Miss Caroline Wheler
(1837-1899)
11 April 1862

Volume 6, page 184, sitting number 7605.

Miss Caroline Wheler was the third daughter of Reverend Charles Wheler, a 'Clergyman without cure of souls' (1861 census).

Born in or about 1837 at Ledsham in Yorkshire, she appears on the 1861 census, living with her parents at Ledsham. Also present on the night of the census was her older brother, Charles Wheler Wheler, another visitor to Silvy's studio. [His portrait appears on page 34 of this section.]

On 3 June 1862, at All Saints' in Ledsham, Caroline Wheler married Reverend St Aubyn Hender Molesworth-St Aubyn of Clowance in Cornwall, who after her death became 12th Baronet Molesworth of Pencarrow in  Cornwall. Their marriage produced four children. 

Between 1868 and 1874 Reverend Molesworth-St Aubyn was the Vicar of Collingham in Yorkshire. 

Lady Caroline Molesworth-St Aubyn died at Varese in Italy on 8 June 1899 and was buried there the following day. She left an estate valued at £30,079. 

According to The Cornish Telegraph (15 June 1899): 'Her death will come as a shcok to many, as she was greatly beloved by a very large circle of friends. Additional sorrow is experienced from the fact of her three children - Hugh and Bevil [sic] Molesworth St Aubyn and Mrs de Cerjat - arriving too late, the end being very sudden. The deceased lady has been an invalid for a considerable time, suffering greatly from asthma. Some months ago she left England with her husband for France, visiting several places for the benefit of her health. A stay at San Remo did not alleviate her suffering very much and comparatively recently Italy was visited.'