Edith Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Marchioness of Londonderry
Encyclopedia
Edith Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Marchioness of Londonderry DBE
(3 December 1878 – 23 April 1959) was a noted socialite and philanthropist in the United Kingdom
between World War I and World War II.
, Lincolnshire
, she was the daughter of Henry Chaplin
(later the 1st Viscount Chaplin
). After the death of her mother in 1881, Edith was raised largely at Dunrobin Castle
, Sutherland
, the estate of her maternal grandfather
, the third Duke of Sutherland
.
On 28 November 1899, she married Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh
, who later inherited his father's title in 1915, whereupon Edith became Marchioness of Londonderry. They had five children, the firstborn of whom, their only son, Robin, became the 8th Marquess in 1949, at which point Lady Londonderry became Dowager Marchioness of Londonderry. One of Lady Londonderry's grandchildren, Annabel Goldsmith, is also a noted London socialite.
of the Women's Volunteer Reserve (WRV), a volunteer force formed of women replacing the men who had left work and gone up to the
Front
. The WRV was renamed in July 1914 as The Women's Legion and was considerable in size by the end of the War, comprising tens of thousands of volunteers.
Lady Londonderry also aided with the organisation of the Officers' Hospital set up in her house
, and was the first woman to be appointed to be a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire
in the Military Division, upon the Order's establishment in 1917.
During the 1920s, Lady Londonderry created the gardens at the Londonderry family estate of Mount Stewart
, near Newtownards
, County Down
. She added the Shamrock Garden, the Sunken Garden, increased the size of the lake, added a Spanish Garden with a small hut, the Italian Garden, the Dodo Terrace, Menagerie, the Fountain Pool and laid out walks in the Lily Wood and rest of the estate. This dramatic change led to the gardens being proposed as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site
. They are regarded by Heritage Island as being one of the best gardens in the British Isles
.
on 23 April 1959, aged 80.
Ramsay MacDonald
, although platonic, was a source of gossip in her time and has since become an iconic friendship of English social history.
, and Her Husband, Charles, Third Marquess of Londonderry
(1958).
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...
(3 December 1878 – 23 April 1959) was a noted socialite and philanthropist in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
between World War I and World War II.
Family
Born as Edith Helen Chaplin in BlankneyBlankney
Blankney is a village and civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, with a population of 239 according to the 2001 census. The village is about south of Lincoln and north of Sleaford...
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, she was the daughter of Henry Chaplin
Henry Chaplin, 1st Viscount Chaplin
Henry Chaplin, 1st Viscount Chaplin PC was a British landowner, racehorse owner and Conservative Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1868 until 1916 when he was raised to the peerage....
(later the 1st Viscount Chaplin
Viscount Chaplin
Viscount Chaplin, of Saint Oswald's, Blankney, in the County of Lincoln, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1916 for Henry Chaplin, a Tory MP, cabinet minister, country landowner and racehorse owner...
). After the death of her mother in 1881, Edith was raised largely at Dunrobin Castle
Dunrobin Castle
Dunrobin Castle is a stately home in Sutherland, in the Highland area of Scotland. It is the seat of the Countess of Sutherland and the Clan Sutherland. It is located north of Golspie, and approximately south of Brora, on the Dornoch Firth close to the A9 road. Nearby Dunrobin Castle railway...
, Sutherland
Sutherland
Sutherland is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic administrative county of Scotland. It is now within the Highland local government area. In Gaelic the area is referred to according to its traditional areas: Dùthaich 'IcAoidh , Asainte , and Cataibh...
, the estate of her maternal grandfather
George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 3rd Duke of Sutherland
George Granville William Sutherland Leveson-Gower, 3rd Duke of Sutherland , styled Viscount Trentham until 1833, Earl Gower in 1833 and Marquess of Stafford between 1833 and 1861, was a British politician.-Background:Sutherland was the son of George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 2nd Duke of Sutherland...
, the third Duke of Sutherland
Duke of Sutherland
Duke of Sutherland, derived from Sutherland in Scotland, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom held by the head of the Leveson-Gower family. It was created by William IV in 1833 for George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Marquess of Stafford...
.
On 28 November 1899, she married Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh
Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 7th Marquess of Londonderry
Charles Stewart Henry Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 7th Marquess of Londonderry, KG, MVO, PC, PC , styled Lord Stewart until 1884 and Viscount Castlereagh between 1884 and 1915, was an Anglo-Irish peer and had careers in both Irish and British politics...
