Martha Ray

Martha Ray
Martha Ray by Nathaniel Dance, 1777 (detail of larger portrait)
Born1746
Died7 April 1779(1779-04-07) (aged 32–33)
Cause of deathMurdered by James Hackman
Resting placeSt Nicholas church, Elstree, Hertfordshire, England
NationalityBritish
OccupationSinger
Known forMistress of John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich

Martha Ray (1746[1] – 7 April 1779) was a British singer of the Georgian era. Her father was a corsetmaker[2] and her mother was a servant in a noble household.[3] Good-looking, intelligent, and a talented singer, she came to the attention of many of her father's patrons.[3] She is best known for her affair with John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich.[4] She lived with him as his mistress from the age of seventeen, while his wife was suffering from mental illness. She gave birth to nine children, five of whom survived,[5] including the lawyer and philanthropist Basil Montagu.[6] During this time, she conducted a successful singing career, for which she became well known, as well as completing her education with Lord Sandwich's support.

  1. ^ Bard 2011.
  2. ^ Prins & Shreiber 2018, p. 72.
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference escapetoexplore.co.uk was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ McDonagh 2003, p. 73.
  5. ^ Brewer 2014.
  6. ^ McDonagh 2003, p. 74.