Sophronia Grenfell
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| Portrayed by Julie Cox | |
| Full Name | Sophronia Rebecca Redgrave Grenfell |
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| Associated Noble House(s) | Barony de Grave |
| Date of Birth | August 4, 1785 |
| Father | Horace Redgrave |
| Father's Rank | Gentry |
| Mother | Angeline Warren |
| Mother's Rank | Gentry |
| Town Residence | De Grave House, 39 Bruton Place |
| Year of Debut | 1803 |
| Dowry | £11,000 |
| Year of Marriage | 1803 |
| Spouse | George Grenfell the Younger |
| Spouse's Rank | Baron de Grave |
| Issue | Iphigenia Grenfell (1804) |
Sophronia, Baroness de Grave, born Sophronia Redgrave and formerly Lady de Grave, is the widow of George Grenfell the Younger, the late Baron de Grave, and the mother of Iphigenia Grenfell. Her sister-in-law, Lady de Grave, is the mother to the current baron.
Early Life (1785-1803)
Sophronia was born August 4, 1785, as the third child and only daughter of Horace Redgrave and his wife Angeline. She was preceded in birth by brothers Oscar, born 1782, and Mortimer, born 1784. Her grandfather, Cornelius Redgrave, was a wealthy Lincolnshire landowner whose daughter Eugenia had married Lord Sneddon shortly before Sophronia's birth, bringing a noble connection to the Redgraves. Cornelius' death in 1786 brought even more money and land under the control of Sophronia's father. The family moved to The Laurels, the family's large ancestral home and soon became well-respected members of their new community. Sophronia was doted upon by her loving father, the only person she permitted to call her by the nickname 'Sophie', and was raised with the expectation that she, too, would make a match as successful as her aunt's. Her parents instilled in her the certainty of her own importance and that of her family, leaving to her governess the task of ensuring that the young Miss Redgrave was worthy of the title of 'accomplished'. Miss Watson did not fail, and as such, Sophronia has excellent German pronunciation, a deft hand with both a paintbrush and a pianoforte, as well as a passable singing voice. While the nuances of French may escape her, it would be a Herculean task to force her to admit it.
Marriage (1803-1808)
Upon her debut in 1803 and with Aunt Sneddon to guide her, Sophronia succeeded in marrying George Grenfell, the oldest son and heir to Baron de Grave. She brought with her ample sums and took to life as a de Grave with gusto. The title she would one day inherit was an old and respectable one, precisely the sort Sophronia had been raised to desire. Within a year and a half, Sophronia had produced her first child, Iphigenia. The entire de Grave family was pleased with her abilities both as a wife, hostess, and now mother. Young Iffie would be raised as her mother had - aware of the fortune of her birth and the importance of being 'accomplished'. Her parents spared no expense when it came to their daughter, clothing her in the finest of fashions and ensuring that the little girl wanted for nothing. Meanwhile, Sophronia and George set about obtaining an heir. Old Lord de Grave was an ailing man with many complaints, and both Sophronia and George knew it was only a matter of time before the title passed to them. Mr. Grenfell had younger brothers, it was true, but irresponsible Leander had taken away to America some time before and was of little use, and Piers, while capable and respectable, was as likable as a stone. George and Sophronia had the family's legacy riding on their shoulders and the couple was united in their desire to see it pass to their son.
Fortune seemed to smile on the Grenfells, and the couple's wish was granted in 1805: Sophronia gave birth to a living son, despite an early delivery. Tragically, young Horace Grenfell did not survive his first month, taking ill with a fever and dying soon after. Sophronia mourned the boy's loss, not in small part because he would have been the much desired heir. With the not-unexpected passing of her father-in-law the following year, the necessity of a living male child for the new Lord and Lady de Grave grew only greater. Neither were in a great hurry, however, as Sophronia was still young and Lord de Grave in fine health.
