Lady Frances Jocelyn
(1820-1880)

The amateur photographer Lady Frances Jocelyn was the daughter of Peter Cowper, 5th Earl Cowper. After her father’s death, her mother had married Lord Palmerston, whose mistress she had by then been for many years. Throughout her life there were rumours that Lady Jocelyn’s real father was in fact Lord Palmerston.

In 1838 Lady Frances was one of the trainbearers at the coronation of Queen Victoria. Two years later she was one of the Queen’s bridesmaids at her wedding to Prince Albert.

On 9 April 1841 Lady Frances married the politician, Robert Jocelyn, Viscount Jocelyn, the eldest son of Robert Jocelyn, 3rd Earl of Roden. That same year she was appointed a Lady of the Bedchamber to the Queen.

During the late 1850s and early 1860s, Lady Jocelyn was a keen amateur photographer. A frequent visitor to Palmerston’s home, Broadlands in Hampshire, she photographed many family groups and a number of the visitors who came to the estate. She worked closely with the local photographer in Romsey, William Henry Slater, and his assistant William Toogood Frost.

Lady Jocelyn outlived her husband and all four of her children; she died at Cannes on 26 March 1880.

An obituary appeared in the Morning Post (27 March 1880). 'The death of Lady Jocelyn is announced as having occurred yesterday, at Cannes. The deceased, Frances Viscountess Jocelyn, was the youngest of the five children of the late Viscountess Palmerston, by her first husband [...] and consequently sister of the late Countess of Shaftesbury, Earl Cowper, and Hon. Spencer Cowper, and aunt to the present Earl. Her ladyship was born 9th February, 1820, and married 27th April, 1841, Robert Viscount Jocelyn, [...] by whom [...] her ladyship had issue, two sons and three daughters, the last surviving of her family, the Earl of Roden, having died at Mentone as recently as the 10th of January last. Lady Jocelyn was with her son at his death, which was a severe shock to her health, and her last domestic loss preyed heavily on her weakened constitution. Her son, Lord Roden, was buried at Cannes, where her ladyship had been residing since, solaced by the presence of Viscount Sudely and his children and the Hon. Mrs W. Cowper-Temple. [...] Lady Jocelyn was a much cherished friend of the Queen's, and as Lady Frances Cowper was one of the 12 unmarried ladies who bore her Majesty's train at her marriage in February, 1840. Since then her ladyship had been a Lady in Waiting and a Lady of the Queen's Bedchamber, and on relinquishing her active duties at the Court was appointed an Extra Lady of the Bedchamber to the Queen.'