Violet Dickson
Encyclopedia
Dame Violet Penelope Dickson, DBE
(3 September 1896 – 4 January 1991) was the wife of British
colonial administrator H. R. P. Dickson
. She lived in Kuwait
for 61 years, half of them as a widow, and published several books on the country. She was a keen amateur botanist
and had a plant named in her honour.
, England
. Her father was Neville Lucas-Calcraft, a land agent. The 1900 census shows the family were living in Moat House, Gautby: the house was owned by Robert Charles de Gray Vyner, for whom Violet's father worked.
She met her husband Harold Dickson (1881 – 1959) in Marseilles, France
, shortly after the end of World War I
, where she was working in a bank. She travelled out to meet him in India
, where he was stationed and where they were married. Shortly afterwards he was posted to Iraq.
Harold Dickson served as British Political Agent
in Bahrain
from 1919-1920. He also served in Persia (present-day Iran
). In 1929 he was appointed British Political Agent to Kuwait, and served in this role until 1936. He briefly held this role again in 1941. Violet accompanied him on all these postings, and soon became fluent in Arabic
. After his retirement from political service, Harold Dickson worked for the Kuwait Oil Company.
Violet Dickson was a keen botanist and published a book on the flora of Bahrain and Kuwait in 1955. She regularly sent wild flower collections to the botanic gardens at Kew Gardens in London, and the desert plant that she introduced to science, Horwoodia dicksoniae (known as khuzama in Arabic), was named in her honour.
She wrote her autobiography, Forty Years in Kuwait, at the urging of Ian Fleming
, author of the James Bond
series of books. He had travelled to Kuwait in 1960 to research and write a book for the Kuwait Oil Company, and Dame Violet was one of the people he interviewed. Fleming's book, titled State of Excitement, was never published as the Kuwait Oil Company 'did not care for its tone'; Violet Dickson's book appeared 11 years after Fleming first suggested she should write it.
As the wife of a British government figure, Violet was expected to assist her husband in his duties, primarily at social functions and by accompanying him on some of his travels across the region. As a result, she came to know many of the rulers and dignitaries of the region, including King Abdul Aziz ibn Saud
of Saudi Arabia
, (who on one occasion presented her with an oryx
, which became a pet), King Faisal
of Iraq, four Kuwaiti rulers and many tribal sheikh
s. She also dealt frequently with Western diplomats. This contact continued after the death of her husband, as her knowledge of Kuwait and the feuds and rivalries among the kingdom's 600-strong royal family made her an indispensable resource for British ambassadors and visiting diplomats. In 1976 Violet's 80th birthday party was a notable event for the British expatriate community in Kuwait.
Violet Dickson had a son Saud (who died in May 2005), and a daughter Zahra Freeth
(née Dickson), who is also an author on Middle Eastern topics. Dame Violet was given the honorific title Umm Saud (Arabic: أم سعود meaning Mother of Saud), and was also known as Umm Kuwait - Mother of Kuwait. She was also given the honorific Hajjiyah, a term of respect meaning a female who has completed the Haj
, the pilgrimage to Mecca
. This is unusual, as non-Muslims
are not allowed to perform the Haj.
Violet Dickson was made Member of the Order of the British Empire
(MBE) in 1942, Commander of the Order of the British Empire
(CBE) in 1964 and Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire
(DBE) in 1976. She was awarded the Lawrence of Arabia Memorial Medal awarded by the Royal Society for Asian Affairs
, London (formerly the Royal Central Asian Society) in 1960, for her work among the Bedouin women of Arabia and her study of the flora and fauna of the desert.
The house was ransacked during the invasion, but has since been restored by the Kuwaiti National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters, and is now a tourist attraction. It is one of few surviving examples of 19th-century Kuwaiti architecture, with thirty rooms on two floors.
in Kuwait offers the Dame Violet Dickson Scholarship to Kuwaiti women to encourage them to continue their postgraduate studies in the U.K. The scholarship is described as 'prestigious' and 'Kuwait's flagship award for women', reflecting the esteem in which Violet Dickson was held.