, who later inherited his father's title in 1915, whereupon Edith became Marchioness of Londonderry. They had five children, the firstborn of whom, their only son, Robin, became the 8th Marquess in 1949, at which point Lady Londonderry became Dowager Marchioness of Londonderry. One of Lady Londonderry's grandchildren, Annabel Goldsmith, is also a noted London socialite.
Public works
In 1914, after the outbreak of World War I, she was appointed the Colonel-in-ChiefColonel-in-Chief
In the various Commonwealth armies, the Colonel-in-Chief of a regiment is its patron. This position is distinct from that of Colonel of the Regiment. They do not have an operational role. They are however kept informed of all important activities of the regiment, and pay occasional visits to its...
of the Women's Volunteer Reserve (WRV), a volunteer force formed of women replacing the men who had left work and gone up to the
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
Front
Eastern Front (World War I)
The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central and, primarily, Eastern Europe. The term is in contrast to the Western Front. Despite the geographical separation, the events in the two theatres strongly influenced each other...
. The WRV was renamed in July 1914 as The Women's Legion and was considerable in size by the end of the War, comprising tens of thousands of volunteers.
Lady Londonderry also aided with the organisation of the Officers' Hospital set up in her house
Londonderry House
Londonderry House was an aristocratic townhouse situated on Park Lane in the Mayfair district of London, England.The house was the home to the Irish, titled family called the Stewarts who are better known as the Marquesses of Londonderry....
, and was the first woman to be appointed to be a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire
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...
in the Military Division, upon the Order's establishment in 1917.
Legacy
Mount Stewart
Mount Stewart is an 18th-century house and garden in County Down, Northern Ireland, owned by the National Trust. Situated on the east shore of Strangford Lough, a few miles outside the town of Newtownards and near Greyabbey, it was the home of the Vane-Tempest-Stewart family, Marquesses of...
, near Newtownards
Newtownards
Newtownards is a large town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies at the most northern tip of Strangford Lough, 10 miles east of Belfast, on the Ards Peninsula. Newtownards is the largest town in the Borough of Ards. According to the 2001 Census, it has a population of 27,821 people in...
, County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
. She added the Shamrock Garden, the Sunken Garden, increased the size of the lake, added a Spanish Garden with a small hut, the Italian Garden, the Dodo Terrace, Menagerie, the Fountain Pool and laid out walks in the Lily Wood and rest of the estate. This dramatic change led to the gardens being proposed as a UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
. They are regarded by Heritage Island as being one of the best gardens in the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
.
Death
After she created her garden and the death of her husband, she gave the gardens to the National Trust in 1957. She died of cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
on 23 April 1959, aged 80.
Gossip
Lady Londonderry's friendship with Prime MinisterPrime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Ramsay MacDonald
Ramsay MacDonald
James Ramsay MacDonald, PC, FRS was a British politician who was the first ever Labour Prime Minister, leading a minority government for two terms....
, although platonic, was a source of gossip in her time and has since become an iconic friendship of English social history.
Writings
Lady Londonderry also wrote or edited several books, among which are Henry Chaplin: A Memoir (1926), The Magic Ink-Pot (1928), Retrospect (1938) and Frances Anne: The Life and Times of Frances Anne, Marchioness of LondonderryFrances Anne Vane, Marchioness of Londonderry
Frances Anne Vane, Marchioness of Londonderry was a wealthy English heiress and noblewoman. She was the daughter of Sir Henry Vane-Tempest, 2nd Baronet and the second wife of Charles Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry...
, and Her Husband, Charles, Third Marquess of Londonderry
Charles Stewart, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry
Charles William Vane, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry KG, GCB, GCH, PC , styled The Honourable Charles Stewart from 1789 until 1813 and The Honourable Sir Charles Stewart from 1813 to 1814 and known as The Lord Stewart from 1814 to 1822, was a British soldier, politician and nobleman...
(1958).
Further reading
- De Courcy, Anne. Society's Queen: The Life of Edith, Marchioness of Londonderry. London: Phoenix, 2004. ISBN 0-7538-1730-6 (Originally published as Circe: The Life of Edith, Marchioness of Londonderry. London: Sinclair-Stevenson, 1992. ISBN 1-85619-363-2)