# Selina Bridgeman

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British correspondent of Benjamin Disraeli

The Right Honourable The Countess of Bradford Portrait of Lady Bradford, by Edward Clifford, 1876 Born Selina Louise Weld-Forester (1819-02-17)17 February 1819 Willey Park, Shropshire Died 25 November 1894(1894-11-25) (aged 75) Weston Park, Staffordshire Spouse Orlando Bridgeman, 3rd Earl of Bradford ​ ​ (m. 1844)​ Children 4 Parent(s) Cecil Weld-Forester, 1st Baron Forester Lady Katherine Manners Relatives Charles Manners, 4th Duke of Rutland (grandfather)

**Selina Louisa Bridgeman, Countess of Bradford** (born **Selina Louise Weld-Forester**; 17 February 1819 – 25 November 1894) was a British peeress. Prime Minister [Benjamin Disraeli](/source/Benjamin_Disraeli) was her admirer and he wrote her over 1,000 letters.

## Early life

Bridgeman was born on 17 February 1819 at the family home, [Willey Park](/source/Willey%2C_Shropshire), Shropshire.[1] She was the daughter of [Cecil Weld-Forester, 1st Baron Forester](/source/Cecil_Weld-Forester%2C_1st_Baron_Forester) and the former Lady Katherine Manners. Her father was a landowner and a keen follower of the hounds in [Melton Mowbray](/source/Melton_Mowbray) who served as a Member of Parliament.[2]

Her paternal grandparents were Anne ([née](/source/Birth_name#Maiden_and_married_names) Townshend) Forester and Lt-Col. [Cecil Forester](/source/Cecil_Forester_(MP)), MP for Wenlock.[3] Her maternal grandparents were [Charles Manners, 4th Duke of Rutland](/source/Charles_Manners%2C_4th_Duke_of_Rutland) and [Lady Mary Isabella Somerset](/source/Lady_Mary_Isabella_Somerset) (a daughter of the [4th Duke of Beaufort](/source/Charles_Somerset%2C_4th_Duke_of_Beaufort)).[4]

## Personal life

In 1844 she married [Orlando George Charles Bridgeman, Viscount Newport](/source/Orlando_Bridgeman%2C_3rd_Earl_of_Bradford) who was then MP for [South Shropshire](/source/South_Shropshire_(UK_Parliament_constituency)).[1] Together, they were the parents of:

- Lady Mabel Selina Bridgeman (d. 1933), who married Colonel [William Kenyon-Slaney](/source/William_Kenyon-Slaney).[5]

- [Lady Florence Katharine Bridgeman](/source/Florence_Lascelles%2C_Countess_of_Harewood) (1859–1943), who married [Henry Lascelles, 5th Earl of Harewood](/source/Henry_Lascelles%2C_5th_Earl_of_Harewood).[6]

- [George Cecil Orlando Bridgeman, 4th Earl of Bradford](/source/George_Bridgeman%2C_4th_Earl_of_Bradford) (1845–1915).[1]

- Brig. Hon. [Francis Charles Bridgeman](/source/Francis_Bridgeman_(British_Army_officer)) (1846–1917).[7]

In 1865 her husband became the 3rd [Earl of Bradford](/source/Earl_of_Bradford). In 1871 she and her husband lived at [Weston Park](/source/Weston_Park).[8]

Lady Bradford died in 1894 at Weston Park and she was buried at [Weston-under-Lizard](/source/Weston-under-Lizard).[1]

### Relationship with Disraeli

Group taken at [Hughenden Manor](/source/Hughenden_Manor) including Selina on the left, her husband and Disraeli on the right

[Benjamin Disraeli](/source/Benjamin_Disraeli) was to be important in her life and when she first met him in 1840 he had become an MP a few years before and she did not like him.[1]

