By the middle of the 19th century the small but rapidly growing resort of Bournemouth was well established midway between Poole and Christchurch on the stretch of heathland that separated the two towns.

At the start of the century, it had been virtually uninhabited apart from some fishermen's cottages and the farmsteads overlooking the Stour valley.

The Bath Hotel had been opened in 1838 on Queen Victoria's Coronation Day, and the same year had seen the completion of the Belle Vue boarding house (On the site of the present Pavilion) and a number of the Westover Villas. The parish church of St. Peter's was started in 1843, consecrated in 1845, and a school attached in the 1850's.

The first reputation of Bournemouth was as a health and winter resort and it attracted visitors from both the upper and middle classes of society, many of whom, as the town grew, were to make their homes here. Others were to become regular visitors.

Among the early ones were the Duke and Duchess of Montrose, the Marquis and Marchioness of Westminster, while Lord and Lady Bulwar Lytton (the novelist) rented a cottage near Yelverton Road in 1849. Of this period Mate and Riddle in their history of the town wrote, "Bournemouth was the resort of a select and fashionable assembly."

The town grew. Its population increased tenfold from 1861 (1707) to 1881 (16,859) and doubled again to over 37,000 in 1891. The number of hotels and boarding houses increased to cope with a growing number of visitors as Bournemouth became a leisure as well as an health resort.

The range of society over the years can be seen in the pages of the "Bournemouth Guardian and Visitors Guide" which was among the newspapers that listed the arrivals and departures of visitors to the town. For example on November 24th 1883 it reported under the headline "Fashionable Visitors".

"Among the latest arrivals are the Bishop of Ripon who intends staying through the Winter months, and the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk who are staying at1 Stewart's Hotel, Lord and Lady Dalkeith, Viscountess Maidstone, the Dean of Gloucester, Lady and Miss Shakespeare, Lady Clavering, General and Mrs Younghusband and Sir Edward and Miss Baines".

(Lady Georgiana Fullerton and her husband were regular visitors to Stewart's Hotel). Stewart's Hotel was later renamed the Norfolk Hotel to commemorate the regular visits by the Duke and Duchess. It still retains the connection within its new name "Norfolk Royale". These were not the only visitors who left memorials of their time in Bournemouth.

Some left their names. Argyll Road in Boscombe is named after the Duke of Argyll who often visited the town, as had his father before him, and who opened Boscombe Pier in 1889.

His wife the Duchess of Argyll was the fourth daughter, of Queen Victoria. Shelley Road was named for Sir Percy Shelley, the son of the poet, who lived in Boscombe Manor for many years. Others were commemorated in more solid edifices.



The Cairns Memorial Hall given to house the YMCA and originally in St. Peter's Road was named after Earl Cairns, Lord Chancellor from 1874 to 1880. He lived in Manor Road on the East Cliff for the last twelve years of his life and died there in 1885.

With her family background it is not surprising to find Lady Georgiana moving easily in court circles - she recalls when only six or seven years old getting off George IVs knee at one of the annual Carlton House children's balls so as not to lose a dance. On another occasion the Duke of Wellington, who was staying with the family, accidentally shot her father in the face.

The Duke also took part in charades, impersonating a nurse, whilst the Russian Ambassador's wife played the part of a baby. Her father was created Viscount Granville of Stone Park, Stafford in 1815 and then Earl Granville in 1833. It was as daughters of an Earl that Georgiana and her sister could style themselves "Lady".

In 1824 her father, who earlier in his career had been Ambassador to St. Petersburg, was appointed Ambassador to the Hague and within a few months transferred to the Embassy in Paris. As a result, from the age of 12 or so Lady Georgiana spent much of her time on the Continent and became extremely proficient in the French language.

During the time in Paris she became friends with the Duchess of Angouleme, a daughter of Marie Antoinette, and had piano lessons from Liszt. There were occasional visits to England to stay with relatives at Chatsworth or Castle Howard but most of her youth was spent in France.

In 1832 she met Alexander George Fullerton, a Captain in the Royal Horse Guards who had been posted to the Embassy. He was born at Grove House, Lymington, in 1808, the eldest son of George Alexander Downing Esq. who on inheriting considerable property from his great-uncle assumed the name Fullerton and became of "Tockington Manor and Ballintoy Castle".

His father, who sold Grove House shortly after the birth of his son and moved to Westwood Park near Southampton, was a founder-member of the Royal Yacht Club (later Squadron) and one of the pioneers of yacht racing.

Some objections were raised to the couple getting married - mainly to do with settlements and status but the good offices of the Duke of Devonshire, Lady Georgiana's uncle, were brought to bear and they were married on July 13th 1833 in Paris.

After a honeymoon spent in England they returned to the Embassy in Paris where Mr. Fullerton became an Attache having retired on half pay from his regiment.

This was to remain their home until 1841. In July 1834 their only child, a son William Granville, was born.

Earlier in 1833 her sister Lady Susan had married Lord Rivers the 4th baron, whose home was Rushmore in Cranborne Chase. They had twelve children, four sons and eight daughters.

The seeds of the two main pre-occupations of her later life, helping the poor and supporting the Roman Catholic church, were sown during these years in Paris and France.

Although an Anglican she attended many Catholic services whilst in Paris, and vas greatly interested in the religious questions raised by the Oxford Movement which were to affect profoundly the future of the Church of England.

Her interest in Catholicism must also have been raised when her elder brother, Leveson, married Lady Acton, a Catholic. Writing to a friend she says of Lady Acton: "What pleases me about my future sister-in-law is her perfect frankness, extreme honesty and her deep religious feelings, though these are not quite according to my ideas...

She is perfectly strict in fulfilling her religious duties.