Mary Anne Caton Patterson Wellesley, Marchioness Wellesley (Mrs. Robert Patterson) (Mrs. Richard Wellesley)

Description

Oil on canvas portrait painting of Mary Anne (later called Marianne) Caton Patterson Wellesley, Marchioness Wellesley (Mrs. Robert Patterson) (Mrs. Richard Wellesley) (1788-1853), by Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830). Mary Anne Caton was one of the famous Maryland “Caton Sisters,” granddaughter of Charles Carroll of Carrollton. Her parents were Richard Caton and Mary Carroll Caton. She first married Robert Patterson (1781-1822) of the Baltimore Patterson family. The two families were neighbors. He was the older brother of Elizabeth "Betsy" Patterson Bonaparte (1785-1879). The couple moved to Europe and brought along two of her sisters Elizabeth Caton and Louisa Caton. Robert died in 1822 and Mary Anne remarried Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley (1760-1842) in 1825 and became "Marianne Wellesley, Marchioness Wellesley". She died in London and is buried in Costessey, England.

Sir Thomas Lawrence painted this portrait of Mrs. Patterson sometime between 1816 and 1818. During that same period, he also completed a portrait of the Duke of Wellington, her brother-in-law.