Lady Rebecca Staunton

Lady Rebecca Staunton Gooch (1685 – February 1775), also referred to as "Lady Gooch" and "Dame Rebecca Gooch" was an English noblewoman and wife of Sir William Gooch, who served as Colonial Governor of Virginia from 1727 to 1749.[1][2] The city of Staunton, Virginia is named after her,[3][4] as well as a daylily flower, which is named "Lady Rebecca Staunton" in her honor.[5][6]

Lady Rebecca Staunton
Personal details
Born1685
Hampton, London, England
DiedFebruary 1775
Bath, Somerset, England
Resting placeSt. Andrew's Church, Surrey, England
SpouseSir William Gooch, 1st Baronet

Biography

Lady Staunton was born in 1685 in Hampton, London, the daughter of Robert Staunton, a squire.[7]

In 1714 she married Sir William and moved with him to the Governor's Palace in Williamsburg, Virginia when he became Colonial Governor in 1727.[8] While in Williamsburg, she served as mistress of a large plantation, directing the activities of the household and social engagements.[9]

Benacre Hall, c. 1824

As an early "first lady" of Colonial Virginia, Lady Staunton has been described as a "woman of queenly graces of mind and heart."[10]

Lady Staunton and her husband had one son, Major William Gooch, (b. 1716); he died in Virginia in 1742 aged 26 from the "Bloody Flux."[11][12]

In 1749 they moved to the Benacre Hall estate in Suffolk, where Lady Staunton lived until her death in 1775.[11]

Death and burial

Lady Staunton died in February 1775. She was buried at the St Andrew's Churchyard in Surrey, England.[7] In her will, she bequeathed a four-volume Bible and a silver-gilt cup to the Bruton Parish Church of the College of William & Mary.[11][13]

Titles, styles, and arms
Coat of Arms of the Gooch Baronetcy[14]
See also: Gooch baronets

The Gooch Baronetcy of Benacre Hall in the County of Suffolk was created in the Baronetage of Great Britain on November 4, 1746 by King George II for William Gooch.[15]

References
  1. Tarter, Brent. "Sir William Gooch (1681–1751)". Encyclopedia Virginia. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
  2. "Staunton, Virginia". www.virginiaplaces.org. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
  3. "Women's History in Staunton". Visit Staunton. 2022-03-03. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
  4. "History – Staunton Baptist Church". Retrieved 2022-10-31.
  5. "PlantsMap". Plants Map. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
  6. "Staunton | Virginia, United States | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
  7. "Obituary". The Public Advertiser (London, England). 13 February 1775.
  8. "Rebecca Staunton and William Gooch #1 of 4". The Daily News Leader. 1997-01-25. p. 7. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
  9. Green, Alexander. "You screwed up the new name of the high school; it's still offensive: Letter". The News Leader. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
  10. "History". City of Staunton. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  11. "Governor's Wives | The Colonial Williamsburg Official History & Citizenship Site". research.colonialwilliamsburg.org. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
  12. "Miniature Portrait of William Gooch (1716-1742)". emuseum.history.org. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
  13. "Bruton Parish - Williamsburg, VA - American Guide Series on Waymarking.com". www.waymarking.com. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
  14. Burke's Peerage. 1949.
  15. "Page 1 | Issue 8585, 1 November 1746 | London Gazette | The Gazette". www.thegazette.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
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