A gallery of photographs from the Violet Dickson Collection is available online at http://www.sant.ox.ac.uk/mec/mecaphotos-violet-dickson.html
A few papers are held by the Faculty of Oriental Studies, Cambridge University, UK (FOS reference: BT C/22), and at Georgetown University
Library, USA
(William E. Mulligan papers).
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 September 1896 – 4 January 1991) was the wife of British
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...
colonial administrator H. R. P. Dickson
H. R. P. Dickson
Lieutenant Colonel Harold Richard Patrick Dickson was a British colonial administrator in the Middle East from the 1920s until the 1940s, and author of several books on Kuwait.-Life:...
. She lived in Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
for 61 years, half of them as a widow, and published several books on the country. She was a keen amateur botanist
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
and had a plant named in her honour.
Life
Violet Penelope Lucas-Calcraft was born in Gautby, LincolnshireLincolnshire
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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Her father was Neville Lucas-Calcraft, a land agent. The 1900 census shows the family were living in Moat House, Gautby: the house was owned by Robert Charles de Gray Vyner, for whom Violet's father worked.
She met her husband Harold Dickson (1881 – 1959) in Marseilles, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, shortly after the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, where she was working in a bank. She travelled out to meet him in India
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, where he was stationed and where they were married. Shortly afterwards he was posted to Iraq.
Harold Dickson served as British Political Agent
Political Resident
In the British Empire a Political Resident or Political Agent was an official diplomatic position involving both consular duties and liaison function....
in Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
from 1919-1920. He also served in Persia (present-day Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
). In 1929 he was appointed British Political Agent to Kuwait, and served in this role until 1936. He briefly held this role again in 1941. Violet accompanied him on all these postings, and soon became fluent in Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
. After his retirement from political service, Harold Dickson worked for the Kuwait Oil Company.
Violet Dickson was a keen botanist and published a book on the flora of Bahrain and Kuwait in 1955. She regularly sent wild flower collections to the botanic gardens at Kew Gardens in London, and the desert plant that she introduced to science, Horwoodia dicksoniae (known as khuzama in Arabic), was named in her honour.
She wrote her autobiography, Forty Years in Kuwait, at the urging of Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
, author of the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
series of books. He had travelled to Kuwait in 1960 to research and write a book for the Kuwait Oil Company, and Dame Violet was one of the people he interviewed. Fleming's book, titled State of Excitement, was never published as the Kuwait Oil Company 'did not care for its tone'; Violet Dickson's book appeared 11 years after Fleming first suggested she should write it.
As the wife of a British government figure, Violet was expected to assist her husband in his duties, primarily at social functions and by accompanying him on some of his travels across the region. As a result, she came to know many of the rulers and dignitaries of the region, including King Abdul Aziz ibn Saud
Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia
King Abdul-Aziz of Saudi Arabia was the first monarch of the Third Saudi State known as Saudi Arabia. He was commonly referred to as Ibn Saud....
of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, (who on one occasion presented her with an oryx
Oryx
Oryx is one of four large antelope species of the genus Oryx. Three of the species are native to arid parts of Africa, with a fourth native to the Arabian Peninsula. Their pelage is pale with contrasing dark markings in the face and on the legs, and their long horns are almost straight...
, which became a pet), King Faisal
King Faisal
-People:* Faisal of Saudi Arabia * Faisal I of Iraq , king of Greater Syria and king of Iraq* Faisal II of Iraq Iraq's last king-Other:*King Faisal Airbase, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia...
of Iraq, four Kuwaiti rulers and many tribal sheikh
Sheikh
Not to be confused with sikhSheikh — also spelled Sheik or Shaikh, or transliterated as Shaykh — is an honorific in the Arabic language that literally means "elder" and carries the meaning "leader and/or governor"...
s. She also dealt frequently with Western diplomats. This contact continued after the death of her husband, as her knowledge of Kuwait and the feuds and rivalries among the kingdom's 600-strong royal family made her an indispensable resource for British ambassadors and visiting diplomats. In 1976 Violet's 80th birthday party was a notable event for the British expatriate community in Kuwait.
