‘W: is but poorly’

The diplomatist Lord William Hervey died of consumption on 6 May 1850, aged only forty-four. Having held governmental and diplomatic posts, Lord William had the status, connections and knowledge to carve out a glittering career; he also had a charming bilingual wife, Cecilia. This chapter traces the deterioration of Lord William’s health through the diaries of Lady William and her mother, exploring the practical and emotional demands Lord William’s illness placed on his wife. I argue that the progress of his illness shifted the power dynamics in the marriage as Lady William effectively became head of the household well before she was widowed; I also explore how Cecilia’s faith, extended family and experience of growing up in a female-headed household fostered the fortitude with which she bore her husband’s extended decline.