Regency Men: Sir Lumley St. George Skeffington

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Group of fops including Sir Lumley feigning fashionable wounds

Sir Lumley St. George Skeffington, the 2nd Baronet, was a nobleman, playright, and notable fop who was part of a cadre of eccentrics during the Regency. His impeccable reputation as a literary and dramatist is perhaps only overshadowed by his incredible depth of character, shown both by his kindness and sacrifices.  We may speculate as to why this well known gentleman never married, and indeed it may make a good inspiration for a character, but all evidence was he was a man devoted to his passions and convictions at the expense of his family line (or perhaps, because of it).

Sir Lumley Skeffington Bart This accomplished gentleman was the son of Sir William Skeffington a much respected Baronet of Bilsdon in Leicestershire where he enjoyed considerable estates and great provincial esteem He was born in 1778 and was educated at Soho School and at Newcome's at Hackney At the latter he distinguished himself in the dramatic per formances for which the school was long celebrated Dr Sir Lumley Skeffington in a Jean de Brie Benjamin Hoadley author of The Suspicious Husband and his brother Dr John Hoadley were both educated here and shone in their amateur performances at the represen tation of 1764 there were upwards of one hundred gentlemen's coaches Young Skeffington excelled in Hamlet as he afterwards shone in the glass of fashion His hereditary prospects afforded him a ready introduction to the fashionable world and during upwards of twenty years he was considered as a leader of ton and one of the most finished gentlemen in England He was a person of considerable taste in literature he wrote The Word of Honour a comedy and the dialogue and songs of a highly finished melodrama founded on the legend of The Sleeping Beauty In 1818 he lost his father who having embar rassed his estates his son as an act of filial duty to rescue a parent from distress consented to the cutting off the entail by which he deprived himself of that substantial provision without which the life of a gentleman is a life of misery Sir Lumley was the dandy of the olden time and a kinder better hearted man never existed He was of the most polished manners nor had his long intercourse with fashionable society at all affected that simplicity of character for which he was remarkable He was a true dandy and much more than that he was a perfect gentleman In 1827 a contributor to the New Monthly Magazine wrote I remember long long since entering Covent Garden Theatre when I observed a person holding the door to let me pass deeming him to be one of the box keepers I was about to nod my thanks when I found to my sur prise that it was Skeffington who had thus good naturedly honoured a stranger by his attention We with some diffi culty obtained seats in a box and I was indebted to accident for one of the most agreeable evenings I remember to have passed I remember visiting the Opera when late dinners were the rage and the hour of refection was carried far into the night I was again placed near the fugleman of fashion for to his movements were all eyes directed and his sanction determined the accuracy of all conduct He bowed from box to box until recognizing one of his friends in the lower tier Temple he exclaimed drawling out his weary words at what hour do you dine to day It had gone half past eleven when he spoke I saw him once enter St James's Church having at the door taken a ponderous red morocco prayer book from his servant but although prominently placed in the centre aisle the pew opener never offered him a seat and stranger still none of his many friends beckoned him to a place Others in his rank of life might have been disconcerted at the position in which he was placed but Skeffington was too much of a gentleman to be in any way disturbed so he seated himself upon the bench between two aged female paupers and most reverently did he go through the service sharing with the ladies his book the print of which was more favourable to their devotions than their own diminutive liturgies Sir Lumley Skeffington continued to the last to take especial interest in the theatre and its artists notwithstanding his own reduced fortunes He was a worshipper of female beauty his adoration being poured forth in ardent verse Thus in the spring 1829 he inscribed to Miss Foote the following ballad When the frosts of the Winter in mildness were ending To April I gave half the welcome of May While the Spring fresh in youth came delightfully blending The buds that are sweet and the songs that are gay As the eyes fixed the heart on a vision so fair Not doubting but trusting what magic was there Aloud I exclaim d with augmented desire I thought twas the Spring when in truth twas Maria When the fading of stars in the region of splendour Announc d that the morning was young in the east On the upland I rov d admiration to render Where freshness and beauty and lustre increas d Whilst the beams of the morning new pleasures bestow d While fondly I gaz d while with rapture I glow d In sweetness commanding in elegance bright Maria arose a more beautiful light Again on the termination of the engagement of Miss Foote at Drury Lane Theatre in May 1826 Sir Lumley addressed her in the following impromptu Maria departs tis a sentence of dread For the Graces turn pale and the Fates droop their head In mercy to breasts that tumultuously burn Dwell no more on departure but speak of return Since she goes when the buds are just ready to burst In expanding its leaves let the willow be first We here shall no longer find beauties in May It cannot be Spring when Maria's away If vernal at all tis an April appears For the blossom flies off in the midst of our tears Sir Lumley through the ingratitude and treachery of Friends found in sunshine to be lost in storm became involved in difficulties and endless litigation and his latter years were clouded with sorrow still his buoyant spirits never altogether left him although the observed of all observers passed his latter years in compulsory residence in a quarter of the great town ignored by the Sybarites of St James's When Madame Vestris established a theatre of her own Sir Lumley thus sang in the columns of The Times Now Vestris the tenth of the Muses To Mirth rears a fanciful dome We mark while delight she infuses The Graces find beauty at home In her eye such vivacity glitters To her voice such perfections belong That care and the life it embitters Find balm in the sweets of her song 39 39 When monarchs o er valleys are ranging A court is transferr d to the green And flowers transplanted are changing Not fragrance but merely the scene Tis circumstance dignifies places A desert is charming with spring And pleasure finds twenty new graces Wherever the Vestris may sing Sir Lumley who had long been unheard of in fashionable circles died in London in 1850 or 1851 Skiffy at the Birthday Ball Timbs, J. (1875). English Eccentrics and Eccentricities. United Kingdom: Chatto and Windus.