Widowhood (1808)
George Grenfell's passing in March of 1808 came as a great shock to the entire family, not least of all Sophronia. She had taken herself to a card party while Lord de Grave remained at home, claiming a headache. The next morning, he was gone, evidently having died in his sleep. Sophronia immediately suspected poison, but with few suspects and no motive (Piers, after all, stood to inherit only after his second brother's death), the matter eventually came to an close and Lady de Grave was forced to admit the unpleasant truth: she was a 23-year-old baron's widow without an heir. The title would pass to George's brother, Leander, who had married some upstart American colonist and seemed to be in little hurry to return to England and take up his responsibilities to his family. Adding insult to injury was news of the birth of a son by Leander's wife.
Fortunately for the de Grave title, Sophronia was more than capable of picking up the reins, despite her tender years. Piers was happy to step into his brother's shoes and serve as acting baron while Leander remained in New York, supposedly in precarious health, while Sophronia ensured that the Grenfell gamily remained in Society's good graces. She was even to serve as her sister-in-law Sybilla's chaperone for the Season of 1809, had death not struck the de Grave family once more, this time across the Atlantic: Leander Grenfell was dead of dropsy, and his infant son was the new baron.
Arrival of "Tilly" (1809)
When news came of the latest Lord de Grave's death, the entire Grenfell family rose up in a great furor. Robin was the new baron and as such, was to be raised in England, not in New York by his mother "Tilly", whose letters to her husband's family had generally been met with derision and dismissal. Sophronia wrote to her sister-in-law and insisted that she bring Robin home to England, threatening to send Piers to bring the boy back by force if necessary. It proved not to be, however, and in the summer of 1809, the English Grenfells met for the first time the American ones, plus one extraneous Bartley.
Sophronia had hoped that Tilly would simply remit her son to his family and return to New York, thus preserving the status quo. Instead, she was forced to accept not only her successor as baroness into what she still considered 'her' home, but Tilly's disreputable brother as well. It was a burden nearly too great to be borne. As always, however, Sophronia put the needs of the family above her own desires and sought to curb Lady de Grave's more distasteful traits. With Piers as the boy's guardian until his majority and thus in control of the family funds, Lady de Grave had little say in the matter, despite her occasional attempts to ignore Sophronia's wise counsel.
"Sophronia, Baroness de Grave" (1809-Present)
For the past year and a half, Sophronia has dedicated herself to ensuring that Lord de Grave has the same excellent care that she would have given to her own son. Wherever Tilly and Robin go, so do Sophronia and Iphigenia. She is determined to keep a careful eye on the boy as he grows, lest he turn out like his mother. Sophronia was and remains unimpressed by her sister-in-law and suspicious of her every action. The baroness is young and foolish (Sophronia conveniently forgets she is a mere two years older than her sister-in-law) and in need of a strong hand. She is headstrong, however, and Sophronia must be crafty in her control. With the Season of 1811 upon the family, it is time for Sybilla to marry and Sophronia will serve as her chaperone. Likewise, Tilly will be making her debut into London society, and it is up to Sophronia to make certain that she does not embarrass the family with her brash American ways. It is a task she will relish.
Sophronia's Opinions
One of Sophronia's most defining characteristics is the ease with which she passes judgment on others. The following people have attracted her notice and her opinions of them follow.
- Viola Fitzgerald: Her repeated refusals of perfectly acceptable gentlemen reeks of conceit and it would serve her right if she never married.
- Rebecca Garrison/Thomas Sterne: Miss Garrison has most certainly fallen from grace and the best solution to her situation would be to marry the captain and live a quiet life in the country where no one would know the story behind their union.
- Felicity Staunton: Though Sophronia would likewise not be prevailed upon to marry her cousin, Miss Staunton can hardly hope to do better, given her lack of personal and financial attractions. Her refusal was foolish, and Sophronia expects she will come to regret it.
Trivia
Sophronia is right-handed.
The Redgraves of Lincolnshire
