January 3, 1817 - Ada’s Grandmother, Judith Noel, Lady Milbanke

As soon as Lady Byron had weaned Ada, she stayed away as much as possible. Leaving Ada in the care of governesses and her mother, Lady Noel, Lady Byron worried that she might lose custody of Ada as English law, at that time, customarily granted custody of children to the father. Even though Lord Byron felt Ada should remain with her mother, Lady Byron wrote many letters to Lady Noel, during her travels, asking how Ada was doing and told her mother to save them as proof of her concern for her daughter’s welfare.

According to County Line Magazine, “In one letter to Lady [Noel], she referred to her daughter as ‘it’: ‘I talk to it for your satisfaction, not my own, and shall be very glad when you have it under your own.'”

In September 1817, after Ada’s mother had been away more than she had been home at her parents in Kirkby, “Judith Noel decided it was time to tweak [Lady Byron’s] maternal conscience. Ada was declared to be missing her mamma.

“[Ada] looked round the Bed and on the Bed, and then into the Closet—seemed disappointed and said gone-gone!” Lady Noel wrote (Seymour). 

Lady Noel possessed a notoriously sharp tongue,” (Seymour) and she let Lady Byron have it when she returned home. Lady Byron vowed to do better.

Judith Noel, Lady Milbanke was born November 3, 1751 and died January 28, 1822 when Ada was only six years old.