Louisa Brunton, the Actress Who Married An Earl.
There were a lot of actresses on the English stage in Georgian times who attracted noble, rich and sometimes powerful admirers. Some of them - quite a lot - became mistresses. This one did even better for herself, and married an Earl. She is Louisa Brunton, celebrated comedic actress, Jane Austen fan and Countess of Craven. Unlike many others who trod the boards, she was not interested in liaisons or a quick legover in return for a few jewels and a bunch of flowers. No! She was virtuous, and she was smart. She was also, let's face it, lucky. There were lots of rich admirers who were married already and others whose families would have put a firm foot down to prevent such a misalliance. The heir to a noble house was usually supposed to marry some titled girl whose ancestry - and dower - were worthy of his. The noble admirer whose eye Louisa caught was none other than William, Earl of Craven, who was quite a catch from ...