The Souls was a small loosely-knit but distinctive elite social and intellectual group in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

from 1885 to the turn of the century. Many of the most distinguished British politicians and intellectuals of the time were members. The original group of Souls reached its zenith in the early 1890s and had faded out as a coherent clique by 1900.

Formation

The group formed as a response to the damper on social life caused by the political tension of the

Irish Home Rule The Irish Home Rule movement was a movement that campaigned for self-government (or "home rule") for Ireland within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It was the dominant political movement of Irish nationalism from 1870 to the e ...

debate. Existing social circles were rent by angry arguments between proponents and opponents of the

Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...

ministry's efforts in 1886 to bring about full

Home Rule Home rule is 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 governance wit ...

. Many people in society wanted a

salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...

where they could meet without fighting about politics.

Wilfrid Scawen Blunt Wilfrid Scawen Blunt (17 August 1840 – 10 September 1922), sometimes spelt Wilfred, was an English poet and writer. He and his wife Lady Anne Blunt travelled in the Middle East and were instrumental in preserving the Arabian horse bloodlines ...

, a member of the group, described the aims and objectives of The Souls, and above all, of what they wanted to avoid.

In my disappointment about Egypt I turned with redoubled zest to my social pleasures of the year before, and at this time saw much of that interesting group of clever men and pretty women known as the Souls, than whom no section of London Society was better worth frequenting, including as it did all that there was most intellectually amusing and least conventional. It was a group of men and women bent on pleasure, but pleasure of a superior kind, eschewing the vulgarities of racing and card-playing indulged in by the majority of the rich and noble, and looking for their excitement in romance and sentiment.Wilfrid Scawen Blunt, ''My Diaries; Being a Personal Narrative of Events 1888–1914''. Part One: 1888–1900 (New York: Knopf, 1923), p. 53.

The name reportedly came from Lord Charles Beresford, who said: "You all sit and talk about each other's souls—I shall call you the 'Souls'".

Members

The original Souls included the following people. It is important to note that most or perhaps all of the women in this list were members of The Souls on their own merits before they married other members.

The Balfours

Arthur Balfour Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, (, ; 25 July 184819 March 1930), also known as Lord Balfour, was a British Conservative Party (UK), Conservative statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1902 to 1905. As F ...

(1848–1930), Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, 1902–1905 * Edith Sophy Balfour (1865–1948), who was

Alfred Lyttelton Alfred Lyttelton KC (7 February 1857 – 5 July 1913) was a British politician and sportsman from the Lyttelton family who excelled at both football and cricket. During his time at university he participated in Varsity Matches in five sports ...

's second wife. A novelist, playwright,

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

-era activist, and

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

, in August 1917 she was among the first people honoured with 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 ...

by King

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. Born duri ...

, for her work with refugees.

The Wyndhams

Percy Wyndham, his wife, Madeline Caroline Frances Eden Campbell, their two sons and three daughters and the children's spouses were all original members of The Souls. Through their mother, the children were descended from Irish nationalist

Lord Edward FitzGerald Lord Edward FitzGerald (15 October 1763 – 4 June 1798) was an Irish aristocrat who abandoned his prospects as a distinguished veteran of British service in the American War of Independence, and as an Irish Parliamentarian, to embrace the caus ...

. Wyndham commissioned the now-famous painting of his daughters, '' The Wyndham Sisters'' by

John Singer Sargent John Singer Sargent (; January 12, 1856 – April 14, 1925) was an American expatriate artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Edwardian-era luxury. He created roughly 900 oil paintings and more ...

. The trio are the centre of the 2014 book '' Those Wild Wyndhams'' by Claudia Renton. * Hon. Percy Scawen Wyndham (1835–1911) was a soldier,

Conservative Party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

politician, collector and intellectual. He held the same seat in Parliament from 1860 to 1885. * Madeline Caroline Frances Eden Campbell Wyndham, (1846–1920) married the Hon. Percy Scawen Wyndham in 1860. Through her, their children were descended from Irish nationalist

. *

George Wyndham George Wyndham, PC (29 August 1863 – 8 June 1913) was a British Conservative politician, statesman, man of letters, and one of The Souls. Background and education Wyndham was the elder son of the Honourable Percy Wyndham, third son of Ge ...

, (1863–1913), the Wyndhams' elder son, served in the

Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the monarchy; due to this, it often participates in state ceremonia ...

, became private secretary to

and in 1889, was elected unopposed to a seat in the House of Commons that he held until his death in 1913. He served as

Under-Secretary of State for War The position of Under-Secretary of State for War was a British government position, first applied to Evan Nepean (appointed in 1794). In 1801 the offices for War and the Colonies were merged and the post became that of Under-Secretary of State fo ...

