlight
and enhance the lives that were played out for many centuries.
Renee de
Penacourt de Keralle, Duchesse d’Aubugny, Duchess of Portsmouth
(1649-1734)
Artist: Henri
Gascar
Louise de Keroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth
c.1670
Mistress to King Charles 11 of England and Scotland. Mother of Sir Charles Lennox KG, 1st Duke of Richmond
and Lennox. Louise de Keroualle, who worked as a spy for Louis XIV, came to England from France as a Maid of Honour to the sister of King Charles II in 1670.
Soon afterwards, she became Charles's favourite mistress, and in 1673 he
created for her the position of Duchess of Portsmouth. She used her influence
to strengthen the friendship between Charles II and Louis XIV.
Renee de Lennox
(1709-74)
Born to a French professional dancer who moved to England, herself the daughter of Sir Charles Lennox KG, 1st
Duke of Richmond, Lennox and D’Aubigny and her mother Jacqueline de Mezieres, Jacqueline de
Meziere was the illegitimate daughter of the Comte de Meziere and a Bourbon
relative of King Louis XIV.
Renee grew up mostly at the Courts of England mixing with her
mother’s lovers and children of the Nobility.
She started taking on lovers at an early age and bore children with her
half-cousin, the 2nd Duke of St Albans.
Much is unknown about her, other then living on the estate of the Duke
of St Albans and bearing at least one child, Diane de Beauclerk-Lenox.
Diane de
Beauclerk-Lenox (1727-64)
Born in London and living on the estate of her father’s family, she was
introduced to Sir Simon Harcourt, later 1st Earl Harcourt, bearing a
son called Christopher Harcourt. Diane immediately left to Paris for
a career on the stage where she met Charles de Bourbon, Comte de Charcolais and
was taken under his wing. Over a period of two years, Diane bore a daughter and
a son. Both of these were brought up by her lover’s family (Bourbon-Conti).
Back on the stage after the birth of her third child, Diane was
introduced to a Knight of St John, where she was enticed to Malta to perform at the Opera and perhaps become the Donna to the
Maltese Grand Master and the Order. Upon arrival in Malta in 1743, she performed in honor of the Grand Master and was
introduced to many of the Knights and Maltese Nobility. With great admiration
from the stage, many invitations were provided for parties and also in hand of
marriage. As soon as she settled down, she was interested in a Maltese nobleman
called Alessandro Mompalao, Barone di Frigenuini, where she accepted to perform
at the Baron’s Palazzo and to live as his mistress. She bore a daughter by
Barone di Frigenuini though he become ill and
debt-ridden. Her children were to remain with the Baron’s family and to never
see their mother again.
Diane had to look for a source of income and looked upon moving
out of Malta where she was invited to Genoa, Italy with the Conte de Candolo and soon become his mistress and bore a
son and a daughter. Though soon becoming bored with her spending and whinging habits, she left behind her two children and went
to Munich at an invitation of the King of Bavaria. Upon her arrival, she
was invited to meet the Count Antoine Levin de Gosberg-Bavievre where she
becomes yet again his lover. Diane lived all over Europe and finally
found a place where she could settle down under a patronage of the Count Levin.
Diane bears another daughter and son to the Count.
After a few years, Diane settled to a Cottage with her two
remaining children in Munich, where she remained under the patronage of the Count till her
death, but never preformed on stage again. In 1764, Diane died and was buried
in Munich cemetery.
Her children who were all scattered over Europe learnt of her
death. Her elder son Christopher Harcourt had managed to visit his mother
before her death - a mother he hardly knew, as she spent her life traveling
from country to country in search of success on the stage.
Her children all led successful lives in one manner or another;
her eldest son Christopher Harcourt had joined the Royal Army of Great Britain
and succeeded to the rank of Colonel. He married to an English lady and had issue.
Her daughter by the French Comte de Charcolais had moved to
Munich
after her mother settled under the Count Levin patronage and was married off to
a Bavarian Nobleman. Her son by the French Count, Louis de Bourbon, married to
a French Heiress and took her surname and lived in the Provincial area in France.
Her children by the Barone di Frigenuini grew up in Malta; Rosalea Mompalao, who we treat in the next chapter below.
The children from the Conte de Candolo, Antonio Ferrero, lived in
Genoa and
married with issue. Served in a local government capacity in Genoa.
Her daughter Pia Maria Ferrero also married in Genoa and
had issue.
