Rosalind Frances Howard, Countess of Carlisle (''née'' Stanley; 20 February 1845 – 12 August 1921), known as the Radical Countess, was an English aristocrat and activist for women's political rights and

temperance movement The temperance movement is a social movement promoting Temperance (virtue), temperance or total abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and ...

. She was a member of the

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) ...

and

Howard Howard is a masculine given name derived from the English surname Howard. ''The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names'' notes that "the use of this surname as a christian name is quite recent and there seems to be no particular reason for ...

families.

Family

The Countess of Carlisle was born in 1845 at

Grosvenor Crescent Grosvenor Crescent is a street in London's Belgravia district, that in December 2017 was ranked as the UK's most expensive residential street, with an average house price of £16,918,000. Grosvenor Crescent runs from the north-east corner of Bel ...

Belgravia Belgravia () is a district in Central London, covering parts of the areas of the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Belgravia was known as the 'Five Fields' during the Tudor Period, and became a dangerous pla ...

, the tenth and last child of the Whig politician Hon. Edward Stanley, and the

women's education Female education is a catch-all term for a complex set of issues and debates surrounding education (primary education, secondary education, tertiary education, and health education in particular) for girls and women. It is frequently called girls ...

campaigner Hon. Henrietta Stanley. Her father was the eldest son of

John Stanley, 1st Baron Stanley of Alderley John Thomas Stanley, 1st Baron Stanley of Alderley (26 November 1766 – 23 October 1850), known as Sir John Stanley, 7th Baronet, from 1807 to 1839, was an English peer and politician. Early life and education Stanley was born at Alderley Pa ...

and his wife Lady Maria, daughter of the

Earl of Sheffield Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. In modern Britain, an earl is a member of the peerage, ranking below a marquess and above a viscount. A feminine form of ''earl'' never developed; instead, ''countess'' is used. The titl ...

. In 1848, her father was raised to the peerage as Baron Eddisbury and two years later succeeded to his father's title,

Baron Stanley of Alderley Baron Stanley of Alderley, in the County of Chester, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1839 for the politician and landowner Sir John Stanley, 7th Baronet. History When the 1st Baron died in 1850, he was ...

. She was educated at home by private tutors. The Stanley family was exceptionally diverse in terms of religious convictions: Lord and Lady Stanley were

high-church A ''high church'' is a Christian Church whose beliefs and practices of Christian ecclesiology, liturgy, and theology emphasize "ritual, priestly authority, nd sacraments," and a standard liturgy. Although used in connection with various Christia ...

Anglicans, their eldest son

Henry Henry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Henry (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters * Henry (surname) * Henry, a stage name of François-Louis Henry (1786–1855), French baritone Arts and entertainmen ...

was a Muslim, their third daughter Maude was a

low-church In Anglican Christianity, the term ''low church'' refers to those who give little emphasis to ritual, often having an emphasis on preaching, individual salvation, and personal conversion. The term is most often used in a liturgical sense, denoti ...

Anglican, their youngest son Algernon became a Roman Catholic bishop, their penultimate daughter

Kate Kate may refer to: People and fictional characters * Kate (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname * Gyula Káté (born 1982), Hungarian amateur boxer * Lauren Kate (born 1981), American author o ...

leaned towards

atheism Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the Existence of God, existence of Deity, deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the ...

, while Rosalind herself identified as an agnostic.

Marriage

On 4 October 1864, she married the painter George Howard, who became an active Liberal MP from 1879. She took part in election campaigns of her husband and father-in-law

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...

canvassing Canvassing, also known as door knocking or phone banking, is the systematic initiation of direct contact with individuals, commonly used during political campaigns. Canvassing can be done for many reasons: political campaigning, grassroot ...

, but refrained from speaking publicly, which was considered improper for a woman. In sharp contrast to her moderate husband, however, Howard soon joined the radical left, denouncing

William Ewart Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British politican, starting as Conservative MP for Newark and later becoming the leader of the Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party. In a career lasting over 60 years, he ...

's occupation of Egypt and campaigning for

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the women's rights, right of women to Suffrage, vote in elections. Several instances occurred in recent centuries where women were selectively given, then stripped of, the right to vote. In Sweden, conditional women's suffra ...

. She once responded to criticism of herself by saying: "Fanatics have done a lot of the world's work, and I don't mind being classed with the fanatics." In its early days, the marriage was close and filled with romance. George showered Rosalind with love letters and nude sketches, but the couple gradually drifted apart. They shared a dislike for alcohol, but little else; when the Liberal Party split on the issue of Irish

home rule Home rule is the government of a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens. It is thus the power of a part (administrative division) of a state or an external dependent country to exercise such of the state's powers of governan ...