, Chief Secretary for Ireland, and then was taken into the Cabinet and sworn a member of the

Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...

in 1902. He furthered the 1902

Land Conference The Land Conference was a successful conciliatory negotiation held in the Mansion House in Dublin, Ireland between 20 December 1902 and 4 January 1903. In a short period it produced a unanimously agreed report recommending an amiable solution to t ...

and saw the transformative

Land Purchase (Ireland) Act 1903 The Land Acts (officially Land Law (Ireland) Acts) were a series of measures to deal with the question of tenancy contracts and peasant proprietorship of land in Ireland in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Five such acts were introduced by ...

into law. Within years of the Acts, former tenants owned most of the land, thanks to support from government subsidies. *

Guy Percy Wyndham Lieutenant-Colonel Guy Percy Wyndham (19 January 1865 – 17 April 1941) was a British Army soldier. Background and family Wyndham was born on 19 January 1865 as the son of Hon. Percy Wyndham and Madeline Caroline Frances Eden Campbell. He was t ...

(1865–1941), the Wyndham's second son, was an officer in the British army * Madeline Pamela Constance Blanche Wyndham, (1869–1941), the Wyndham's second daughter, married British Army officer

Charles Adeane Charles Robert Whorwood Adeane (2 November 1863 – 11 February 1943) was a British army officer. Background Adeane was the only son of the politician Henry John Adeane and his wife Lady Elizabeth Philippa Yorke, eldest daughter of Charles York ...

. After retiring from the Army, he was

and

Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire. The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarch's personal representative in the counties of the United Kingdom. Lord Lieutenants are supported by an appointe ...

from 1915 until his death in 1943. In 1917, he was appointed President of the Royal Agricultural Society. The couple had seven children, two sons and five daughters. Their eldest daughter, Pamela, was the mother of professional

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

musician and broadcaster Humphrey Richard Adeane Lyttelton, also known as Humph. * Pamela Adelaide Genevieve Wyndham Glenconner Grey (1871–1928), the senior Wyndhams' youngest child, was an author and editor. In 1919, Wyndham published '' Edward Wyndham Tennant: Memoirs of his Mother...'' her memories of her war-poet son, killed on the Somme in 1916. She published poems, prose and children's literature, and edited poetry and prose anthologies. She numbered among her friends

Henry James Henry James ( – ) was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the ...

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

Edward Burne-Jones Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1st Baronet, (; 28 August, 183317 June, 1898) was a British painter and designer associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood which included Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Millais, Ford Madox Brown and Holman Hun ...

, and

Edith Olivier Edith Maud Olivier MBE (31 December 1872 – 10 May 1948) was an English writer, also noted for acting as hostess to a circle of well-known writers, artists, and composers in her native Wiltshire. Family and childhood Olivier was born in Wilto ...

. Her first husband was Margot Asquith's brother, Edward Tennant, 1st Baron Glenconner. They had five children, including Stephen Tennant (1906–1987), known as the brightest of the

Bright Young Things __NOTOC__ The Bright Young Things, or Bright Young People, was a nickname given by the tabloid press to a group of Bohemianism, Bohemian young Aristocracy (class), aristocrats and socialites in 1920s London. They threw flamboyant costume party, f ...

of 1920s London, and his elder brother,

David Tennant David John Tennant (''né'' McDonald; born 18 April 1971) is a Scottish actor. He rose to fame for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor (2005–2010 and 2013) in the BBC science-fiction TV show '' Doctor Who'', reprising the rol ...

(1902–1968) who founded the

Gargoyle Club The Gargoyle was a private members' club on the upper floors of 69 Dean Street, Soho, London, at the corner with Meard Street. It was founded on 16 January 1925 by the aristocratic socialite David Tennant, son of the Scottish 1st Baron Gle ...

in Soho in 1925. Her second marriage, in 1922, to the eminent British

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

statesman Sir

Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon Edward Grey, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon, (25 April 1862 – 7 September 1933), better known as Sir Edward Grey, was a British Liberal statesman and the main force behind British foreign policy in the era of the First World War. An adher ...

, had no issue. * Mary Constance Charteris, Lady Elcho (1883–1914), eldest daughter of Percy and Madeline Wyndham. She married Hugo Charteris, Lord Elcho, in 1883. They had seven children. One son died very young. Their eldest son, Captain Hugo Francis Charteris, Lord Elcho, married Lady Violet Catherine Manners, the daughter of

Violet Manners, Duchess of Rutland Marion Margaret Violet Manners, Duchess of Rutland (''née'' Lindsay; 7 March 1856 – 22 December 1937) was a British artist and noblewoman. A granddaughter of the 24th Earl of Crawford, she married Henry Manners in 1882. She was styled the ...

