The death of Sophie Dawes

15th December 1840

The 'infamous' Sophie Dawes died on 15 December 1840 in London. She was the daughter of an alcoholic Isle of Wight smuggler and much of her childhood was spent in the island’s workhouse. Yet, Sophie Dawes did not let her formative years define her and she would eventually become the mistress of a wealthy French aristocrat, and one of the most talked about personalities in post-revolutionary France.