Regency Personalities Series-Sarah Clementina Drummond-Burrell, A patroness of Almacks

Regency Personalities Series


In my attempts to provide us with the details of the Regency, today I continue with one of the many period notables.



Sarah Clementina Drummond-Burrell, A Patroness of Almacks

May 5 1786-January 16 1865

The only surviving child of James Drummond, the 11th Earl of Perth. In 1807 she married Peter Robert Burrell, the 22nd Baron Willoughby de Eresby, 2nd Baron Gwydyr. (Grandson of the 3rd Duke of Ancaster) Peter was a member of Parliament for Boston and the Deputy Lord Great Chamberlain. He was a Dandy and a member of Brook’s Club..

Sarah was known as Clementina and by 1814 she was the youngest of the group of Patronesses of Almacks. With Lady Castlereagh she was considered to be the highest stickler and overly grand. There were several dances named for her, including “Clementina Sarah Drummond”, “Miss Sarah Drummond of Perth.” Her father died in 1800 and she inherited a large fortune. When she married Peter, he took Drummond as a family name. It may have been at Clementina’s instance, or because of the marriage settlement. At first they lived at Drummond Castle.

As a Dandy Peter spent, while Clementina was more thrifty. They may have been at odds over how to use money, but they did not seem to cheat on each other. No mistresses or lovers. Peter left parliament when his father died and went to Paris for a short time. When Peter’s mother died in 1828, Baroness of Eresby in her own right, the couple was now known as Lord and Lady Willoughby de Eresby from then on. It is said that Victoria visited them at Castle Drummond in 1842 and planted copper beech trees. Clementina was described as a Very Great Lady.

She and Peter had five children. One month after she died, Peter passed.