Mary Nesbitt (1742/3 to 1825)

Born Mary Davis into poverty with unknown parentage. Became artist’s model for Sir Joshua Reynolds in 1764 and had a career as a courtesan. She married Alexander Nesbitt who owned Park House from Because of the lavish settlement he was persuaded to make upon his wife he was dismissed from the family firm and sought consolation in the arms of his wife in Norwood. She triumphed in her husband’s misery and he was driven from the house and died insane. She found herself mistress of the house in Norwood and of an ample income.  1771 became the mistress of Hon Augustus Hervey of Ickworth Earl of Bristol and they lived at Park House. He spent some of his recently inherited wealth on improvements to Park House.  On Hervey’s death in 1779 she enlarged Norwood House and received aspirants to political office having become woman of great wealth and of an unusually independent position. Her house became the nucleus of a political salon for comparatively minor figures. She was well regarded at this point in her life On 25 September 1797, the Morning Chronicleacknowledged that “this celebrated woman”, despite “the miscellany of her life”, had “acquired an elevation … which she has pr eserved with dignity”, using “her influence with the great in favour of the unfortunate”.  From the 1790s Park House was let to tenants which she went to Europe exerting influence here. By 1803 she had returned from her travels and enlarged Park House between 1806 and 1810.  It was one of the leading establishments in Norwood with 4 male and 7 female inhabitants. In 1814 Park House was let again and Mary was said to have died abroad in 1825