The daughter of John Simpson and Anne Lyon, Maria grew up at the family home of Bradley Hall, Co. Durham, her maternal grandfather being the 6th Earl of Strathmore. She married in 1796 Sir Thomas Henry Liddell, 6th Bt. and moved to the Liddell family seat of Ravensworth Castle.

Her husband entered Parliament as Tory M.P.for Durham in 1806 and two years later employed the Prince Regent’s favourite architect, John Nash, to embark on substantial improvements to the family home. A great friend of the royal family, the Barony of Ravensworth was revived by George IV and Sir Thomas became the second Lord Ravensworth in 1821. He devoted much of his time to his estates and to the coal industry, and enthusiastically encouraged developments in engineering giving George Stephenson his first opportunity to build a practical steam engine to run on rails.

Lady Ravensworth bore her husband twelve healthy children who all, amazingly for the times, survived in to adulthood. She died November 22nd 1845 and was buried in the family vault at St. Andrews Church, Lamesley. The original portrait of her by Lawrence remained in the family until the late 1980’s; the present painting discussed here would appear to be that version mentioned by scholar Kenneth Garlick as being mistaken for Maria, Marchioness of Hertford. No doubt this was probably painted some time shortly after the original for another family member, many years and different owners later some confusion over the sitter’s identity clearly arose.

Literature: Kenneth Garlick: “Sir Thomas Lawrence” p.256, Phaidon 1989