His obituary added in some additional details:

Sir Lumley Skeffington received his education at the school of Mr Newcome at Hackney where he acquired a taste for the drama taking part in the plays for which the school had been noted for above a century and acquiring much applause in his graceful representation of Hamlet his no less remarkable energy in Phocyas in Hughes's Siege of Damascus and in other characters Almost on his first coming to school the late elegant poet George Keate esq wrote for him an epilogue in which the fashionable manners of the day were well depictured and were portrayed even at that early age by the performer with the most admirable elegance We here quote a Memoir of Sir Lumley Skeffington which was published in the Monthly Mir ror for Jan 1806 and we cannot refuse a still more characteristic but perfectly serious passage which presently follows Being now arrived at that period when young men in his line of life are intro duced into the world by a presentation at Court he for a time forgot the Muses and by a very successful courtship of the Graces burst forth a most distinguished figure in the highest circle of fashionable society It was in vain that rivals strove to detract from him to whom in a very little time they were obliged reluctantly to yield His triumph is in a great measure to be attributed to that good humour and vivacity which continue to render him in every sphere so general a favourite As to his manners the suffrages of the most polished circles in this kingdom have pronounced him one of the best bred men of the present times blending at once the decorum of what is called the vielle cour with the careless gracefulness of the modern school he seems to do everything by chance but it is such a chance as study could not improve In short whenever he trifles it is with elegance and when ever occasion calls for energy he is warm spirited and animated In the conduct of this gentleman there are some traits which are particularly ap parent first his uncommon ardour in friendship and secondly his condescend ing and free manner to inferiors and ser vants It is also a fact well ascertained that he was never known to say even in the most remote way a disrespectful or unkind word of any person Thus gifted we continue to quote the Monthly Mirror of 1806 in person birth and talents it will not appear extra ordinary that he should in his turn be governing the fashions and establishing the mode We of late heard of a new colour of his introducing which is dis tinguished by the name of Skeffington brown Mr Skeffington it is clear was not without ambition however questionable may have been the field he chose for its as pirations But we are next told that after passing a few years in a round of fashion able gaiety a few years more than in 1806 he was willing to admit the charms of his early friends the Muses again at tracted his attention and he returned to them with the delight of a lover In May 1802 he produced at Covent Garden theatre a comedy in five acts en titled The Word of Honour and in the following season at Drury Lane The High Road to Marriage another comedy in five acts both of which met with moderate success On the 6th Dec 1805 his grand legendary melodrama The Sleeping Beauty was produced at Drury Lane and was more decidedly suc cessful and he subsequently contributed to the stage Maids and Bachelors 1806 The Mysterious Bride 1808 Bombastes Furioso an opera named Ethelinde brought out at Drury Lane about 1810 and a comedy called Lose no Time None of these we believe were printed except the songs to The Sleeping Beauty He was the author of various prologues written for his friends some of which were printed in the Gentleman's Magazine within the years from 1792 to 1808 see our General Indexes vol iii p 533 and of other poetical trifles He still aimed to shine as one of the most conspicuous stars in the world of fashion and some poet of whose name we are ig norant has commemorated the time when Skeffy skipp d on with his wonted grace He is also enshrined in the amber of the English Bards and Scotch Reviewers In grim array though Lewis spectres rise Still Skeffington and Goose divide the prize And sure great Skeffington must claim our praise For skirtless coats and skeletons of plays Renown d alike whose genius ne er confines Her flight to garnish Greenwood's gay de signs Nor sleeps with Sleeping Beauties but anon In five facetious acts comes thundering on While poor John Bull bewilder d with the scene Stares wondering what the devil it can mean But as some hands applaud a venal few Rather than sleep why John applauds it too And Letter VIII of the Twopenny Post Bag is addressed from Colonel Th m s to Sk ff ingt n esq He succeeded to the dignity of a Baro net on his father's death Jan 26 1815 Having exhausted the resources of his patrimony he resided for some years within the rules of the King's Bench occasion ally visiting the haunts of his earlier years and scrupulously observing the attire and manners of the old beau though his frame was nearly doubled with age Some years ago we believe his fortunes were partially repaired by the recovery of a small here ditary property to the value of about 8001 a year but an attempt he made in 1838 to regain an interest in the estates of his maternal family the Hubbards at Rother hithe was less successful The Hubbards had failed as merchants and it was ad judged by Mr Baron Alderson that his uncle from whom he claimed had assigned all his property to his trustees Having become habituated to a residence in the southern suburbs Sir Lumley con 200 OBITUARY Sir John tinued there when it was no longer ne cessary and died in his lodgings near the Blind Asylum from whence he was ac customed to take an airing about twice a week in a hack cabriolet His body was interred on the 15th Nov at Norwood cemetery That of his father was buried at Paddington Church for the Leicester shire property had quitted the family in 1814 previously to Sir William's death As Sir Lumley never married the baro netcy is of course extinct A portrait of Sir Lumley Skeffington was published in the Monthly Mirror for Jan 1806 engraved from a miniature by Barber and a biographical sketch from which we have extracted the most characteristic passages was published in portions in that magazine and those for February and April Another scarcely less laudatory will be found in the Biogra phia Dramatica edit 1812 The Gentleman’s Magazine. (1851). United Kingdom: F. Jefferies.

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