Lady Harriet Acland (3 January 1749/50 – 21 July 1815) was a British noblewoman, nurse and diarist.
She was born Lady Christian Henrietta Caroline Fox-Strangways, the daughter of Stephen Fox-Strangways, 1st Earl of Ilchester, and married Major John Dyke Acland in 1770. She travelled with her husband to Canada and America when he commanded the 20th Regiment of Foot.
She and her husband had a daughter, Elizabeth (13 December 1772 – 5 March 1813), who married Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Carnarvon. They also had a son, Sir John Dyke Acland, 8th Baronet (born 1778 – died 1785, at about eight years of age).
At the Battles of Saratoga during the American Revolutionary War, Lady Harriet heard that her husband was wounded. She traveled through American lines to find him. Her husband, who had been shot through both legs, improved under her careful nursing. The next year they returned to England, where Major Acland died at Pixton Park on 31 October 1778. She died around the age of 66 at Tetton, near Taunton.
Famous quotes containing the words lady and/or harriet:
“Now Lady Maisry is gone home,
Made him a winding sheet,
And at the back of merry Lincoln
The dead corpse did her meet.
And all the bells of merry Lincoln,
Without men’s hands were rung,”
—Unknown. Hugh of Lincoln (l. 61–66)
“Summer is different. We now have breakfast together, for example ... it hasn’t happened in so long that we’re not sure how to go about it. So we bump into each other in the kitchen. I never saw Ozzie and Harriet bump into each other in the kitchen—not once. Ozzie knew his place was at the table, while Harriet knew that her place was at the stove.”
—Nathan Cobb (20th century)