Elizabeth Frances Philipps, Viscountess St Davids (née Abney-Hastings) (10 June 1884 – 12 December 1974) was a British peeress. Following the passing of the

Peerage Act 1963 The Peerage Act 1963 (c. 48) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that permits women peeresses and all Scottish hereditary peers to sit in the House of Lords and allows newly inherited hereditary peerages to be disclaimed. Backgro ...

, she became the first woman to take her seat in the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...

by virtue of an hereditary peerage as 14th Baroness Strange of Knokin.

Biography

She was the second daughter and coheir of Hon. Paulyn Abney-Hastings (the second son of Charles Abney-Hastings, 1st Baron Donington and

Edith Rawdon-Hastings, 10th Countess of Loudoun Edith Maud Rawdon-Hastings, 10th Countess of Loudoun (10 December 1833 – 23 January 1874) was a Scottish peer. She died aged 40 after caring for Rowallan Castle. Sir George Gilbert Scott designed an Eleanor Cross style monument to her which w ...

) and his wife, Lady Maud ''née'' Grimston (the third daughter of

James Grimston, 2nd Earl of Verulam James Walter Grimston, 2nd Earl of Verulam (20 February 1809 – 27 July 1895), known as Viscount Grimston from 1815 to 1845, was a British peer and Conservative politician. He was the eldest son of James Walter Grimston, 1st Earl of Verulam, a ...

). On 27 April 1916, she married John Philipps, 1st Baron St Davids (created Viscount St Davids in 1918); they had two children.

Peerages

On 19 October 1920, Lady St Davids and her sister,

Edith Abney-Hastings, 12th Countess of Loudoun } Edith Maud Abney-Hastings, 12th Countess of Loudoun (13 May 1883 – 24 February 1960) was a British peeress. Family She was the first daughter and coheir of Hon. Paulyn Abney-Hastings (the second son of Charles Abney-Hastings, 1st Baron D ...

, petitioned the

Committee for Privileges The Committee for Privileges and Conduct was a select committee of the House of Lords in the Parliament of the United Kingdom which considered issues relating to the privileges of the House of Lords and its members, as well as having oversight fo ...

for the baronies of Botreaux,

Hungerford Hungerford is a historic market town and civil parish in Berkshire, England, west of Newbury, east of Marlborough, northeast of Salisbury and 60 miles (97 km) west of London. The Kennet and Avon Canal passes through the town alongside the ...

, de Moleyns, Hastings (de Hastings) and Hastings (de Hungerford), which were

abeyant Abeyance (from the Old French ''abeance'' meaning "gaping") is a state of expectancy in respect of property, titles or office, when the right to them is not vested in any one person, but awaits the appearance or determination of the true owner. ...

between them and their other sister, Lady Flora, since the death of the 11th Earl. They also petitioned for the baronies of Strange (de Knockyn) and

Stanley Stanley may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film * ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy * ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short * ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...

as descendants of the last holder,

Ferdinando Stanley, 5th Earl of Derby Ferdinando Stanley, 5th Earl of Derby (1559 – 16 April 1594), was an English nobleman and politician. He was the son of Henry Stanley, 4th Earl of Derby, and Lady Margaret Clifford. Ferdinando had a place in the line of succession to Elizabe ...

. The sisters were confirmed as co-heirs to the baronies on 17 December. On 23 February 1921, the viscountess was granted the baronies of Hungerford, de Moleyns and Strange (de Knockyn), whilst those of Botreaux, Stanley and Hastings (de Hastings) were granted to the countess on 7 March. On 23 June that year, the two sisters also petitioned for the earldoms of

Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and Whi ...

and

Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of Wil ...

, and for the baronies of Montagu,

Montacute Montacute is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Somerset, England, west of Yeovil. The village has a population of 831 (2011 census). The name Montacute is thought by some to derive from the Latin "Mons Acutus", referrin ...

, Monthermer and Pole of Montagu, as descendants of

Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick Edward Plantagenet, 17th Earl of Warwick (25 February 1475 – 28 November 1499) was the son of Isabel Neville and George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence, and a potential claimant to the English throne during the reigns of both his uncle, ...

and

Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury Margaret Plantagenet, Countess of Salisbury (14 August 1473 – 27 May 1541), also called Margaret Pole, as a result of her marriage to Sir Richard Pole, was the only surviving daughter of George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence, a brother of ...

, and for the latter's

attainder In English criminal law, attainder or attinctura was the metaphorical "stain" or "corruption of blood" which arose from being condemned for a serious capital crime (felony or treason). It entailed losing not only one's life, property and hereditar ...

s to be reversed. However,

James Gascoyne-Cecil, 4th Marquess of Salisbury James Edward Hubert Gascoyne-Cecil, 4th Marquess of Salisbury, (23 October 1861 – 4 April 1947), known as Viscount Cranborne from 1868 to 1903, was a British statesman. Background and education Born in London, Salisbury was the eldest son ...

and

Francis Greville, 5th Earl of Warwick Francis Richard Charles Guy Greville, 5th Earl of Warwick (9 February 1853 – 15 January 1924), styled Lord Brooke until 1893, was a British Conservative politician. Early life Greville was the son of George Greville, 4th Earl of Warwick, and h ...

counter-petitioned and the attainders were not reversed. On 31 July 1963, the

came into effect, which, among other things, enabled women to sit and vote in the House of Lords by virtue of an hereditary peerage. Following the passage of the Act, Lady St Davids applied for a

writ of summons A writ of summons is a formal document issued by the monarch that enables someone to sit in a Parliament under the United Kingdom's Westminster system. At the beginning of each new Parliament, each person who has established their right to attend ...

to the House of Lords in right of her barony, which was subsequently issued to her, and she took her seat in the House on 19 November 1963.Lords Hansard (19 November 1963) - ''Baroness Strange of Knockin''
/ref> On the death of Lady St Davids in 1974 her titles passed to her only son, Jestyn.

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:St Davids, Elizabeth Philipps, Viscountess British viscountesses Strange, Elizabeth Philipps, 14th Baroness 1884 births 1974 deaths 20th-century British women politicians Barons Strange Barons Hungerford 20th-century English nobility Wives of knights