Maurice George Bisset


Maurice George Bisset is famous for his involvement in the highly scandalous court case in Britain involving Seymour Dorothy Fleming and Sir Richard Worsley, 7th Baronet. He had an affair with Seymour Worsley during her marriage to Richard, and they had a child together, whom Richard claimed to be his own to avoid scandal.

Life

Maurice George Bisset was born in 1757 to Rev. Alexander Bisset. He was a captain in the South Hampshire militia. Bisset had been Worsley's close friend and neighbour at Knighton Gorges on the Isle of Wight. He fathered a child by Seymour in August 1781, and in November 1781 they ran away together so Seymour could escape her failing marriage with Richard. However, they were discovered. In February 1782, Worsley brought a criminal conversation case for £20,000 against Bisset. Seymour was rumoured to have 27 lovers, and turned the case against Richard as it was made obvious that he consented and even encouraged the relationship between Bisset and Seymour. This testimony destroyed Worsley's suit and the jury awarded him only one shilling in damages.
However, Seymour could not get a divorce from Richard, only a separation, meaning she could not remarry until he died. Because of this, Bisset eventually left Seymour, and went on to marry Harriat Mordaunt in 1787. They had at least two children together, including a daughter named Jane Harriot Fenwick. He died in 1821, aged around 64.

In popular culture

Welsh actor Aneurin Barnard played Bisset in the 2015 BBC2 television film The Scandalous Lady W, based upon Hallie Rubenhold's book Lady Worsley's Whim.