Cynthia Colville
Encyclopedia
Lady Helen Cynthia Colville, née Crewe-Milnes, DCVO
, DBE
(20 May 1884 - 15 June 1968) was both a courtier and social worker, serving as a Woman of the Bedchamber
to Queen Mary
, while at the same time devoting her energies to alleviating the suffering of Shoreditch
, one of the poorest areas of the East End of London
.
by his first wife, the former Sibyl Graham, daughter of Sir Frederick Graham (of the Graham Baronets
of Netherby) and Lady Jane St Maur.
Her mother died young. Cynthia and her siblings then lived for a time with their unmarried uncle Hungerford Crewe, 3rd Baron Crewe
, rejoining their father, a Liberal
politician, when he was posted to Dublin as Gladstone's lord lieutenant of Ireland
(1892–1895). Her father re-married, choosing Margaret (Peggy) Primrose, daughter of Lord Rosebery, Liberal Prime Minister in 1894-1895
, and his wife Hannah
, heiress to the Rothschild fortune
. Cynthia's stepmother was only three years older than her. Her half-sister is Mary Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe
.
Her mother's siblings, Cynthia's uncles and aunts, included Violet Hermione, who married Douglas Graham, 5th Duke of Montrose
; Margaret Frances, who married as her second husband James Grimston, 3rd Earl of Verulam
; and Hilda Georgina, who married Tory politician George Faber, 1st Baron Wittenham.
Helen Cynthia married the Hon. George Charles Colville, younger son of the 1st Viscount Colville of Culross
and the Hon. Cecile Carrington, on 21 January 1908. Their children were:
, which her son describes as a "socially derelict square mile", before World War I. One of her areas of concern was infant mortality
, so she ran an infant welfare centre. The borough council, which was socialist, co-opted her to their public health committee. She befriended burglars as well as fallen women, and was a friend to all. In 1952 she was appointed a lay justice at Bow Street Magistrates' Court
. Her step-mother had been one of the first female magistrates in Britain.
She was considered revolutionary for introducing a self-made man like Thomas Benjamin Frederick Davis
to high society, persuading the queen to invite him to dinner on the royal yacht HMY Victoria and Albert III
during the Cowes Week
regatta She was herself an enthusiastic sailor.
on Felton Street estate as "the Colville estate" in honour of her long association.
In 1963 she published her autobiography, Crowded Life.
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, DBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(20 May 1884 - 15 June 1968) was both a courtier and social worker, serving as a Woman of the Bedchamber
Woman of the Bedchamber
In the Royal Household of the United Kingdom the term Woman of the Bedchamber is used to describe a woman attending either a queen regnant or queen consort, in the role of Lady-in-Waiting...
to Queen Mary
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
, while at the same time devoting her energies to alleviating the suffering of Shoreditch
Shoreditch
Shoreditch is an area of London within the London Borough of Hackney in England. It is a built-up part of the inner city immediately to the north of the City of London, located east-northeast of Charing Cross.-Etymology:...
, one of the poorest areas of the East End of London
East End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
.
Family
Helen Cynthia was the third daughter of Robert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of CreweRobert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe
Robert Offley Ashburton Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe KG, PC , known as The Lord Houghton from 1885 to 1895 and as The Earl of Crewe from 1895 to 1911, was a British statesman and writer....
by his first wife, the former Sibyl Graham, daughter of Sir Frederick Graham (of the Graham Baronets
Graham Baronets
There have been eight Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Graham, two in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia, two in the Baronetage of England, one in the Baronetage of Great Britain and three in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom....
of Netherby) and Lady Jane St Maur.
Her mother died young. Cynthia and her siblings then lived for a time with their unmarried uncle Hungerford Crewe, 3rd Baron Crewe
Hungerford Crewe, 3rd Baron Crewe
Hungerford Crewe, 3rd Baron Crewe FSA, FRS was an English landowner and peer.The son of John Crewe, 2nd Baron Crewe, an army general, and Henrietta Maria Anna Walker-Hungerford, he was educated at Eton College and Christ Church, Oxford...
, rejoining their father, a Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician, when he was posted to Dublin as Gladstone's lord lieutenant of Ireland
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was the British King's representative and head of the Irish executive during the Lordship of Ireland , the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
(1892–1895). Her father re-married, choosing Margaret (Peggy) Primrose, daughter of Lord Rosebery, Liberal Prime Minister in 1894-1895
Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery
Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, KG, PC was a British Liberal statesman and Prime Minister. Between the death of his father, in 1851, and the death of his grandfather, the 4th Earl, in 1868, he was known by the courtesy title of Lord Dalmeny.Rosebery was a Liberal Imperialist who...
, and his wife Hannah
Hannah Primrose, Countess of Rosebery
Hannah Primrose, Countess of Rosebery was the daughter of Mayer de Rothschild and his wife Juliana, née Cohen...
, heiress to the Rothschild fortune
Rothschild banking family of England
The Rothschild banking family of England was founded in 1798 by Nathan Mayer von Rothschild who first settled in Manchester but then moved to London. Nathan was sent there from his home in Frankfurt by his father, Mayer Amschel Rothschild...
. Cynthia's stepmother was only three years older than her. Her half-sister is Mary Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe
Mary Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe
Mary Evelyn Hungerford Crewe-Milnes is the daughter of Robert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe and first wife of George Victor Robert John Innes-Ker, 9th Duke of Roxburghe...
