Sir Harry and Lady Brittain - Bain Collection

Dame Alida Luisa Brittain (''née'' Harvey; 12 June 1883''1939 England and Wales Register'' – 5 January 1943) was a British harpist. She was the wife of politician and journalist Sir Harry Brittain. The only daughter of businessman Sir Robert Harvey and Franco-Peruvian Alida María Godefroy, Alida was born in

Iquique Iquique () is a port city and commune in northern Chile, capital of both the Iquique Province and Tarapacá Region. It lies on the Pacific coast, west of the Pampa del Tamarugal, which is part of the Atacama Desert. It has a population of 191, ...

(then in

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

), where her father made millions as a

saltpetre Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . This alkali metal nitrate salt is also known as Indian saltpetre (large deposits of which were historically mined in India). It is an ionic salt of potassium ions K+ and nitra ...

producer. Her maternal grandfather was Émile Godefroy of

Pessac Pessac (; ) is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is a member of the metropolis of Bordeaux, being the second-largest suburb of Bordeaux and located just southwest of it. Pessac is also home to ...

, Bordeaux. In 1885, the family returned to

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a Historic counties of England, historic county and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people ...

, where her father purchased the

Trenoweth Trenoweth is a hamlet in the parish of Mabe, Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a Historic counties of England, historic county and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the ...

estate and several properties in nearby

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...

. She had five younger brothers, including politician Sir

Samuel Emile Harvey Major Sir Samuel Emile Harvey DL (7 December 1885 – 9 November 1959) was a British Conservative Party politician. He sat in the House of Commons for all but one of the years from 1922 to 1935. Early life Harvey was born in Cornwall to Sir ...

. A noted harpist and composer, she was elected a Bard of the Cornish Gorseth. In 1927, she was honorary musical director of the National Conservative Musical Union. She served as president of the Society of Women Journalists from 1929–32, and was a Member of the Celtic Congress in 1933. She was created a Dame Commander of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

in the

1929 New Year Honours The 1929 New Year Honours were appointments by King George V to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of the United Kingdom and British Empire. They were announced on 26 February 1929.United Kingdom and Briti ...

, for political and public services. She married Harry Brittain in 1905. They had two children: Robert Edmund Godefroy Brittain and Alida Gwendolen Rosemary Brittain. She died suddenly at home in

Headley Headley may refer to: Places * Headley, Basingstoke and Deane in the civil parish of Ashford Hill with Headley * Headley, East Hampshire ** Headley Grange, Hampshire * Headley, Surrey Other uses * Headley (surname) * Baron Headley, a title in th ...

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...

, in 1943.

Legacy

Alida, Saskatchewan Alida ( 2016 population: ) is a village in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan within the Rural Municipality of Reciprocity No. 32 and Census Division No. 1. The village is approximately east of the City of Estevan. Farming and oil are th ...

is named in her honour.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brittain, Alida 1883 births 1943 deaths English harpists English people of Cornish descent English people of French descent English people of Peruvian descent Bards of Gorsedh Kernow Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire People from Iquique British people of Cornish descent British people of French descent British people of Peruvian descent Women harpists 20th-century English women musicians