In late 1872, [Mary Anne Disraeli](/source/Mary_Anne_Disraeli) died. She had been made the Viscountess of Beaconsfield in 1868. When Bridgeman re-met Benjamin Disraeli in the following July,[1] he was a prospective Prime Minister, a 68 year old widower and he became devoted to her "intelligence, gaiety and sympathy".[9] Disraeli began writing letters and in time passionate letters to "Dearest Lady Bradford". He also wrote admiring letters to her sister, [Anne Stanhope, Countess of Chesterfield](/source/Anne_Stanhope%2C_Countess_of_Chesterfield). He became Prime Minister and appointed Selina's husband to be [master of the horse](/source/Master_of_the_horse) as it would enable Selina to "ride in Royal Carriages".[1] She and Disraeli became close friends.[8] He wrote her over 1,000 letters and these are extant. Her letters in reply were destroyed but there are hints that she was not cold to his ardour.[1] She was married, but her sister had been a widow since 1866 and Disraeli proposed marriage to her. Anne had previously refused another Prime Minister (the [Earl of Derby](/source/Edward_Smith-Stanley%2C_14th_Earl_of_Derby)) proposal of marriage[4] and Disraeli just wanted to be closer to Selina. Anne refused.[1]

## In popular culture

She was painted in 1876 by [Edward Clifford](/source/Edward_Clifford) and her portrait was exhibited in the [Royal Academy](/source/Royal_Academy) in 1879.[8]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-sorb_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-sorb_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-sorb_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-sorb_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-sorb_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-sorb_1-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-sorb_1-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-sorb_1-7) [***i***](#cite_ref-sorb_1-8) Matthew, H. C. G.; Harrison, B., eds. (23 September 2004). ["Selina Bridgeman born Weld Forrester"](http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/50250). *[Oxford Dictionary of National Biography](/source/Dictionary_of_National_Biography#Oxford_Dictionary_of_National_Biography)* (online ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1093/ref:odnb/50250](https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fref%3Aodnb%2F50250). Retrieved 19 July 2023. (Subscription, [Wikipedia Library](https://wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org/partners/88/) access or [UK public library membership](https://www.oxforddnb.com/help/subscribe#public) required.)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-HOP_2-0)** Thorne, R. G. ["FORESTER (afterwards WELD FORESTER), Cecil (1767-1828), of Ross Hall and Willey Park, Salop"](https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1790-1820/member/forester-%28afterwards-weld-forester%29-cecil-1767-1828). *www.historyofparliamentonline.org*. [History of Parliament Online](/source/History_of_Parliament_Online). Retrieved 29 April 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-CFhop_3-0)** Namier, Sir Lewis. ["FORESTER, Cecil (?1721-74), of Rossall, nr. Shrewsbury, Salop"](https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1754-1790/member/forester-cecil-1721-74). *www.historyofparliamentonline.org*. [History of Parliament Online](/source/History_of_Parliament_Online). Retrieved 29 April 2024.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-sister_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-sister_4-1) Ridley, Jane (23 September 2004). ["Stanhope \[née Forester\], Anne Elizabeth, countess of Chesterfield (1802–1885), political confidante"](http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-50251). *[Oxford Dictionary of National Biography](/source/Dictionary_of_National_Biography#Oxford_Dictionary_of_National_Biography)*. Vol. 1 (online ed.). Oxford University Press. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1093/ref:odnb/50251](https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fref%3Aodnb%2F50251). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-19-861412-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-861412-8). (Subscription, [Wikipedia Library](https://wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org/partners/88/) access or [UK public library membership](https://www.oxforddnb.com/help/subscribe#public) required.)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Fletcher, William George Dimock (1912). ["Kenyon-Slaney, William Slaney"](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1912_supplement/Kenyon-Slaney,_William_Slaney). *[Dictionary of National Biography](/source/Dictionary_of_National_Biography) (2nd supplement)*. Vol. 2. pp. 391–392.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** *Truth*. 1881. p. 246.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles (1895). Armorial Families. Edinburgh

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-vicweb_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-vicweb_8-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-vicweb_8-2) [""Selina Louisa Bridgeman Countess of Bradford" (1876) by Edward Clifford (1826-1897)"](https://victorianweb.org/painting/clifford/paintings/19.html). *victorianweb.org*. Retrieved 19 July 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Pearson, Hesketh *Dizzy- the life and personality of Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield*. Harper Collins: New York (1951), p. 243

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Selina Bridgeman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selina_Bridgeman) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selina_Bridgeman?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.