Finally, the children from the Count Levin, Renee Levin had
married to a Bavarian Nobleman and Diana’s youngest child and son, Charles
Levin was recognized as the natural child of the Count Levin and was created Count Levin by the King of Bavaria.
Charles married and lived in Munich.
Rosalea
Mompalao, Baroness di Frigenuini (1743-85)
Grew
up with her Mompalao family when her mother left Malta
for Genoa
and styled Baroness di Friguenuni upon her father’s death. Rosalea had petitioned
the Grand Master for acknowledgement as Baroness of Frigenuini but the
Grand Master had suddenly died and had to put the process into action after the
election of the Grand Master. Rosalea Mompalao then styled herself as Baroness,
but her brothers and her father’s relatives had made a mockery of her demands
and styles. Though the Marquis Diego Moscati had promised to help her and take
her into his keep. Rosalea was quite young and also penniless; naturally,
looking for patronage was an essential factor to life. The Marquis Moscati had
leased a house for her in Valletta, where upon a promise to serve his needs when in town. It seems that her life was in similar
circumstances as her mother. Rosalea was treated a lady in the city of
Valletta and never
worked to survive. Over the years, she bore several children to the Marquis.
Failing to secure a male heir with his wife, he was looking to divorce and
marry Rosalea and to have their children legitimate. But it failed to come to
any conclusion and the Marquis Moscati’s wife family were totally against the
annulment. Rosalea bore a daughter, Saveria, whom we treat next, and two sons,
Pietro and Edoardo Moscati. The Marquis Moscati had died and Saveria was forced
out of her house in Valletta by the Marquis’s family.
Rosalea was then invited to move to a country house in Sliema with the
Knight de Lancastre where she gladly accepted, taking her children with her.
The Knight would visit when he could and she soon become
his mistress bearing four children in a period of seven years.
Her children all took on the surname of Cuschieri and married into the
local community. The elder son, Roger had become an abbot and served in the
Monastery in Valletta.
Rosalea died at a young age of 42 years of age and was buried in
Valletta. By that stage,
her eldest daughter had taken patronage of the Marquis de Piro, as we treat
below.
Saveria Moscat,
Baroness di Frigenuini, (1760-97)
Saveria grew up with her mother
in Valletta before her mother moved
to Sliema, Malta. At a young age,
patronage was a plentiful and a potential suitor was at her mother’s house.
Saveria was possibly looking to make a name for herself
and perhaps, like her famous grand mother, become an actress in the Maltese
Opera.
A potential Maltese
nobleman had entrusted Saveria to become his mistress and also get a start in
her career as an actress, though with many unfulfilled promises nothing had
eventuated. The Marquis de Piro had also served in the Army and would come and
go. By that stage, Saveria had bore him a son in 1774 and demanded to fulfil
his promise or she would leave. Finally Saveria was given a chance to perform
in an opera and soon famed to a dizzy height to perform in front of the Grand
Master de Rohan. The Grand Master de Rohan had honoured her performance with
the title of her mother’s “A Maltese noblewomen successful debut, the Baroness
di Frigenuini”, thus becoming her stage name. On the year 1778, Saveria bore
another son Carmelo Moscati de Piro and continued to perform at the famous
Maltese Opera. The Baroness di Frigenuini was invited to Sicily to perform under the
patronage of the Prime Minister and the King of Two Sicilies.
Saveria eventually moved
from Valletta in 1780 to try her
success in Naples and she took on a new
patronage of Lord Archibald Douglas Hamilton, the son of the Duke of Hamilton
of England. The Baroness di Frigenuini had become very popular and continued to
stay in Naples for a few years, going
back to Malta seeing her children and
their education progress.
After a year had passed,
Saveria had found herself pregnant by the Lord
Archibald and had a son called Archibald and three daughters in succession. Her
children were becoming a demand on her, so which she adopted one of her
children to a nanny in Malta to be looked after and
the others were looked after in Naples.
After 1787, Saveria was
losing her position as the Donna of the Opera in Naples and soon her patronage
of the Lord Archibald. Immediately retrying to revamp her career and even
begging a Royal Prince of the Bourbon Sicilies for patronage. It’s noted that
her youngest child might be of Royal blood, as her lover was not in
Naples close to a year.
Eventually, the Royal Prince of Bourbon Sicilies had taken Saveria under his
patronage and she retired to a village near Reggio di Calabria. The year of 1797 she
died at her home at Reggio di Calabria and was buried at a
local village church cemetery.
