Genealogy research by Mark Humphrys.
Genealogy research by Mark Humphrys.
Augustus Reebkomp (later Montgomery),
Illegitimate son of 10th Earl of Pembroke, born "Augustus Reebkomp":
Reebkomp was the
illegitimate son of the 10th Earl of Pembroke.
See The elopement of the 10th Earl and Kitty Hunter.
It is
about as well-documented an illegitimacy as you could imagine,
and about as well-accepted by the legitimate family.
Even Lady Pembroke generously welcomed him at their seat
Wilton House
(though she blocked his adoption of the surname Herbert).
He was liked especially by his half-brother
George (the future 11th Earl),
who had no other brother.
Money came out of the Herbert family for him and his descendants for almost a full hundred years.
Think he grew up mainly at Wilton.
Not sure how much contact he had with his mother
Kitty Hunter.
The Earl of Pembroke paid her a pension.
Presumably she did not visit Wilton.
But they stayed in contact.
Her new lover the (future)
Earl of Bristol
was Reebkomp's godfather,
and her eventual husband
Alured Clarke
stayed in contact with Reebkomp (and with the Montgomery family, after Reebkomp's death).
He was
educ Eton 1767 (age 4) to 1771.
His older brother was sent to Harrow.
[Thomas, 2008]
references research about the youngest ever boys at Eton,
and says Reebkomp was
"the youngest Etonian ever."
|
Royal Navy career:
He entered the Royal Navy as a child. First record is June 1773, age 10. See Royal Navy career of Augustus Montgomery 1773 to 1797. He was in England and present at Wilton House during the Royal visit to Wilton, 1778. Lady Pembroke writes from Wilton on 18 Feb 1779 and says "Rep. is with me." [PP, vol.1, p.150] He sailed to North America in May 1779. He served in American Revolutionary War, 1779 to 1783. He wrote to his father from his ship at Port Royal, Jamaica, on 21 Nov 1779. He sends love to stepmother, half-sister and mother: "My kind love to Lady P. and Charlotte. Let Mrs. C. know that I am well." Interesting that his father remains in contact with Kitty Clarke. See [PP, vol.1, p.323]. |
There was a story among his Gibbon descendants that he went on the Grand Tour with his half-brother the future 11th Earl. But [PP, vol.1] shows no sign of him on his brother's lengthy tour (which was in 1775-1780).
|
Becomes
Captain.
Takes the name "Augustus Montgomery".
He took the surname "Montgomery" on becoming Commander in 1781. He became Captain in 1782. He then requested Navy records change to "Montgomery". Listed as "A. Montgomery" in [Dublin Almanack, 1783]. American Revolutionary War ended Sept 1783. He went on leave in Sept 1783 for nearly 5 years. |
See lost portrait of Augustus Montgomery,
painted maybe around 1783.
[PP, vol.2, p.242]
shows him joining Lady Pembroke and 11th Earl at Nice
in Nov 1783.
[PP, vol.1, App.A]
says that when out of the Navy, in 1783-88,
Augustus spent his time between England and the Continent.
His half-brother the
11th Earl
defends him against some worries by their father, in a letter of 3 Apr 1787:
"he is going on very well, living a great deal in a circle of very good acquaintance, whom he likes,
and who like him ... rejoice at his being a thorough worthy and pleasant being,
which he most undoubtedly is."
[PP, vol.2, p.346]
|
Serves in Mediterranean, meets wife:
He re-joined active service in the Navy in 1788. See Beechey portrait, painted 1789. He served in the Mediterranean in 1790-91. Presumably in the Eastern Mediterranean, and that is how he met his wife. He went on leave on 5 May 1791. He got married in Oct 1791. He does not seem to have returned to service until around the time George was conceived in early 1793. |
He
mar Oct 1791, Smyrna, Turkey,
to Susan Maltass [born est c.1774].
On 8 Jan 1793, he was appointed Captain of the Inconstant.
George would be conceived around Feb 1793.
In Apr 1793,
the Inconstant is listed as having left England.
The 11th Earl
writes to his mother, 27 Aug 1793, saying that Reebkomp's marriage is not happy:
"A Wasp's Nest there very likely is, but I fear she has been herself insupportable to him,
and she is such an execrable fool, that I am inclined to fear there are but small hopes,
and I have likewise heard enough to make me suspect that her conduct has not always been the
most regular in any respect."
[PP, vol.2, p.489]
However, Reebkomp in his will 1796 still refers to "my beloved wife Susan".
His father the 10th Earl
died in Jan 1794.
His mother died Aug 1795.
Elizabeth would be conceived around Oct 1795.
He went on leave on 16 Nov 1795, though was apparently already in England (in Portsmouth).
Augustus dies, 1797:
His will
is dated 13 June 1796, written on board his ship the Theseus at sea.
He says if his wife and children die he leaves his estate to his half-brother the 11th Earl.
Augustus
died 6 Feb 1797, age 34 yrs,
on board his ship the Theseus at
Cawsand Bay, Plymouth.
There was apparently no fighting so he may have died of some illness.
See notice
on p.173
of The Gentleman's Magazine, Feb 1797.
He was bur 16 Feb 1797
in churchyard of
Stoke Damerel church, Plymouth.
No monument erected to him there.
His will was proved
(by 11th Earl) 11 Mar 1797,
Prerogative Court of Canterbury.
There were family names Augustus, Augusta and Montgomery
in the Gibbon family after him.
Wilton papers
show that the 11th Earl took care of Reebkomp's children after his death.
The children regularly visited, or even largely grew up at,
the Earl's homes, Wilton House and Pembroke House.
Susan lived on for decades.
She went to live in France by 1818.
She had an affair as a middle-aged widow, and gave birth to a natural son in Paris in 1818.
See Susan's life after Augustus.
Augustus and Susan had issue:
Entry for Reebkomp on
pp.446-447
of
[Eton College register, 1753-1790].
He went there in 1767-71.
Quite something for an illegitimate child to be sent to Eton.
[Steel's List, Jan 1790]
shows
Augustus Montgomery as Captain of the
Mercury,
then
in the Mediterranean.
Montgomery served in the Mediterranean in 1790-91.
Presumably in the Eastern Mediterranean, and that is how he met his wife,
Susan Maltass of Smyrna, who he married in 1791.
See full size.
Will of Arthur Augustus Gibbon
(died 1907)
mentions a
miniature portrait of Reebkomp and Susan.
Two copies of the same picture, framed in gold.
One copy went to
Mildred Gibbon (died 1952).
The other copy went to either
Lily Gibbon (died 1932)
or
Florence Gibbon (died 1949).
Will of Arthur Augustus Gibbon
(died 1907)
mentions cutlery with the initials "A.M."
This would be Augustus Montgomery.
The will here says that it went to Florence Gibbon (died 1949).
Will of Arthur Augustus Gibbon
(died 1907)
says it went to either
Monty Gibbon (died 1920)
or
Mildred Gibbon (died 1952).
"I am glad Lord P. [Pembroke] provided well for them [George and Elizabeth]
and he was obviously very fond of them."
[Letter from 16th Earl of Pembroke, 1960]
after making contact with the Gibbon descendants of Elizabeth Montgomery.
The 10th Earl died after George was born but before Elizabeth existed.
It was the 11th Earl who really provided for them.
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