Lady Byron was one of 21 women of influence who signed Thomas Coram's petition of 1729, which led to the foundation of the Foundling Hospital.

In 1735, Thomas Coram presented his first petition to King George II, aiming to facilitate the building of a Foundling Hospital.

However it is considered that William's role of authority was unsympathetic to the cause, as he is notoriously represented as "the 'wicked Lord', [who] encumbered the estate, sold off much property and the family pictures in the 1770s".

Interestingly, at the same time Hogarth is painting Frances, two further petitions are being organised for presentation, which ultimately receives Royal Charter in 1739.

As noted in William Hogarth: A Complete Catalogue of Paintings, Frances is "shown walking in a park, looking at the viewer with pale grey-blue eyes, pulling on a glove with her left hand".

[6] Another feature of the portrait is the depiction of her "black and tan terrier"[6] with an emphasised grey muzzle that is considered to allude to her elderly husband.