Violet Dickson had a son Saud (who died in May 2005), and a daughter Zahra Freeth
Zahra Freeth
Zahra Dickson Freeth is a British author, the daughter of H. R. P. Dickson and Dame Violet Dickson , who has written several books on the Middle East....
(née Dickson), who is also an author on Middle Eastern topics. Dame Violet was given the honorific title Umm Saud (Arabic: أم سعود meaning Mother of Saud), and was also known as Umm Kuwait - Mother of Kuwait. She was also given the honorific Hajjiyah, a term of respect meaning a female who has completed the Haj
Háj
Háj may refer to:* Háj in Turčianske Teplice District, Slovakia* Háj in Košice-okolie District, Slovakia...
, the pilgrimage to Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
. This is unusual, as non-Muslims
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
are not allowed to perform the Haj.
Violet Dickson was made Member 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...
(MBE) in 1942, 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...
(CBE) in 1964 and 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...
(DBE) in 1976. She was awarded the Lawrence of Arabia Memorial Medal awarded by the Royal Society for Asian Affairs
Royal Society for Asian Affairs
The Royal Society for Asian Affairs is a learned society based in the United Kingdom, founded in 1901 to "promote greater knowledge and understanding of Central Asia and surrounding countries". The geographical extent of the Society's interest has since expanded to include the whole of Asia...
, London (formerly the Royal Central Asian Society) in 1960, for her work among the Bedouin women of Arabia and her study of the flora and fauna of the desert.
The Dickson House Cultural Centre, Kuwait City
The British Political Agency in Kuwait was based in a house that had been built in 1870 for a Kuwaiti merchant. The Dicksons moved in to the house in 1929, and the building served as the British political agency until 1935. Harold Dickson continued to live there until his death in 1959, and Violet until the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, when she was evacuated, unwillingly, to Britain. She intended to return to her home in Kuwait City, but died on 4 January 1991, some eight weeks before the liberation of Kuwait on 27 February. She was 94.The house was ransacked during the invasion, but has since been restored by the Kuwaiti National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters, and is now a tourist attraction. It is one of few surviving examples of 19th-century Kuwaiti architecture, with thirty rooms on two floors.
The Dame Violet Dickson Scholarship
The British CouncilBritish Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
in Kuwait offers the Dame Violet Dickson Scholarship to Kuwaiti women to encourage them to continue their postgraduate studies in the U.K. The scholarship is described as 'prestigious' and 'Kuwait's flagship award for women', reflecting the esteem in which Violet Dickson was held.
Archive
Papers and photographs by Violet Dickson are held at the Middle East Centre Archive, St Antony's College, Oxford University, U.K. (MECA reference: GB165-0364).A gallery of photographs from the Violet Dickson Collection is available online at http://www.sant.ox.ac.uk/mec/mecaphotos-violet-dickson.html
A few papers are held by the Faculty of Oriental Studies, Cambridge University, UK (FOS reference: BT C/22), and at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
Library, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(William E. Mulligan papers).
Books and articles by Violet Dickson
- "A visit to Maskan and Auha Islands in the Persian Gulf off Kuwait, May 7th, 1942" Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 43, 258-264 (Reprinted in Ahmadi Newsletter 7, 5-12) (1942)
- The Wild Flowers of Kuwait and Bahrain London: George Allen & Unwin (1955)
- Forty Years in Kuwait London: George Allen & Unwin (1971)
- Violet Dickson wrote an introduction to Kuwait's Natural History: An Introduction edited by David Clayton. Kuwait: Kuwait Oil Company (1983)
Other sources
- Al Rashoud, Claudia Farkas (1997) Dame Violet Dickson: "Umm Saud's" fascinating life in Kuwait from 1929-1990 Kuwait: al-Alfain Printing Press
- Obituary of Dame Violet Dickson in Oil and Gas Journal, Vol 89(3), Jan 21, 1991
- Middle East Centre Archive, St Antony's College, Oxford University
- Interview with Dame Violet Dickson
- Article about Zahra Dickson Freeth mentioning H. R. P. and Dame Violet Dickson
- Official information about the Dickson House (scroll down the page)
- Account of a visit to the Dickson House in Kuwait
- Page on Horwoodia dicksoniae (many photographs; text in Arabic)