Her children from her
first lover had grown up and started careers of their own. Her eldest son,
Alexandre Moscati de Piro was forced to flee Malta after raping a
noblewomen and first arrived to live with his mother in Reggio di Calabria, then served as a
Senator for Messina. We treat further
below. Her second son, Carmelo Moscati de Piro had entered the Army of the
Order, and then commissioned to serve under the Grand Ducal Army of Hesse,
where he died in Action. We treat further below.
Saveria eldest son by
Lord Archibald was Archibald Moscati who moved to Palermo and served as a court
official and married a Sicilian heiress taking on her surname and titles. Her
daughters, Antonia had married to a Don Claudio Fabre; Rosalea whom was adopted
by the Galea family had married a Maltese Giuseppe Moscati and Saveria youngest
daughter Fiametta Moscati had married the illegitimate son of the Prince di
Ruffo.
Alexandre
Moscati, Marchese di Xrobb il-Ghagin, Barone di Frigenuini (1774-1826)
Alexandre grew up in
Valletta, Malta under the strict
guidance of his mother and tutorage provided by his father, the Marquis de
Piro. Alexandre had succeeded as an accountant
for the Baron Pisani and worked upon his estates. Alexandre had styled
Marchese di Xrobb il-Ghagin and was hoping that the Barone Pisani would support
his claim with the Grand Master but was forced to flee Malta, due to raping the
Noble Maria Teresa dei Marchesi Testaferrata, which resulted in siring a
daughter.
Alexandre had moved to
Reggio di Calabria with his mother until
he was able to set up a career in the Kingdom of Two Sicilies. He was arranged
to marry an English girl whom her family had settled In Messina, Sicily. He was elected as a Senator for
Messina under the name of
Marchese di Xrobb il-Ghagin. His first wife died in childbirth in 1802, then
remarried to a Sicilian lady called Rosa d’Alessandro, whom he further bored
children
Alexandre was a senator
in Messina, Sicily. He married firstly to
a British girl called Louisa Campbell, and sired several children from her. She
died in 1802. He married secondly to the Noble Rosa d'Alessandro and sired
several more children. Alexandre also took on a mistress, a certain Louise
Stilon and had further issue.
Alexandre had nine
children by 1797 in total and continued to live in Messina till his death in 1826,
where he served as a Senator and a Local Authority. Alexandre never saw his
daughter which he sired with the Maltese noblewoman, but never forgotten her,
by sending her letters of pity and sorrow and hoping in vain hope for
forgiveness. He also entailed to her the Maltese rights of Nobility and the
rights to the Barony of Frigneuini.
Alexandre’s eldest son
from his first marriage was Antonio Moscati, who served the Royal Army of Two
Sicilies and retired to Naples as a Captain. The next
child was Louisa Moscati who married into the Messinese local gentry. His next
daughter Stefanie Moscati also married into the Messinese local gentry.
Alexandre’s eldest son
from his second marriage was Rosario Moscati, served as a local Authority in
Messina and married kinswomen
from his mother’s family, with descendants. The younger son was Diego Moscati,
who had joined the religious order and lived in Malta till his death.
The children from
Alexandre’s mistress, Louise Stilon had served the religious orders dying
without descendants.
Anna Moscati,
Baroness di Frigenuini, (1792-1853)
Anna grew up in a
convent in Malta, never meeting her
father or mother. But she was given access to her father’s letters which he
send on a regularly basis in a vain hope of rejoining him in Sicily but the
Convent had been given strict instructions to ensure she stays in Malta by the
Testaferrata family. Anna soon left the Convent and took on cleaning duties for
the Government houses. She lived under
the patronage of the Nuns where she was housed and fed in the hope she would be
given an offer of marriage to an appropriate suitor. In the beginning of the
year 1808, a French Prince, had barely landed on the shores of Malta and took an interest in
Anna and asked if she could have her service with him, while in Malta. The affair only lasted
a short time, as the Prince became more sickly and then died. This was all in a
matter of a month and Anna continued to work for the Government cleaning and
realised she was pregnant. She then took refuge with the Nuns in
Valletta, knowing that she was
pregnant with the Prince’s child. The Nuns had ensured her safety and arrival
of her child. In the meantime, the Nuns had found a village man from Mosta to
become engaged to Anna and perhaps become the father of the child. The child
was born at the end of the year of 1808 and had moved to Mosta under the care
of Michele Gauci’s family, where they later married at Mosta in 1810.
