Draft:Lady Jane Silence Erskine

• Comment: It's not entirely clear what the subject is notable for. Additionally, there are still several cites to unreliable (i.e., self-published) sources, such as [1], or original research, such as [2]. voorts (talk/contributions) 22:48, 20 July 2023 (UTC)

• Comment: Sourcing is malformed, and there are numerous unsourced statements. Greenman (talk) 16:58, 9 June 2023 (UTC)

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Jane Silence Erskine, The Dowager Lady Jane Erskine (Welsh; Jane Silence Williams) was born in 1802 at Plas Isa, Conwy. She was a philanthropist, heiress to the Holland and Williams families of Conway, and was known within Wales by her bardic name, Ifores Gwynedd. She was the Welsh wife of Sir David (Englehart) Erskine, 1st Baronet of Cambo.

Ancestry

Jane was the only surviving daughter and sole heir of Rev. Hugh Williams. She was born in Conwy, North Wales to Rev. Hugh Williams and his wife Mary Williams (nee Playford of Norfolk). Her father, Rev. Hugh Williams was the heir to both the Holland family and the Williams family; nephew of Owen Holland of Conway Esq. and younger brother of Holland Williams of Pwllycrochon Esq. He was the vicar of St Mary's Church, Conwy. He died on 21 March, 1809, aged 58.

Personal life

Growing up, Jane Silence Williams lived at her family's residence; Plas Isa, the Holland family's former town house in Conwy. Her father died when she was 7 and she remained at Plas Isa with her mother. She was the double heiress of the Holland’s Bodlondeb estate and Williams’ Pwllycrochon estate, which were held in trust until she married. In 1821, at the age of 19, she married David Erskine. Upon their marriage he was given the hereditary baronetcy of Cambo. He inherited the estates of Cambo unexpectedly in 1829, upon extinction of the title of the earldom of Kellie. They lived at Bodlondeb until 1824 whilst the red-bricked mansion of Pwllycrochon was rebuilt in 1821 to their preferred design. The marriage is thought to have been a happy one however it was tragically cut short due to the unexpected death of Sir David Erskine in 1841 in Ryde, Isle of Wight .

She had six children between 1822 and 1839. The first born daughter died aged only 4 and her memorial tablet can be found in St Mary's Church Conway.

She had many friends within the local North Wales circles, from Lady Emily Bamford-Hesketh of Gwyrch Castle to Margaret Sandbach of Hafodunos and was a noted philanthropist to her tenants and dependents of Conwy. It is believed that Sir David Erskine initially was landless and even through the marriage, the estates of Bodlondeb and Pwllycrochon were Jane Silence Erskine’s although upon her marriage these reverted to her husband. He was however independently wealthy due to his father’s investments in Sweden. He was High Sheriff of Denbighshire in 1823 and Sheriff of Caernarvonshire in 1824, and during his lifetime gave the living of Conway to his chosen vicar paying £600 for this as the landowner of the Bodlondeb estate within whose environs it was situated. In 1826 with the erection of the Conwy suspension bridge, Jane Silence Erskine received compensation for the loss of the ferries whose fares had been claimed by the Williams' since the time of Elizabeth I. As part of the inherited properties of the Hollands, Conwy Castle was also within the guardianship of the Erskines. In 1830 the family moved to Cambo House in Scotland. Lady Jane Erskine's Welsh estates and correspondence were managed by her agent, Mr. Henry Jones of Bodidda in their absence. Upon her husbands death, Jane Silence Erskine was able to claim her dower income from the properties and their son and heir Sir Thomas Erskine inherited solely the Scottish estates of Cambo. They managed the Welsh estates jointly with Jane’s trusted agent Mr Henry Jones (Died 1872). In 1850 the Dowager Lady Jane Erskine and her daughter Mary were made Ovates of the Gorsedd at Pwllycrochon following the Eisteddfod at Rhuddlan castle. Her middle daughter, Mary Erskine, died unmarried aged 23 in 1853. Her second son, David Erskine, became the British Consul of Madeira in 1856 upon his marriage to Augusta Jane Stoddart. Her eldest daughter Harriet Erskine went to the Crimea as a nurse with Lydia Sellon’s nurses in 1854 as part of the Anglican Women’s Order and died aged 33 at Ascot priory in 1860. In 1865 she agreed to the sale of her Welsh estates with her son and heir Sir Thomas Erskine, 2nd Baronet of Cambo and she moved permanently to Torquay, to her villa Conway House on Warren Road, living next door to Glan y Mor, the Torquay residence of the Bamford-Hesketh’s of Gwrych castle. Her youngest son, Hugh David Erskine, and her daughter, Caroline Erskine, also moved permanently to Torquay.

Death

Jane Erskine died 9 March, 1886, of old age at her Torquay residence; Conway House. She was 84 years old. Her funeral was held at St Lukes Church presided over by the vicar Rev. W S Boyle; it was documented as being a simple and modest service, attended by those closest to her. Jane's chief mourners were Sir Thomas Erskine (son and heir) and her surviving children. She was buried in Torquay Cemetery. She was survived by her children; Sir Thomas Erskine, 2nd Baronet of Cambo, Caroline Erskine (spinster) and Hugh Erskine. Sir Thomas Erskine inherited her remaining Welsh properties. Caroline Erskine was her sole executor.

Participation in Welsh culture

Lady Jane Silence Erskine was a Welsh-speaker and a patron of Welsh art, music and literature being Lady Patroness of a number of Welsh balls, musical recitals at St Asaph and subscriber to various charitable organisations. She was initiated as an Ovate at the Pwllycrochon Gorsedd as part of the Esisteddford at Rhuddlan castle in 1850. Although she spent 10 years living in Scotland on her husband's Scottish estates (1830-1841), she returned after his death to her Welsh family seat at Pwllycrochon and prepared for her eldest son to reach his majority. Even after her removal to Torquay, she returned regularly to Conwy, hosting a number of fetes at Conwy Castle of which she had also inherited as part of her Bodlondeb estate.

Charitable works

Knowing how vulnerable local poor people were during the winter months, Lady Jane Silence Erskine would often donate coal and firewood to keep them warm. She was a patron of a number of Clothing Banks of Conwy and surrounding parishes, an active member of the Female Friendly Societies notably Llandrillo which was the nearest to her family seat at Pwllycrochon. She took a keen interest in education and her husband had paid for the land donated in 1837 to the building of the National School in Conwy. She also hosted an annual fete for the schoolchildren of Conwy and Llandrillo parishes at her home in Pwllycrochon beginning with just over 200 children initially and rising to over 700 by 1868, which due to the large numbers of children of the parishes and the sale of her Welsh home in 1865 was hosted at Conwy Castle.