Frances Alsop Frances Alsop Frances Alsop ("née" Daly; 1 September 1782 – 2 June 1821) was the illegitimate child of Richard Daly (1758–1813), manager of the Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, and the actress Dorothea Jordan "née" Bland (1761–1816). Frances was born and raised in England, where her mother – adopting the stage name 'Mrs Jordan' – had continued her stage career, which by 1786 led her to be part of London's Drury Lane theatre company. By 1790 Dorothea Jordan was the mistress of the Duke of Clarence (later King William IV of England). Frances's story begins in earnest in 1803 at her
Dorothea Macnee marriage, during which Dorothea often spent extended periods in London, attending the theatre and fashionable parties. In December 1927 Dorothea gave birth to a second son, James, who lived for several years with his father, Oswald “Ozzie” Marmaduke Dalby Bell, who was also a horse trainer in Lambourn. Dorothea frequently visited to see her son. During one of her stays in London, Dorothea met divorcee Mrs Evelyn Spottiswoode, wealthy heiress of the Dewar's whisky company. A lesbian who preferred to dress in man-style tweed jackets and brogues, her Rooksnest House and estate were close to the Macnee home in Lambourn.