Anna bore four children
with Michele Gauci and led a quite village life, as the Mrs Gauci, and claimant
to the Barony of Frigenuini.
Teresa Gauci-Beaujolais (1808-74).
Teresa was born in Mosta
assuming that her father was Michele Gauci until her mother was dying, where
her mother had presented her with letters of her father and her mother’s
parentage. Teresa married in 1838 to Andrea dei Baroni Abela, local gentry with
ancient noble blood. They were successful merchants in Mosta with fields in
Mosta, Mgarr, and the surrounding areas. On the death of her mother in 1853,
Teresa had petitioned the Government for the right to use the title of Baroness
di Frigenuini, as the late Barone Pisani had died and Teresa was the nominated
heiress to the Mompalao title creation from the illegitimate line. The British
Government had denied her rights not fully understanding how the local noble
customs worked. But Teresa often styled the title until her death in 1874. Teresa was the last of a very long line of
illegitimates dating back to France in the 17th
century. Her descendants intermarried with the local gentry and nobility and
are now living in Malta, England, Australia, Canada and USA.
Captain Carmelo Moscati de Piro (1778-98)
Carmelo was the second son
of Saveria Moscati and had entered the Army of the Order, and then was
commissioned to serve under the Grand Ducal Army of Hesse, where he died in
action. While in Frankfurt,
he served as an officer at the local functions and court where he met Princess
Henrietta Sophia von Bentheim zu Steinfurt. Carmelo had asked for permission from her
father for her hand in marriage and was denied due to being an illegitimate son
of a Baroness. They both eloped and lived on the outskirts of Frankfurt, upon a year of their
elopement; Carmelo was called up to the Army in which he was killed in an
attack. Carmelo’s brother, Alexandre was in contact with Carmelo and had known
of his elopement to Henrietta and the killing of Carmelo. Alexandre had the
Consul for Two Sicilies in Frankfurt to instruct for the
proper burial of Carmelo and if Henrietta would come to Messina to leave their daughter
in the hands of Alexandre.
Carmelo was set up by
his father in law due to the elopement of his daughter to an officer. Henrietta
decided to come to Messina leaving her daughter
with Alexandre and then return to her father’s Principality of Benthem zu
Steinfurt. Henrietta was later married in 1802 Prince Karl zu Solms-Hohensolms-Lich.
The daughter Antonia was brought up in Messina
then in Malta under the patronage of her uncle Alexandre Moscati.
Antonia Moscati
de Piro (1796-1878)
Antonia was born in Frankfurt and her father was
killed in 1798. Her mother had brought her to her uncle in Messina, and then later sent to
Malta to live with relatives
there. Antonia started off her work life as a cleaner and had become employed
by the Marquis Testaferrata de Noto family. She had been given free boarding
and allowed to live amongst the Testaferrata de Noto family due to her royal connections.
Though she became entangled with one of the sons who later raped her, he later
became a well known lawyer in Malta and knighted by the
British for his services.
The Testaferrata de Noto’s had housed Antonia to one of their cottages on their
estates where she gave birth and then arranged in marriage to a servant of the
Testaferrata de Noto’s at Mdina.
Antonia gave birth to a
daughter and took on the surname of Antonia’s married name of Sammut. Antonia
had given birth to a further four sons to Domenico Sammut, and lived a fruitful
life in the service of the Testaferrata de Noto family. Antonia was given
several pieces of land in honour of her child which was father by Giuseppe
Testaferrata de Noto and also paid maintenance for the care of the child.
Giuseppe Testaferrata de Noto further gave his daughter monies upon her
marriage to Giuseppe Cilia of Rabat, Malta. Maria died before her mother in
1872.
Antonia died on the year
of 1878 and was buried in the Parish of Rabat, Malta.
Maria Sammut,
(1820-72)
Maria Sammut (Testaferrata de Noto) was born with a privileged yet
disdained life. Fortunately, she had contact with her natural father who helped
her financially throughout her life. Maria was the last of a very long line of
illegitimate descent, ensuring that she married at an early age to Giuseppe
Cilia of Rabat, Malta and lived a modest life in the country.
Maria had six children by her husband and dying before her mother
Antonia in 1872 and was buried in the Parish of Rabat, Malta.
References:
1.
Family Archives of the Vassallo family, based on the works of the
late Barone de Bauvso.
2.
Collection of data from the Author.
3.
Private Archives of the Principe de Sayd.
Edited by Mark Caruana.
The Genealogy of the Bastard’s de Moscati.
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