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Gomm, Lady Elizabeth Ann (1807 - 1877)
- Born
- 1807
- Died
- 30 November 1877
- Occupation
- Governor's wife and Original sender
- Summary
Lady Elizabeth Gomm (née Kerr) was the second wife of Sir William Maynard Gomm. They married in 1830. In 1842 she accompanied her husband to Mauritius, where he was Governer (1842-49). She was well liked in the island and a great entertainer. A number of books published at this time in Mauritius were dedicated to her.
She gave the famous ball on 30 September 1847, for which it is likely that entry cards were sent out in envelopes bearing the new one penny Post Office stamps.
Those who have only known Lady Gomm as the public patroness of every graceful amusement, and of every charitable enterprise, or who have only thought of her as being distinguished chiefly by the grace which presided over the brilliant entertainments at Government House, and which communicated to the utmost gaiety and enjoyment the refinement of the most polished society, will form but an inadequate idea of what the colony has lost, in losing this accomplished lady. Her poor clients both in town and country will long tell, that though they know nothing of the attractive qualities which won for her so rich a tribute of admiration in society, they do at least know that for seven years a lady resided amongst them whose womanly heart was never closed to the call of distress, whose friendly counsel and sympathy were ever at the command of her humblest neighbours, and whose purse was ever open either to relieve or to reward them. The friends of the Mahebourg hospital will testify how earnestly she has exerted herself to promote the material comfort of that district, and the Church at Moka will show what she has done for the religious instruction of the poor of her own neighbourhood. Monuments have been erected ere now to commemorate individual benevolence, but the foundation of a more touching monument than can be made with hands, has been erected to the memory of Lady Gomm, in the grateful hearts and tearful recollections of hundreds of poor families.
From 'Address to Lady Gomm', The Mauritius Times, 5 May 1849, p. 502.
Related Subjects
Husband
Related Events
Related Places
Archives
National Library of Australia
- The Mauritius Times, RBef 079.6982 M456; National Library of Australia [ Details... ].
Bibliography
Books
- Carr-Gomm, Francis Culling, Letters and Journals of Field-Marshall Sir William Maynard Gomm, G.C.B. Commander-in-Chief of India, Constable of the Tower of London &c. &c. From 1799 to Waterloo, 1815, John Murray, London, 1881. [ Details... ]
Book Sections
- Vetch, R. H. and Lunt, rev. James, 'Gomm, Sir William Maynard (1784-1875)', in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004. [ Details... ]
Journal Articles
- Moens, Jean-Baptiste, 'Encore les Post-Office de Maurice', Le Timbre-Poste, no. 441, September 1899, pp. 141-42. [ Details... ]
Newspaper Articles
- 'Address to Lady Gomm', The Mauritius Times, 5 May 1849, p. 502. [ Details... ]
- 'Sir W. Gomm', The Times, 25 March 1875, p. 10. [ Details... ]
Images
-
-
- Title
- Lady Gomm's ball
- Type
- Lithograph
- Date
- 1847
- Creator
- G. V. Nash
- Publisher
- David Feldman SA
- Details
Prepared by: Helen Morgan
Created: 16 March 2006, Last modified: 26 August 2006