, which Rosalind supported, George decided to side with his cousin, the

Duke of Devonshire Duke of Devonshire is a title in the Peerage of England held by members of the Cavendish family. This (now the senior) branch of the Cavendish family has been one of the wealthiest British aristocratic families since the 16th century and has b ...

, and the

Liberal Unionist Party The Liberal Unionist Party was a British political party that was formed in 1886 by a faction that broke away from the Liberal Party. Led by Lord Hartington (later the Duke of Devonshire) and Joseph Chamberlain, the party established a political ...

. Due to their personal and political disagreements, the Howards spent most of their married life separated, with Rosalind preferring to stay at their country houses,

Castle Howard Castle Howard is an English country house in Henderskelfe, North Yorkshire, north of York. A private residence, it has been the home of the Earl of Carlisle, Carlisle branch of the House of Howard, Howard family for more than 300 years. Castle ...

and her favourite home,

Naworth Castle Naworth Castle, also known or recorded in historical documents as "Naward", is a castle in Cumbria, England, near the town of Brampton, Carlisle, Brampton. It is adjacent to the A69 road (England), A69 road from Newcastle upon Tyne to Carlisle, ...

Views and causes

Despite being plagued by poor health, Howard made use of her organisational skills. She joined Liberal Party women's associations and the

, involved herself in the management of the extensive family estates and took part in local government. She took the temperance pledge in 1881 and started requiring

teetotalism Teetotalism is the practice of voluntarily abstaining from the consumption of alcohol, specifically in alcoholic drinks. A person who practices (and possibly advocates) teetotalism is called a teetotaler (US) or teetotaller (UK), or said to b ...

from her tenants and closing down public houses on her estates the next year. Howard gained further credit in 1889 when her husband succeeded his uncle

William William is a masculine given name of Germanic languages, Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman Conquest, Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle ...

as 9th

Earl of Carlisle Earl of Carlisle is a title that has been created three times in the Peerage of England. History The first creation came in 1322, when Andrew Harclay, 1st Baron Harclay, was made Earl of Carlisle. He had already been summoned to Parliamen ...

, thereby also inheriting the family fortune, and she became known as Countess of Carlisle. In 1891, a

United Kingdom Alliance The United Kingdom Alliance (UKA) was a British temperance organisation. It was founded in 1853 in Manchester to work for the prohibition of the trade in alcohol in the United Kingdom. This occurred in a context of support for the type of law p ...

official convinced Lady Carlisle to speak on the subject of temperance at a drawing-room meeting of women. She soon became a successful platform speaker and vice-president of the United Kingdom Alliance, as well as president of the North of England Temperance League in 1892. In 1890, Lady Carlisle became a member of the

Women's Liberal Federation The Women's Liberal Federation was an organisation that was part of the Liberal Party in the United Kingdom. History The Women's Liberal Federation (WLF) was formed on the initiative of Sophia Fry, who in 1886 called a meeting at her house of f ...

and persuaded the organisation to support extending the suffrage to all women, but denounced Pankhurst suffragettes' violent methods. She presided over the federation from 1894 until 1902 and again from 1906 until 1915. She was elected president of the

British Women's Temperance Association The White Ribbon Association (WRA), previously known as the British Women's Temperance Association (BWTA), is an organization that seeks to educate the public about alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, as well as gambling. Founding of British Wom ...

in 1903 and president of the

World's Woman's Christian Temperance Association The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) is an international temperance organization. It was among the first organizations of women devoted to social reform with a program that "linked the religious and the secular through concerted and far ...

in 1906, retaining both offices until her death. Lady Carlisle disagreed with the policy of her predecessor,

Lady Henry Somerset Isabella Caroline Somerset, Lady Henry Somerset (née Somers-Cocks; 3 August 1851 – 12 March 1921), styled Lady Isabella Somers-Cocks from 5 October 1852 to 6 February 1872, was a British philanthropist, temperance movement, temperance leader ...

, and

Thomas Palmer Whittaker Sir Thomas Palmer Whittaker Privy Council of the United Kingdom, PC (7 January 1850 – 9 November 1919) was a British people, British businessman and Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party politician. Early life Whittaker was born in Scarborough, ...

, who, among other things, advocated compensating licence holders who lost their livelihoods due to temperance. The Countess of Carlisle allied herself with a small group of Liberal MPs, including her son

Geoffrey Geoffrey, Geoffroy, Geoff, etc., may refer to: People * Geoffrey (given name), including a list of people with the name Geoffrey or Geoffroy * Geoffroy (surname), including a list of people with the name * Geoffroy (musician) (born 1987), Canadian ...

