Painting of Countess Charlotte of Derby, 17th/18th century.12 inches by 10 inches in a frame 16 inches by 14 inches.Painted on wood panel, the reverse having an old paper label,identifying the sitter as Countess Charlotte of Derby, the famous 18th century Countess that took an important defensive position during the English Civil War of the 17th century./////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////(From WIki):"Charlotte Stanley, Countess of Derby (December 1599 to 31 March 1664), born Charlotte de La Tramoille, is famous for her robust defense of Lathom House during the English Civil War.Charlotte, born at the chateau of Thouars, Poitou, in France was the daughter of the French nobleman Claude de La Tramoille, 2nd Duke of Thouars, and his wife, Countess Charlotte Brabantina of Nassau. Her maternal grandparents were William I, Prince of Orange, and Charlotte de Bourbon.On 26 June 1626, Charlotte married the English nobleman James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby, who was taken prisoner at Nantwich in 1651 and beheaded at Bolton.Lady Derby was famous for her defence of Lathom House in the Siege of Lathom House by Parliamentary forces during the First English Civil War in 1644. During the absence of her spouse, she was left in charge of what turned out to be the last remaining Royalist stronghold in Lancashire.Immediately after the fall of Warrington, she was requested to acknowledge Parliament's authority and surrender her house, but she refused on the grounds that doing so would dishonour her husband. She offered to limit herself to defending her home and this postponed further attacks on her position.[3] In February 1644, Latham House was besieged by the forces of Sir Thomas Fairfax. Lady Derby had fortified the castle to resist bombardment and assembled a militia of seasoned marksmen who were able to inflict significant losses by sniping. She expressly refused repeated offers of surrender. On 27 May 1644, Prince Rupert arrived with Royalist forces and the siege was broken. Lady Derby and her staff were evacuated to the Isle of Man. Lady Derby's defence of Lathom House is commemorated in Letitia Elizabeth Landon's poem.[citation needed]Isle of ManHer husband was also Lord of Mann. Lady Derby's attempt to barter the island for her husband's freedom provoked an anti-English revolt led by Illiam Dhone.Lady Derby was holding Man, but the total destruction of the Royal army at Worcester, the flight of Prince Charles to an exile in France and the execution of her husband left her without hope of assistance. She eventually yielded with reluctance to the necessity of a surrender and retained,[4] says David Hume, "the glory of being the last person in the three kingdoms, and in all their dependent dominions, who submitted to the victorious rebels".[5][a]FamilyCharlotte and Derby were parents of four daughters and five sons. Only four of their children appear to have survived to a marriageable age:Charles Stanley, 8th Earl of Derby (19 January 1628 to 21 December 1672).Lady Henriette Mary Stanley (17 November 1630 to 27 December 1685) married William Wentworth, 2nd Earl of Strafford.Lady Amelia Ann Sophia Stanley married John Murray, 1st Marquess of Atholl.Lady Catherine Stanley married Henry Pierrepont, 1st Marquess of Dorchester.Charles's two sons, William, the 9th Earl (c. 1655 to 1702), and James, the 10th (166 to 1736), both died without sons, and consequently, when James died in February 1736, his titles and estates passed to Sir Edward Stanley (1689 to 1776), a descendant of the 1st Earl. From him the later Earls of Derby are descended."

Good condition overall