Viva Seton Montgomerie
Encyclopedia
Viva Seton Montgomerie was a socialite
and minor author, a daughter of the Hon. Seton Montolieu Montgomerie
and his wife Nina Janet Bronwen Peers Williams, daughter of Lt.-Col. Thomas Peers Williams
. Seton Montgomerie was the second son of Archibald Montgomerie, 13th Earl of Eglinton
.
, at the age of 37, from the effects of diabetes.
He had the rank of Lieutenant in the service of the Scots Fusilier Guards. Viva would have been in line to inherit the title, however her father had died from diabetes at the age of 37, and in addition daughters where at the time were unable to inherit the property and title. Viva's uncle George (1848–1919) became the 15th Earl and his son Archibald became the 16th Earl of Eglinton and Winton. Viva's mother never re-married.
Her aunt, Lady Egida Montgomerie (d. 13 January 1880), married Frederick William Brook Thellusson, 5th Baron Rendlesham
. Her grandmother, Lady Theresa, died in December 1853 and her grandfather, the 13th Earl of Eglinton, married again, her step-grandmother being the Hon. Adela, daughter of Arthur Capell, 6th Earl of Essex
, in 1858. Viva had two step-aunts through this marriage, Lady Sybil Amelia Montgomerie (d. 3 February 1932) and Lady Hilda Rose Montgomerie (d. 18 June 1928).
for a book they co-authored.
and she spent much of her childhood at their home, Stratfield Saye House
. She also lived at Temple Hill in Maidenhead, London, Elm Leigh Farm near Winkfield
, Sandleford Cottage near Sandleford Priory, Stoughton Grange near Guildford
, Rydes Hill Lodge, Guildford and finally the 'Willows', Chiddingfold
.
Margot Asquith, Countess of Oxford and Asquith was part of Viva's social circle, as was Ethel Beatty, wife of David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty
. Viva recalled an anecdote regarding Admiral Beatty: There was a certain armchair which accompanied them everywhere they went, and when the Admiral was leading forth his fleet, en route for his great Battle of Jutland, he discovered that the chair had been left behind. I shall have no luck without it, he said, and the whole fleet had to be drawn up while his talisman was fetched. It was a chair he had looted during his campaign in China and he firmly believed it was haunted by its former owner. Ethel confirmed this, for she told me that she had distinctly seen a Chinese figure sitting in it as she came into the room, and she saw it fade as she drew near.
Viva recalled meeting, but not liking, Oscar Wilde
at high society parties held at Park Gate near Richmond Park by Lord and Lady Charley Beresford
. In her unpublished memoirs she says that He was a very large man, but he walked with a noisleless tread so no one heard him coming, and when his dominating presence appeared in the room everyone at once stopped talking. He was accustomed to this and immediately dominated the conversation and 'took the floor' as they say.
Viva took a mild interest in the Oxford Group
led by Dr Frank Buchman, commenting that: The programme seemed to be, for any of the guest who felt inclined, to get up and speechify and pour out a history of their private thoughts and mistakes and experiences of all kinds. This confessional process apparently afforded them great relief, for I must admit I never met such a delightfully happy society. Her cousin, Aunt Gwenfra's daughter, Julie became Princess Woroneicki.
Viva never married and spent her final years at the 'Willows', Chiddingfold
, in Surrey. She died on 14 Apr 1959, in her 80th year.
, her mother Bronwen, her sister Alswen, as well as Montgomerie, Peers Wiliams's and other family members. Viva also published a small undated book of poetry entitled 'Twilight Thoughts'.
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
and minor author, a daughter of the Hon. Seton Montolieu Montgomerie
Seton Montolieu Montgomerie
The Hon. Seton Montolieu Montgomerie was born at the Clarendon Hotel, London. Seton died in Windsor, at the age of 37, from the effects of diabetes. Seton Montolieu Montgomerie was the second son of Archibald Montgomerie, 13th Earl of Eglinton His mother was Theresa Newcomen, born in Calcutta;...
and his wife Nina Janet Bronwen Peers Williams, daughter of Lt.-Col. Thomas Peers Williams
Thomas Peers Williams
Lt.-Col. Thomas Peers Williams was MP for Great Marlow 1820-1868 and December 1867-1868.Peers Williams live at Craig-y-Don near Beaumaris on Anglesey and Temple House at Bisham in Berkshire, near Marlow...
. Seton Montgomerie was the second son of Archibald Montgomerie, 13th Earl of Eglinton
Earl of Eglinton
Earl of Eglinton is a title in the Peerage of Scotland.Some authorities spell the title: Earl of Eglintoun In 1859 the thirteenth Earl of Eglinton, Archibald Montgomerie, was also created Earl of Winton in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, which gave him an automatic seat in the House of Lords,...
.
Family
Her father died in WindsorWindsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
, at the age of 37, from the effects of diabetes.
He had the rank of Lieutenant in the service of the Scots Fusilier Guards. Viva would have been in line to inherit the title, however her father had died from diabetes at the age of 37, and in addition daughters where at the time were unable to inherit the property and title. Viva's uncle George (1848–1919) became the 15th Earl and his son Archibald became the 16th Earl of Eglinton and Winton. Viva's mother never re-married.
