Eugenia Stanhope

Christopher Mayo (Adelphi University)
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Eugenia Stanhope, née Pieters, was born circa 1729 in London. She married Philip Stanhope, illegitimate son of Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, in 1767, though they had lived together nominally as husband and wife from at least 1760. In 1774, despite objections by Lord Chesterfield’s executors, she co-edited

Lord Chesterfield’s Letters to his Son

(her husband had died in 1768, her father-in-law in 1773). Stanhope is known to have written only five short pieces, all connected with

Letters to his Son

: a defense of the upcoming publication against Chesterfield’s executors (1774), the dedication and advertisement in the first edition of

Letters to his Son

(1774), a spirited defense of the

Letters

in the second edition (1774), and the preface, published posthumously, of

202 words

Citation: Mayo, Christopher. "Eugenia Stanhope". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 02 June 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5927, accessed 19 March 2024.]

5927 Eugenia Stanhope 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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