Parentage of Sir Edward Loftus, 1st Bt (d 1818)

[S. S.]

While writing the genealogy for the Marquesses of Ely, I noticed that Sir Edward Loftus, 1st Bt (d 1818) is shown as being illegitimate son of 1st Viscount Loftus (d 1763), by his Irish housekeeper, Mary Hernon as per History of the Irish Parliament . Though Wikipedia, citing Complete Peerage (2nd edn), v, p 65, fn B cites him as being borne by a woman surnamed Phillips. Anyone have any opinion as to who the mother actually is? 

I also attach the History of the Irish Parliament extracts for the Viscount Loftus and Sir Edward, 1st Bt's entry.

S.S.

[Paul Theroff]

According to a history written by a member of the family, "We are not sure who was Edward's mother. She may have been a Miss Phillips, a celebrated Dublin actress. She certainly lived for a time at Ullard House, a few miles away. Her miniature is still here; on the back is engagingly written 'The Divine Miss Phillips'."

See here:

https://kilkennyarchaeologicalsociety.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/OKR1971-23-Bettina-Grattan-Bellew-The-Loftuses-of-Mount-Loftus.pdf

There is also information there about more members of the family than I had found in other sources.

It does specifically say that Sir Edward's half-brother, another illegitimate son of Lord Loftus, was the son of the housekeeper Mary Heron.

[S. S.]

I tried looking through A Biographical Dictionary of Actors... by Philip H. Highfill, but could find no reference to a "Miss Phillips". 

S.S.

[Paul Theroff]

I might suggest that thatwork is incomplete. I Googled
 
"miss phillips" irish actress 1700s

and got several results, though none of them actually seemed to be Irish.

One example of an actress called "Miss Phillips" can be found here:

https://londonstagedatabase.uoregon.edu/sphinx-results.php?keyword=Miss%20Mowatt&limit=25&p=17

Mind you, I do not believe that the one mentioned on that page, or the ones on the other links results, were the "Miss Phillips" who may have been Loftus's mother.