▁father ' s ▁health . ▁As ▁a ▁child , ▁Har ri et ▁was ▁fra il ▁and ▁sick ly , ▁which ▁led ▁her ▁mother ▁to ▁send ▁her ▁abroad ▁for ▁school ing , ▁thinking ▁that ▁foreign ▁air ▁would ▁help ▁strength en ▁her . ▁However , ▁she ▁grew ▁into ▁a ▁young ▁woman ▁of ▁exception al ▁beauty ▁and ▁intelligence , ▁w itt y , ▁well - read ▁and ▁self - ass ured . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 7 ▁November ▁ 1 7 8 0 , ▁Har ri et ▁married ▁Frederick ▁P ons on by , ▁then ▁the ▁Vis count ▁D unc annon , ▁an ▁Ang lo - I r ish ▁no blem an ▁who ▁later ▁became ▁ 3 rd ▁Earl ▁of ▁B ess borough . ▁Their ▁marriage ▁was ▁a ▁difficult ▁one ; ▁because ▁Har ri et ▁and ▁her ▁husband ▁were ▁both ▁g amb ling ▁add ict s , ▁they ▁often ▁found ▁themselves ▁in ▁deb t . ▁Frederick ▁was ▁also ▁known ▁to ▁be ▁ab us ive ▁of ▁Har ri et , ▁often ▁hum ili ating ▁her ▁at ▁public ▁gather ings , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁demand ing ▁that ▁she ▁find ▁money ▁to ▁pay ▁for ▁the ▁deb ts ▁which ▁he ▁had ▁in cur red . ▁In ▁ 1 7 9 0 , ▁her ▁husband ▁began ▁divor ce ▁proceed ings , ▁but , ▁under ▁inten se ▁pressure ▁from ▁both ▁families , ▁agreed ▁to ▁drop ▁them . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁Lady ▁Caroline , ▁mentioned ▁above , ▁there ▁were ▁three ▁sons ▁to ▁the ▁marriage : ▁John ▁William , ▁later ▁ 4 th ▁Earl