Mary Stopford, Countess of Courtown (1736 - 3 January 1810), formerly Mary Powys, was the wife of James Stopford, 2nd Earl of Courtown.
Mary was the daughter of Richard Powys, MP, of Hintlesham Hall, Suffolk, and his wife, the former Lady Mary Brudenell, daughter of George Brudenell, 3rd Earl of Cardigan.G.E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume III, page 469. Her sister Elizabeth married Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney, after whom the Australian City of Sydney was named. Following their father's death in 1743, their mother remarried, her second husband being Thomas Bowlby, MP.
Mary married the future earl on 19 April 1762 at St. George's, Hanover Square, when he was an MP representing an Irish constituency. The earl and countess had four sons:
James George Stopford, 3rd Earl of Courtown (1765-1835) Lt.-Gen. Hon. Sir Edward Stopford (1766–1837), who died unmarried, leaving one illegitimate childMosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003. Page 923. Admiral Hon. Sir Robert Stopford (1768–1874), who married Mary Fanshawe and had children Reverend Hon. Richard Bruce Stopford (1774–1844), who married Hon. Eleanor Powys and had children
They also had one daughter, who is not mentioned as living in the countess's obituary.
The countess's portrait was painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds.
The countess died at her home in Ham Common, Surrey, when "far advanced in life", and was buried at Deene, Northamptonshire.
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