, a lady of considerable poetical talents, was the daughter of fcir
, a lady of
considerable poetical talents, was the daughter of fcir William Kingsmill, of Sidmonton, in the county of Southampton, but the time of her birth is not mentioned. She was
maid of honour to the duchess of York, second wife of
James II.; and afterwards married to Heneage, second son
of Heneage earl of Winchelsea; which Heneage was, in
his father’s life-time, gentleman of the bed-chamber to
the duke of York, and afterwards, upon the death of his
nephew Charles, succeeded to the title of earl of Winchelsea. One of the most considerable of this lady’s
poems was that “upon the Spleen,
” printed in “A new
jniscellany of original Poems on several occasion’s,
” pub
lished by Mr. Charles Gildon in A
collection of her poems, was printed in 1713, 8vo; containing likewise a, tragedy called
” Aristomenes;" never
acted; and many still continue unpublished, a few of
which may be seen in the General Dictionary, which Dr.
Birch inserted there by permission of the countess of Hertford, in whose possession they were. Her ladyship obtained the good will of Pope, who addressed some verses
to her which drew forth an elegant replication, printed in
Gibber’s Lives. She died August 5, 1720, without issue
as did the earl her husband, Sept. 30, 1726.