Background
She was the granddaughter of Lady Sarah Cowper (1644–1720), the diarist. She was the daughter of lawyer Spencer Cowper, Justice of the Common Pleas, and his wife Pennington, and is thought to have been born at the family seat, Hertingfordbury Park, Hertfordshire, England.
Career
As Judith Cowper she corresponded with Alexander Pope, whom she probably metropolitan In 1723 Cowper married Colonel Martin Madan, groom of the bedchamber to Frederick, Prince of Wales, and Member of Parliament for Wootton Basset. He died at Bath on 4 March 1756, aged 53.
Their sons included Review
Martin Madan, author of Thelyphthora a defence of polygamy, and the Right Review Spencer Madan, bishop successively of Bristol and Peterborough.
Their younger daughter, Penelope (died 22 December 1805), became the wife of General Sir Alexander Maitland (1728–1820). She died at Stafford Row, Westminster on 7 December 1781.