, her son-in-law Charles Henry Roberts, her secretary Leifchild Leif-Jones and her neighbour Sir Wilfrid Lawson. The

Good Templars The International Organisation of Good Templars (IOGT; founded as the Independent Order of Good Templars), whose international body is known as Movendi International, is a fraternal organization which is part of the temperance movement, promoting ...

supported her policies, but she refused invitations to join the mostly working-class and lower middle-class organisation. When Lady Carlisle's daughter, Lady Dorothy Georgiana Howard, was attending

Girton College Girton College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was established in 1869 by Emily Davies and Barbara Bodichon as the first women's college at Cambridge. In 1948, it was granted full college status by the univ ...

, her closest college friends included archaeologist

Gisela Richter Gisela Marie Augusta Richter (14 or 15 August 1882 – 24 December 1972) was a British-American classical archaeologist and art historian. She was a prominent figure and an authority in her field. Early life Gisela Richter was born in London, ...

and future candidate for Roman Catholic Sainthood Anna Abrikosova. During vacations, both were honored guests of Lady Carlisle at Castle Howard and Castle Naworth. Although she had opposed the

South African War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

, Lady Carlisle firmly supported British resistance to the Germans in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. The temperance movement and the Liberal Party had divided by then, leaving her without significant political influence. She supported

H. H. Asquith Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith (12 September 1852 – 15 February 1928) was a British statesman and Liberal Party (UK), Liberal politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916. He was the last ...

despite his unwillingness to promote

prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic b ...

and opposed

David Lloyd George David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. A Liberal Party (United Kingdom), Liberal Party politician from Wales, he was known for leadi ...

's proposal to nationalise the drink trade during wartime. Though she worked hard to improve the working-class people's living conditions, she was an élitist who resented their role in democracy.

Issue

The Carlisles had 11 children: * Lady Mary Henrietta Howard (20 July 1865 – 2 September 1956), who married George Gilbert Aimé Murray, son of Sir

Terence Aubrey Murray Sir Terence Aubrey Murray (10 May 1810 – 22 June 1873) was an Irish-Australian pastoralist, parliamentarian and knight of the realm. He had the double distinction of being, at separate times, both the Speaker of the New South Wales Legislativ ...

, in 1889. * Charles James Stanley Howard, 10th Earl of Carlisle (1867–1912), married Rhoda Ankaret L'Estrange, eldest daughter of Col. Paget Walter L'Estrange. * Lady Cecilia Maude Howard (23 April 1868 - 6 May 1947), married Charles Henry Roberts, the

Under-Secretary of State for India This is a list of Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State and Permanent Under-Secretaries of State at the India Office during the period of British rule between 1858 and 1937 for India (and Burma by extension), and for India and Burma from 193 ...

, in 1891. * Hon. Hubert George Lyulph Howard (3 April 1871 – 2 September 1898), killed at the

Battle of Omdurman The Battle of Omdurman, also known as the Battle of Karary, was fought during the Anglo-Egyptian conquest of Sudan between a British–Egyptian expeditionary force commanded by British Commander-in-Chief (sirdar) major general Horatio Herbert ...

while serving as a correspondent for ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'' * Capt. Hon. Christopher Edward Howard (2 June 1873 – 1 September 1896),

8th King's Royal Irish Hussars The 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars was a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1693. It saw service for three centuries including the World War I, First and World War II, Second World Wars. ...

, died of pneumonia at Slains Castle after contracting a cold at a shooting party * Hon. Oliver Howard (14 March 1875 – 20 September 1908), diplomat, who married Muriel Stephenson (1876–1952) in 1900. After his death of fever in

Northern Nigeria Northern Nigeria (or Arewa, Arewancin Nijeriya) was an autonomous division within Nigeria, distinctly different from the southern part of the country, with independent customs, foreign relations and security structures. In 1962, it acquired t ...

, where he was British resident, his widow married

Arthur Meade, 5th Earl of Clanwilliam Major Arthur Vesey Meade, 5th Earl of Clanwilliam, (14 January 1873 – 23 January 1953), styled Lord Donore between 1905 and 1907, was a British Army officer and politician. Early life and background Arthur Meade was the second, but eldest s ...

. * Hon. Geoffrey William Algernon Howard (1877–1935), married Hon. Ethel Christian Methuen, eldest daughter of

Paul Methuen, 3rd Baron Methuen Field Marshal Paul Sanford Methuen, 3rd Baron Methuen, (1 September 1845 – 30 October 1932), was a British Army officer. He served in the Third Anglo-Ashanti War in 1873 and then in the expedition of Sir Charles Warren to Bechuanaland in t ...

