Editing Robert Walpole (section)

===Maria Skerritt===
[[File:HarsickArms.svg|thumb|Arms of Skerritt: ''Or, a chief indented sable''<ref>Burke, Sir Bernard, The General Armory, London, 1884, p. 931: "Skerett/Skerit of Peter Tavy, near Tavistock and of Buckland Monachorum, Devon".</ref>]]
Prior to the death of his first wife Walpole took on a mistress, [[Maria Walpole (Skerritt)|Maria Skeritt]] (d. 1738), a fashionable socialite of wit and beauty, with an independent fortune of £30,000,<ref>{{harvtxt|Leadam|1899|p=205}} cites a letter from Bishop Hare to F. Naylor, 9 March 1738, ''Hare MSS''. p. 238.</ref> the daughter and sole heiress of Thomas Skeritt (d. 1738) (''aliter'' Skerret, Skeritt, etc), a wealthy Irish merchant living in Dover Street, Mayfair, London.<ref>{{harvtxt|Leadam|1899|p=205}} cites ''Gent. Mag.'' (1734, p. 50); Hervey, ''Memoirs'', i. 115; Pope, ''Works'', iii. 141 note&nbsp;1; ''Gent. Mag.'' (1738, p. 324).</ref> They had been living together openly in [[Richmond, Surrey|Richmond Park]] and [[Houghton Hall]] since before 1728,{{sfnp|Leadam|1899|p=205}} and married at some time before March 1738. She died on 4 June 1739 following a miscarriage. Walpole considered her "indispensable to his happiness", and her loss plunged him into a "deplorable and comfortless condition", which led to a severe illness.{{sfnp|Leadam|1899|pp=205–206}} By Maria Skerritt he had one daughter, born before the marriage, but subsequently legitimated:{{efn|
No issue is given in Burke's ''Extinct Peerage'' to this second marriage of Sir Robert Walpole; but in ''Ancient Peerages'' is this:
: "Sir Robert Walpole married, in 1737, Maria, daughter and sole heir of Thomas Skerret, who died in 1738; he had a daughter from her before marriage, Maria, his Majesty's housekeeper at Windsor, and wife of Charles Churchill. She was legitimated, and given the rank of an Earl's daughter."{{full citation|date=January 2023}}
}}
*Maria Walpole,{{sfnp|Leadam|1899|p=205}} who after her legitimation acquired the style of the daughter of an earl, as Lady Maria Walpole.<ref>{{cite book |first=Edmund |last=Farrer |year=1908 |title=Portraits in Suffolk houses (West) |publisher=B. Quaritch |page=[https://archive.org/details/portraitsinsuffo00farruoft/page/88 88]}}</ref> In 1746 she married Colonel [[Charles Churchill (of Chalfont)|Charles Churchill]] (1720–1812) of Chalfont, an illegitimate son of General [[Charles Churchill (British Army general)|Charles Churchill]], and became the king's housekeeper at [[Windsor Castle]].{{sfnp|Leadam|1899|p=205}}<ref>{{cite book |first=J. C. D. |last=Clark |date=July 2002 |title=The Memoirs and Speeches of James, 2nd Earl Waldegrave 1742–1763 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-52689-0 |pages=46, [https://books.google.com/books?id=X8GrL_g9enMC&pg=PA87 87], 250}}</ref> By Charles Churchill she had daughters including:
**Sophia Churchill, who married her relative [[Horatio Walpole, 2nd Earl of Orford]] (1752–1822), of the third creation of that earldom, the son of [[Horatio Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford]], son of [[Horatio Walpole, 1st Baron Walpole of Wolterton]], 9th brother of Prime Minister [[Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford]].<ref>{{cite book |first=John |last=Debrett |year=1814 |title=The Peerage of the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Ireland: In Two Volumes. England |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=TiNRAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA327 |access-date=30 June 2013 |publisher= G. Woodfall |page=327 }}</ref>
**Mary Churchill, who on 10 May 1777 became the second wife of [[Charles Cadogan, 1st Earl Cadogan]] (1728–1807), and had issue, before being divorced in 1796 by her husband for "criminal conversation" with Rev. Mr. Cooper.<ref>{{cite book |editor1=Cokayne, G. E. |editor2=Gibbs, Vicary |year=1912 |section=Earl Cadogan |title=The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, extant, extinct or dormant |edition=2nd |place=London |publisher=The St.&nbsp;Catherine Press |volume=2 (Bass to Canning) |page=462, note&nbsp;(b)}}</ref>