DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68074#0146
84 ROUBILIAC
nothing is known of the lady; and the event itself was widely, and inaccurately,
announced. Within eight months of his marriage the sculptor was on his way
to Italy, and Elizabeth Crosby is heard of no more save that she owned a
book a year after (p. 194) and served, so Roubiliac tradition asserts, as his
model for the lovely figure variously called Navigation and Britannia on the
monument of Sir Peter Warren in Westminster Abbey.
Secrecy as to the fact of the marriage was certainly not aimed at; rather the
facts seem to point to a defiant publicity. On 11 th January, 1752, Roubiliac’s
friend Fielding published the following announcement in the Covent Garden
Journal under the heading ‘ Modern History for Saturday, Jan. nth ’, which
is inserted word for word in the General Advertiser of the same date: ‘ A few
days since was married, Mr. Roubilliac, an eminent Statuary in St. Martin’s
Lane, to Miss Crosby of Deptford, a celebrated Beauty, with a fortune of Ten
Thousand Pounds ’. The Gentleman's Magazine repeats the announcement in
its January number (vol. 22, p. 44), a fact which, incidentally, proves that that
periodical came out late in the month : ‘ Mr. Roubilliac, statuaryin St. Martin’s
Lane—to Miss Crosby of Deptford, 10,000 L.’ In point of fact, they were not
married until 12th January, as appears from the Marriage Allegation (p. 143)
preserved at the Vicar-General’s Office, which gives us the Christian name
of his second wife.
‘ 10 January. 1752.
‘ Which Day Appeared personally Louis Francois Roubiliac of the parish of St. Martin’s-in-
the-Fields in the County of Middx a Widower and alledged that he intended to Marry with
Elizabeth Crosby of Deptford in the County of Kent a Spinster aged upwards of twenty four
years .... not knowing or believing any Impediment by reason of any Precontract Consan-
guinity Affinity or any other lawful means whatsoever to hinder the said intended Marriage
of the truth of which he made Oath and prayed Licence for them to be married in the parish
Church of St. Mary Newington Butts in the County of Surry
Sworn before Louis Francois Roubiliac
Robt Chapman Surrogate
Nfotary] P[ublic]
Present. Rob1 Bogg ’.x
In the Registers of St. Mary, Newington Butts, is the following entry:
‘Jan. 12 th
Louis Francois Roubiliac
Elizabeth Crosby.’
1 The clerk originally omitted the name Louis
and wrote the second name ffrancis, then Lewis
Francis, and finally corrected it to Louis Francois,
whereas about the surname Roubiliac there is no
hesitation whatever. It was the discovery that
he was a widower in 1752 which led to the search
for the records of the earlier marriage.
nothing is known of the lady; and the event itself was widely, and inaccurately,
announced. Within eight months of his marriage the sculptor was on his way
to Italy, and Elizabeth Crosby is heard of no more save that she owned a
book a year after (p. 194) and served, so Roubiliac tradition asserts, as his
model for the lovely figure variously called Navigation and Britannia on the
monument of Sir Peter Warren in Westminster Abbey.
Secrecy as to the fact of the marriage was certainly not aimed at; rather the
facts seem to point to a defiant publicity. On 11 th January, 1752, Roubiliac’s
friend Fielding published the following announcement in the Covent Garden
Journal under the heading ‘ Modern History for Saturday, Jan. nth ’, which
is inserted word for word in the General Advertiser of the same date: ‘ A few
days since was married, Mr. Roubilliac, an eminent Statuary in St. Martin’s
Lane, to Miss Crosby of Deptford, a celebrated Beauty, with a fortune of Ten
Thousand Pounds ’. The Gentleman's Magazine repeats the announcement in
its January number (vol. 22, p. 44), a fact which, incidentally, proves that that
periodical came out late in the month : ‘ Mr. Roubilliac, statuaryin St. Martin’s
Lane—to Miss Crosby of Deptford, 10,000 L.’ In point of fact, they were not
married until 12th January, as appears from the Marriage Allegation (p. 143)
preserved at the Vicar-General’s Office, which gives us the Christian name
of his second wife.
‘ 10 January. 1752.
‘ Which Day Appeared personally Louis Francois Roubiliac of the parish of St. Martin’s-in-
the-Fields in the County of Middx a Widower and alledged that he intended to Marry with
Elizabeth Crosby of Deptford in the County of Kent a Spinster aged upwards of twenty four
years .... not knowing or believing any Impediment by reason of any Precontract Consan-
guinity Affinity or any other lawful means whatsoever to hinder the said intended Marriage
of the truth of which he made Oath and prayed Licence for them to be married in the parish
Church of St. Mary Newington Butts in the County of Surry
Sworn before Louis Francois Roubiliac
Robt Chapman Surrogate
Nfotary] P[ublic]
Present. Rob1 Bogg ’.x
In the Registers of St. Mary, Newington Butts, is the following entry:
‘Jan. 12 th
Louis Francois Roubiliac
Elizabeth Crosby.’
1 The clerk originally omitted the name Louis
and wrote the second name ffrancis, then Lewis
Francis, and finally corrected it to Louis Francois,
whereas about the surname Roubiliac there is no
hesitation whatever. It was the discovery that
he was a widower in 1752 which led to the search
for the records of the earlier marriage.