. * Lt. Hon. Michael Francis Stafford Howard (23 January 1880 – 9 September 1917), married Nora Hensman in 1911. He was killed in action in the First World War. * Lady Dorothy Georgiana Howard (6 August 1881 – 14 September 1968), married Francis Robert Eden, 6th Baron Henley (1877–1962) in 1913. * Elizabeth Dacre Ethel Howard (12 March 1883 – 17 July 1883), died in infancy. There is a terra cotta effigy by Sir Edgar Boehm on her tomb at

Lanercost Priory Lanercost Priory was founded by Robert de Vaux, Sheriff of Cumberland, Robert de Vaux between 1165 and 1174, the most likely date being 1169, to house Augustinians, Augustinian Canon (priest), canons. The priory is situated in the village of Lan ...

. * Lady Aurea Fredeswyde Howard (4 October 1884 – 15 January 1972), married Denyss Chamberlaine Wace in 1923; he was granted an annulment in 1926 on grounds that the marriage was never consummated. She married Maj. Thomas MacLeod

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

in 1928.

Death and legacy

By the time Lord Carlisle died in 1911, Lady Carlisle's

autocracy Autocracy is a form of government in which absolute power is held by the head of state and Head of government, government, known as an autocrat. It includes some forms of monarchy and all forms of dictatorship, while it is contrasted with demo ...

had estranged her from most of her children and friends. She strongly disapproved of her daughters' flirtatiousness and bitterly argued with her eldest son

, a

Tory A Tory () is an individual who supports a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalist conservatism which upholds the established social order as it has evolved through the history of Great Britain. The To ...

politician. For several years, Lady Carlisle refused to speak to her daughter Lady Dorothy due to her marriage to the brewer

Francis Henley Francis Anthony Hoste Henley (11 February 1884 – 26 June 1963) was an English first-class cricketer active 1903–08 who played for Middlesex and Oxford University. He was a son of Anthony Henley, who played cricket for Hampshire. Henley was ...

(afterwards

Baron Henley Baron Henley is a title that has been created twice: first in the Peerage of Great Britain and then in the Peerage of Ireland. The first creation came in 1760 in favour of Sir Robert Henley, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, when he was cr ...

). Lady Henley later claimed that her mother was privately a tyrant, despite appearing at her best in public. Her husband left most of the family property to her for life and instructed her to divide it among their children upon her death. The Countess of Carlisle died on 12 August 1921 at her home in

Kensington Palace Gardens Kensington Palace Gardens is an exclusive street in Kensington, west of central London, near Kensington Gardens and Kensington Palace. Entered through gates at either end and guarded by sentry boxes, it was the location of the London Cage, t ...

, having survived seven of her children, and was cremated at

Golders Green Crematorium Golders Green Crematorium and Mausoleum was the first crematorium to be opened in London, and is one of the oldest crematoria in Britain. The land for the crematorium was purchased in 1900, costing £6,000 (the equivalent of £136,000 in 2021), ...

four days later. Her ashes were interred alongside her husband's at

on 18 August, with Geoffrey as the chief mourner. The surviving children found her

last will and testament A will and testament is a legal document that expresses a person's (testator) wishes as to how their property (estate (law), estate) is to be distributed after their death and as to which person (executor) is to manage the property until its fi ...

to be unfair and agreed to redivide the inheritance. Her daughter Lady Cecilia succeeded her as president of the British Women's Temperance Association.

In popular culture

Lady Carlisle served as a model for Lady Britomart in

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

's play ''

Major Barbara ''Major Barbara'' is a three-act English play by George Bernard Shaw, written and premiered in 1905 and first published in 1907. The story concerns an idealistic young woman, Barbara Undershaft, who is engaged in helping the poor as a Major in ...

''.Sidney P. Albert,
'In More Ways than One': Major Barbara's Debt to Gilbert Murray
" ''Educational Theatre Journal'', Vol. 20, No. 2. (May, 1968), pp. 123-140, and idem,

" ''SHAW: The Annual of Bernard Shaw Studies'' 22 (2001), pp. 19-65.

Arms

References

Bibliography

*Dorothy Henley (1958) ''Rosalind Howard, Countess of Carlisle'' (

Hogarth Press The Hogarth Press is a book publishing Imprint (trade name), imprint of Penguin Random House that was founded as an independent company in 1917 by British authors Leonard Woolf and Virginia Woolf. It was named after their house in London Boro ...

) *Charles Roberts (1962), ''The Radical Countess'' (Steel Bros)

External links

NPG 6206; Rosalind Frances Howard, Countess of Carlisle
at www.npg.org.uk Portrait held by National Portrait Gallery

- The Times, Saturday, 13 Aug 1921 {{DEFAULTSORT:Carlisle, Rosalind Howard, Countess of 1845 births 1921 deaths Daughters of barons

Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...

English suffragists British temperance activists Women of the Victorian era Rosalind Rosalind British Women's Temperance Association people Burials in Cumbria