.
Her mother's siblings, Cynthia's uncles and aunts, included Violet Hermione, who married Douglas Graham, 5th Duke of Montrose
Douglas Graham, 5th Duke of Montrose
Douglas Beresford Malise Ronald Graham, 5th Duke of Montrose KT was a Scottish nobleman.The 3rd son of 4th Duke and Caroline Agnes, youngest daughter of the 2nd Lord Decies, he was educated at Eton College and succeeded his father in 1874.He joined the Coldstream Guards in 1872, transferred to...
; Margaret Frances, who married as her second husband James Grimston, 3rd Earl of Verulam
James Grimston, 3rd Earl of Verulam
James Walter Grimston, 3rd Earl of Verulam , known as Viscount Grimston from 1852 to 1895, was a British Conservative Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1892. He inherited his peerage in 1895.Grimston was the eldest son of James Walter Grimston, 2nd Earl of Verulam, and...
; and Hilda Georgina, who married Tory politician George Faber, 1st Baron Wittenham.
Helen Cynthia married the Hon. George Charles Colville, younger son of the 1st Viscount Colville of Culross
Charles Colville, 1st Viscount Colville of Culross
Charles John Colville, 1st Viscount Colville of Culross KT, GCVO, PC , known as The Lord Colville of Culross between 1849 and 1902, was a British nobleman, Conservative politician and courtier.-Background and education:...
and the Hon. Cecile Carrington, on 21 January 1908. Their children were:
- David Richard Colville (b. 11 May 1909 - d. 9 February 1987)
- Major Philip Robert Colville (b. 7 November 1910 - d. 11 April 1997)
- Sir John Rupert Colville (b. 28 January 1915 - d. 1987), the diarist
Work
She started her work in ShoreditchShoreditch
Shoreditch is an area of London within the London Borough of Hackney in England. It is a built-up part of the inner city immediately to the north of the City of London, located east-northeast of Charing Cross.-Etymology:...
, which her son describes as a "socially derelict square mile", before World War I. One of her areas of concern was infant mortality
Infant mortality
Infant mortality is defined as the number of infant deaths per 1000 live births. Traditionally, the most common cause worldwide was dehydration from diarrhea. However, the spreading information about Oral Re-hydration Solution to mothers around the world has decreased the rate of children dying...
, so she ran an infant welfare centre. The borough council, which was socialist, co-opted her to their public health committee. She befriended burglars as well as fallen women, and was a friend to all. In 1952 she was appointed a lay justice at Bow Street Magistrates' Court
Bow Street Magistrates' Court
Bow Street Magistrates' Court was the most famous magistrates' court in England for much of its existence, and was located in various buildings on Bow Street in central London close to Covent Garden throughout its history.-History:...
. Her step-mother had been one of the first female magistrates in Britain.
She was considered revolutionary for introducing a self-made man like Thomas Benjamin Frederick Davis
Thomas Benjamin Frederick Davis
Thomas Benjamin Frederick Davis was a wealthy buinessman, yachtsman and philanthropist.-Early life and education:...
to high society, persuading the queen to invite him to dinner on the royal yacht HMY Victoria and Albert III
HMY Victoria and Albert III
HMY Victoria and Albert III a Royal Yacht of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. The yacht was designed by the Chief Constructor of the Royal Navy Sir William White. She was launched in 1899 but was not ready for service until 1901...
during the Cowes Week
Cowes Week
Cowes Week is one of the longest-running regular regattas in the world. With 40 daily races, up to 1,000 boats, and 8,500 competitors ranging from Olympic and world class professionals to weekend sailors, it is the largest sailing regatta of its kind in the world...
regatta She was herself an enthusiastic sailor.
Memorials
In 1948 Shoreditch Council renamed a housing estateHousing estate
A housing estate is a group of buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Accordingly, a housing estate is usually built by a single contractor, with only a few styles of house or building design, so they tend to be uniform in appearance...
on Felton Street estate as "the Colville estate" in honour of her long association.
In 1963 she published her autobiography, Crowded Life.
Honours and awards
- She was invested as a Officer, Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem (OStJ)
- She held the office of Justice of the PeaceJustice of the PeaceA justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(JP) for the County of LondonCounty of LondonThe County of London was a county of England from 1889 to 1965, corresponding to the area known today as Inner London. It was created as part of the general introduction of elected county government in England, by way of the Local Government Act 1888. The Act created an administrative County of... - She held the office of Woman of the BedchamberWoman of the BedchamberIn the Royal Household of the United Kingdom the term Woman of the Bedchamber is used to describe a woman attending either a queen regnant or queen consort, in the role of Lady-in-Waiting...
to HM Queen MaryMary of TeckMary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
between 1923-53 - She was invested as a Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (DCVO)Royal Victorian OrderThe Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
in 1937 - She was invested as a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE)Order of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1953 - She was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Law (LL.D.) by Leeds University
- She was invested as a Fellow, Royal College of MusicRoyal College of MusicThe Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
(FRCM)
Citations
- L. G. Pine, The New Extinct Peerage 1884-1971: Containing Extinct, Abeyant, Dormant and Suspended Peerages With Genealogies and Arms (London, U.K.: Heraldry Today, 1972), page 90
- Charles Mosley, editor, Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes (Wilmington, Delaware:Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd., 2003), volume 1, page 867