Sidney Meadows

Sir Sidney Meadows (c. 1699 – 15 November 1792) was a British Member of Parliament and Knight Marshal of the King's Household during the reign of George II and George III.

Family Sir Sidney Meadows' daughter, Frances, was Maid of Honour to Queen Charlotte, (seated) when Johan Zoffany painted this portrait in 1765 He was the eldest son of the diplomat Sir Philip Meadowes (1672-1757), of Brompton, Kensington, and his wife Dorothy, daughter of Edward Boscawen. On 2 June 1742 he married Jemima, daughter of the Hon. Charles Montagu of Durham and granddaughter of Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of Sandwich. Earl Sandwich's grandson - Edward Montagu - and his wife Elizabeth, leader of the Blue Stockings Society, were Meadows' brother and sister-in-law. Horace Walpole references the wealth of Sir Sidney and Lady Meadows in his published correspondence.

In 1768, Queen Charlotte "set the worthy King to work to patch up" with Sir Sidney the scandal of the "stolen marriage" Sir Sidney's daughter Frances (1741-1769) - Charlotte's Maid of Honour - had made with Captain Campbell, "a penniless officer". Despite not "giving notice to the queen or her father", Charlotte kept the peace and generously gave "her late maid of honour a thousand pounds". Frances died in "childbed" i.e., giving birth to her only son.

Equestrian A talented horseman, Meadows made many improvements in the "art of horsemanship". George Stubbs painted a portrait of him upon his horse. Meadows conducted a riding house in Mayfair and gave riding lessons to the nobility, believing they would benefit from his expertise. A "strong-built man", Meadows was still giving horse-riding instructions when "approaching eighty". Hester Thrale, celebrated member of the Blue Stockings Society, observed both his horses and his equestrian skills favourably when visiting him at his "riding house".