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his wishes, and he therefore prevented her from ever owning the manor". However, in his will, dated 1818, he provides generously for his two daughters and makes no mention of any intention to disinherit either. "The stories of
Knighton Gorges's destruction often end with Bisset dying alone and miserable in a cottage on the property", which is entirely unfounded as he died at Lessendrum in Scotland, as is stated on his monument in Lessendrum Church, still married to his long-term wife of 34 years Harriat, whom he calls in his will "my dear wife" and provides for generously. In his will he bequeathed to his wife Harriet "my manor of Shepton Mallet, Somerset, held on lease from the Duchy of Cornwall, in lieu of any annuity or rights of dower and hope she will give it at her death to our two daughters".
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171:, which covered the Isle of Wight. Bisset became a close friend of Worsley, his near neighbour on the Isle of Wight. As was revealed in the court case, with the encouragement of her husband, Bisset began an affair with Lady Worseley and in August 1781 she gave birth to his daughter, christened as Jane Seymour Worsley, whose paternity was nevertheless accepted by the baronet, to avoid scandal. In November 1781 Bisset ran away with her so she could escape her failing marriage with Richard. They were however discovered and in February 1782 Worsley brought a
259:"Sacred to the memory of Maurice George Bisset Esq., of Lessendrum who died at Lessendrum on the 16th December 1821 in the 64th year of his age. This tablet is jointly inscribed by Harriot, his affectionate and mournful widow, and his brother and immediate successor, William Lord Bishop of Raphoe, in honour of his name, and in grateful recollection of his many virtues that adorned his sacred character"
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The site of the manor house of
Knighton Gorges has become famous as a supposedly haunted place and many unfounded stories have grown up concerning its history and demise. One of the latter is that Bisset himself demolished his house "out of spite because his daughter was marrying a clergyman, against
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By 1818 he had moved to Bath in
Wiltshire, as in his will dated in that year he describes himself as "late of Knighton but now resident in Bath". In 1820 his manor house of Knighton Gorges was burnt down and demolished, with no vestige remaining today. He died in 1821 at Lessendrum in Scotland, aged
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legal action against Bisset seeking damages of £20,000 (2015: £2,220,000). Seymour, who was rumoured to have 27 lovers, turned the case against
Richard and made it clear that he had consented to and even encouraged the relationship between her and Bisset. This testimony destroyed Worsley's suit and
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Seymour was unable to obtain a divorce from
Richard, only a separation, meaning she could not remarry until he died. Because of this, Bisset eventually left Seymour, and went on in 1787 to marry Harriat Mordaunt, an illegitimate daughter of
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In his will
Maurice Bisset mentions "all moneys equally among my two daughters - my daughter Ann to have £1,000 more than her sister, because her sister had £1,000 given her by the will of her grandmother, the late Countess of
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Temple, William, The
Thanage of Fermartyn, including the district commonly called Formartine, its proprietors, with genealogical deductions; its parishes, ministers, Churches, churchyards, antiquities, , Aberdeen, 1894
330:
Temple, William, The
Thanage of Fermartyn, including the district commonly called Formartine, its proprietors, with genealogical deductions; its parishes, ministers, Churches, churchyards, antiquities, , Aberdeen, 1894
315:
Temple, William, The
Thanage of Fermartyn, including the district commonly called Formartine, its proprietors, with genealogical deductions; its parishes, ministers, Churches, churchyards, antiquities, , Aberdeen, 1894
518:
The Trial with the Whole of the
Evidence, Between the Right Hon. Sir R. W. ... Plaintiff and G. M. Bissett, Defendant, for Criminal Conversation ... Taken in Shorthand by R. P. Donkin ... Fifth Edition
159:(1695-1765) of Knighton Gorges, MP. "The Bissets of Lessendrum, one of the most ancient families in the county of Aberdeen, were in possession of that barony long before the War of Independence".
155:(the son of Major William Bisset, the second son of Alexander Bisset, 13th feudal baron of Lessendrum in Aberdeen, Scotland) by his wife Jane Bockland, daughter and heiress of Lieutenant-General
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cartoon - "Sir Richard Worse-than-sly, exposing his wife's bottom; - o fye!". Bisset sits atop Worsley's shoulders and looking through a window into a bath-house at his naked wife remarks to him
143:, Isle of Wight. The case was the result of his affair with Lady Worseley, by whom he had a daughter, Jane Seymour Worsley, of whom Richard claimed paternity in order to avoid scandal.
