Description: Information taken from www.nottingham.ac.uk:
Evelyn Pierrepont, 2nd Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull (1711-1773), of Thoresby and Holme Pierrepont in Nottinghamshire.
Evelyn was the only son of William Pierrepont, Earl of Kingston. He was styled Earl of Kingston 1713-15, and Marquess of Dorchester 1715-26, before succeeding his grandfather as 2nd Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull in 1726. He was sent to Eton in 1725, and the following year went on the Grand Tour, spending ten years on the Continent and becoming known for gambling and loose living. In 1736 he returned to England with his mistress, Marie-Thérèse de Fontaine de la Touche, who became a British subject, and who remained with him until 1750.
The duke had little interest in politics and did not take any part in governmental affairs. However, he acquired several local offices, such as Master of the Staghounds North of Trent in 1738, and Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire and Steward of Sherwood Forest 1763-65. He was invested as a Knight of the Garter in March 1740/1. He took an active part in suppressing the Jacobite uprising in 1745, raising and becoming Colonel of his own Regiment, 'Kingston's Light Horse', which fought at the Battle of Culloden. He became Major General in 1753, Lieutenant General in 1759, and General in 1772.
Thoresby Hall was virtually destroyed by fire in 1745. The duke employed John Carr of York to design a new house, which was completed by 1772. He died in September 1773 in his other main residence, Holme Pierrepont Hall, upon which the title of Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull became extinct. He willed his estates to his wife for life; after her death in 1788 they passed to his nephew Charles Medows.
In March 1769 the duke married Elizabeth, daughter of Colonel Thomas Chudleigh (c.1720-1788). However, in 1744 she had secretly married Augustus John Hervey, who succeeded as 6th Earl of Bristol in 1775. They were legally separated in 1769, but not fully divorced. Amongst considerable scandal, Lady Kingston was tried for bigamy before the House of Lords from 15 to 22 April 1776. She was found guilty, but pleaded her position as a peeress and was not sentenced. She spent the rest of her life in St Petersburg and France (see image DCHQ2000228).
This image is one of a collection by the famous local antiquarian, Thomas Bateman, of Middleton by Youlgreave. (1821-1861). Bateman organized his collection by inserting them into a 4 volume copy of Lysons Magna Britannia, Derbyshire, creating a fascinating and unique illustrated record of the county. The purchase of the collection for Derbyshire Libraries was made possible by the generous bequest of Miss Frances Webb of Whaley Bridge, well known local historian, who died in December 2006.