Her aunt, Lady Egida Montgomerie (d. 13 January 1880), married Frederick William Brook Thellusson, 5th Baron Rendlesham
Frederick Thellusson, 5th Baron Rendlesham
Frederick William Brook Thellusson, 5th Baron Rendlesham , was a British Conservative politician.Rendlesham was the son of Frederick Thellusson, 4th Baron Rendlesham, and his wife Elizabeth Charlotte, daughter of Sir George Prescott, 2nd Baronet, and former wife of General Sir James Duff. His...
. Her grandmother, Lady Theresa, died in December 1853 and her grandfather, the 13th Earl of Eglinton, married again, her step-grandmother being the Hon. Adela, daughter of Arthur Capell, 6th Earl of Essex
Earl of Essex
Earl of Essex is a title that has been held by several families and individuals. The earldom was first created in the 12th century for Geoffrey II de Mandeville . Upon the death of the third earl in 1189, the title became dormant or extinct...
, in 1858. Viva had two step-aunts through this marriage, Lady Sybil Amelia Montgomerie (d. 3 February 1932) and Lady Hilda Rose Montgomerie (d. 18 June 1928).
Siblings
Viva had two sisters, however May only survived a few months. Her older sister was Alswen Dorothy Rose Montgomerie (d. 23 Dec 1943), an amateur artist who provided the paintings of the RivieraFrench Riviera
The Côte d'Azur, pronounced , often known in English as the French Riviera , is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France, also including the sovereign state of Monaco...
for a book they co-authored.
Life
Viva's Aunt Evelyn, was married to Henry Wellesley, 3rd Duke of WellingtonHenry Wellesley, 3rd Duke of Wellington
Henry Wellesley, 3rd Duke of Wellington was the son of Lord Charles Wellesley and grandson of the 1st Duke of Wellington....
and she spent much of her childhood at their home, Stratfield Saye House
Stratfield Saye House
Stratfield Saye House is a large stately home at Stratfield Saye in the north-east of the English county of Hampshire. It has been the home of the Dukes of Wellington since 1817.-Early history:...
. She also lived at Temple Hill in Maidenhead, London, Elm Leigh Farm near Winkfield
Winkfield
Winkfield is a village and civil parish in the Bracknell Forest unitary authority of Berkshire, England.-Geography:According to the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 15,271...
, Sandleford Cottage near Sandleford Priory, Stoughton Grange near Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
, Rydes Hill Lodge, Guildford and finally the 'Willows', Chiddingfold
Chiddingfold
Chiddingfold is a village and civil parish in the heart of The Weald in the Waverley district of Surrey, England. It lies on the A283 between Milford and Petworth...
.
David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty
Admiral of the Fleet David Richard Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO was an admiral in the Royal Navy...
. Viva recalled an anecdote regarding Admiral Beatty: There was a certain armchair which accompanied them everywhere they went, and when the Admiral was leading forth his fleet, en route for his great Battle of Jutland, he discovered that the chair had been left behind. I shall have no luck without it, he said, and the whole fleet had to be drawn up while his talisman was fetched. It was a chair he had looted during his campaign in China and he firmly believed it was haunted by its former owner. Ethel confirmed this, for she told me that she had distinctly seen a Chinese figure sitting in it as she came into the room, and she saw it fade as she drew near.
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
at high society parties held at Park Gate near Richmond Park by Lord and Lady Charley Beresford
Lord Charles Beresford
Charles William de la Poer Beresford, 1st Baron Beresford GCB GCVO , styled Lord Charles Beresford between 1859 and 1916, was a British Admiral and Member of Parliament....
. In her unpublished memoirs she says that He was a very large man, but he walked with a noisleless tread so no one heard him coming, and when his dominating presence appeared in the room everyone at once stopped talking. He was accustomed to this and immediately dominated the conversation and 'took the floor' as they say.
Viva took a mild interest in the Oxford Group
Oxford Group
The Oxford Group was a Christian movement that had a following in Europe, China, Africa, Australia, Scandinavia and America in the 1920s and 30s. It was initiated by an American Lutheran pastor, Frank Buchman, who was of Swiss descent...
led by Dr Frank Buchman, commenting that: The programme seemed to be, for any of the guest who felt inclined, to get up and speechify and pour out a history of their private thoughts and mistakes and experiences of all kinds. This confessional process apparently afforded them great relief, for I must admit I never met such a delightfully happy society. Her cousin, Aunt Gwenfra's daughter, Julie became Princess Woroneicki.
Viva never married and spent her final years at the 'Willows', Chiddingfold
Chiddingfold
Chiddingfold is a village and civil parish in the heart of The Weald in the Waverley district of Surrey, England. It lies on the A283 between Milford and Petworth...
, in Surrey. She died on 14 Apr 1959, in her 80th year.
Authoress
Viva wrote two books; the first one, published in 1914, was 'Sunny Days on the Riviera. Being a Diary of Some Sketching at Eze', illustrated with views of the Riviera by her sister Alswen. The second book was 'My Scrapbook of Memories', privately published in 1955. These publications contain many references and anecdotes regarding her father, Seton Montolieu MontgomerieSeton Montolieu Montgomerie
The Hon. Seton Montolieu Montgomerie was born at the Clarendon Hotel, London. Seton died in Windsor, at the age of 37, from the effects of diabetes. Seton Montolieu Montgomerie was the second son of Archibald Montgomerie, 13th Earl of Eglinton His mother was Theresa Newcomen, born in Calcutta;...
, her mother Bronwen, her sister Alswen, as well as Montgomerie, Peers Wiliams's and other family members. Viva also published a small undated book of poetry entitled 'Twilight Thoughts'.