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In 1765, aged 8, he inherited the estate and manor house of Knighton Gorges from his grandfather Lieutenant-General Maurice Bocland. He became a captain in the South Hampshire
503:"Attested copy of the will of Maurice George Bisset, late of Knighton within the parish of Newchurch, I.W., but now resident in Bath, dated 1 December 1818"
452:"Attested copy of the will of Maurice George Bisset, late of Knighton within the parish of Newchurch, I.W., but now resident in Bath, dated 1 December 1818"
427:"Attested copy of the will of Maurice George Bisset, late of Knighton within the parish of Newchurch, I.W., but now resident in Bath, dated 1 December 1818"
254:, 19th feudal baron, who died without issue when the barony was inherited by his nephew William Bisset, son of his younger brother Alexander Bisset.
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64. He was succeeded as feudal baron of Lessendrum and in the estate of Knighton Gorges, according to entails, by his younger brother Rev.
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439:'Parishes: Newchurch', in A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5, ed. William Page (London, 1912), pp. 177-187
360:'Parishes: Newchurch', in A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 5, ed. William Page (London, 1912), pp. 177-187
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of Lessendrum, is famous for his involvement in the scandalous court case involving his mistress
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Orthodoxy and Heresy in Eighteenth-century Society: Essays from the DeBartolo Conference
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in Wiltshire, the seat of the Earls of Peterborough, from his childless great-uncle
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Richard WORSLEY (Right Hon. Sir); Maurice George BISSET; Robert Pye DONKIN (1782).
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489:"The Tragic History of Knighton Gorges, the Isle of Wight's most Haunted Location"
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Maurice George Bisset was born in 1757, the eldest son and heir of Rev.
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97:(Matthew 11:28–30). It was alleged in the court case that Worsley had
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Charles Mordaunt, 5th Earl of Peterborough, 3rd Earl of Monmouth
91:"Good lack (? sic) my Lady, the Capt'n will see all for nothing"
93:. On a parchment on the ground by Worseley's hat is written
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305:"The Life of Lady Worsley". Harewood House. 14 August 2015
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of Lessendrum who married her first cousin Venerable
87:"Charming view of the Back Settlements Sir Richard"
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257:His monument in Lessendrum Church is inscribed:
217:(1825-1884) of Bagborough, Somerset, MP, 22nd
89:. Lady Worseley's maid says to her mistress
532:. Bucknell University Press. pp. 86–.
195:Charles Mordaunt, 4th Earl of Peterborough
550:Thomas Dunckerley and English Freemasonry
547:Susan Mitchell Sommers (6 October 2015).
464:Temple, William, The Thanage of Fermartyn
405:Temple, William, The Thanage of Fermartyn
396:Temple, William, The Thanage of Fermartyn
351:Temple, William, The Thanage of Fermartyn
342:Temple, William, The Thanage of Fermartyn
66:Learn how and when to remove this message
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29:This article includes a list of general
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95:"My yoke is easy and my burden light"
201:Jane Harriet Bissett (d.1866), 21st
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588:Sex scandals in the United Kingdom
526:Regina Hewitt; Pat Rogers (2002).
35:it lacks sufficient corresponding
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137:Sir Richard Worsley, 7th Baronet
135:(Lady Worseley) and her husband
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127:in Aberdeen, Scotland, 18th
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272:played Bisset in the 2015
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203:Scottish feudal baroness
99:displayed his wife naked
215:Mordaunt Fenwick Bisset
133:Seymour Dorothy Fleming
50:more precise citations.
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278:The Scandalous Lady W
236:Ann Bissett (d.1879).
219:Scottish feudal baron
176:the jury awarded him
173:criminal conversation
129:Scottish feudal baron
113:Maurice George Bisset
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415:As named in his will
241:Death and succession
211:Archdeacon of Raphoe
282:Lady Worsley's Whim
141:Appuldurcombe House
385:summary pedigrees
319:summary pedigrees
264:In popular culture
188:Marriage and issue
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560:978-1-317-32047-0
539:978-0-8387-5501-3
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178:nominal damages
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115:(1757–1821) of
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103:bath house
56:March 2018
31:references
123:, and of
107:Maidstone
227:Dauntsey
182:shilling
169:Militia
147:Origins
119:on the
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