(see below) and

Henry Manners, 8th Duke of Rutland Henry John Brinsley Manners, 8th Duke of Rutland, (16 April 1852 – 8 May 1925), known as Henry Manners until 1888 and styled Marquess of Granby between 1888 and 1906, was a British peer and Conservative politician. Background Rutland was the ...

, in 1911. He and his brother Yvo Alan Charteris, were killed in action during the

Great War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. Their eldest daughter, Lady Cynthia Mary Evelyn Charteris, a prolific writer, married poet Herbert Asquith, second son of Prime Minister

H. H. Asquith Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, (12 September 1852 – 15 February 1928), generally known as H. H. Asquith, was a British statesman and Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom f ...

. Their youngest child, Lady Irene Corona Charteris, married

Ivor Windsor-Clive, 2nd Earl of Plymouth Ivor Miles Windsor-Clive, 2nd Earl of Plymouth GCStJ, PC (4 February 1889 – 1 October 1943) was an English nobleman and Conservative Party politician. Early life Ivor was born on 4 February 1889. He was the second, and only surviving, son of ...

, son of Albert and Roberta Windsor-Clive, also members of The Souls.

The Custs

* Henry "Harry" Cust (1861–1917) served as a

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for the Unionist Party, as

for

Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council wa ...

, as Deputy Lieutenant of

, and as

for

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...

. He had a reputation as a brilliant conversationalist and a philanderer. Violet Manners, Duchess of Rutland, was his mistress, and her daughter,

Lady Diana Cooper Diana, Viscountess Norwich (née Lady Diana Olivia Winifred Maud Manners; 29 August 1892 – 16 June 1986) was an English actress and aristocrat who was a well-known social figure in London and Paris. As a young woman, she moved in a celebrat ...

, née Manners, was his child. In 1892,

William Waldorf Astor William Waldorf "Willy" Astor, 1st Viscount Astor (31 March 1848 – 18 October 1919) was an American-British attorney, politician, businessman (hotels and newspapers), and philanthropist. Astor was a scion of the very wealthy Astor family of ...

invited Cust to edit the ''

Pall Mall Gazette ''The Pall Mall Gazette'' was an evening newspaper founded in London on 7 February 1865 by George Murray Smith; its first editor was Frederick Greenwood. In 1921, '' The Globe'' merged into ''The Pall Mall Gazette'', which itself was absorbed int ...

''. He made it the best evening journal of the period, in part by enlisting such contributors as

Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work. ...

and

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells"Wells, H. G."
Revised 18 May 2015. ''

Non nobis
". During

, Cust was active in

propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...

on behalf of the

British Government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_es ...

. In August 1914 he founded the Central Committee for National Patriotic Organizations. He married 'Nina' Welby in 1893. * Emmeline 'Nina' Mary Elizabeth Welby (1867–1955), was an English writer, editor, translator and sculptor. She married fellow Soul Harry Cust in 1893. She aided him in much of his work, as when she helped with correspondence for the Central Committee for National Patriotic Organisations.

The Grenfells

William Grenfell, 1st Baron Desborough William Henry Grenfell, 1st Baron Desborough, (30 October 1855 – 9 January 1945) was a British athlete, sportsman, public servant and politician. He sat in the House of Commons first for the Liberal Party and then for the Conservatives betwee ...

(1855–1945) was a British athlete, sportsman, public servant and politician. Desborough was appointed

Commander of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Monarchy of Canada, Canadian monarch, Mon ...

in 1907, advancing to Knight Commander in 1908 and Knight Grand Cross) in 1925. In 1928, he was admitted as a Knight of the Order of the Garter. He sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...

from 1880 to 1905, when he was raised to the

peerage A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted noble ranks. Peerages include: Australia * Australian peers Belgium * Belgi ...

. He was President of the

Thames Conservancy The Thames Conservancy (formally the Conservators of the River Thames) was a body responsible for the management of the that river in England. It was founded in 1857 to replace the jurisdiction of the City of London up to Staines. Nine years la ...

Board from 1904 to 1937. He served with the

London Chamber of Commerce London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) is London’s key hub for the business community, we support members’ businesses through a range of services, advocate on behalf of London’s business community in the most important forums of pol ...

, the Royal Agricultural Society, was a steward of

Henley Royal Regatta Henley Royal Regatta (or Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage) is a rowing event held annually on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. It was established on 26 March 1839. It differs from the thre ...

, served as a

and a Deputy Lieutenant. In 1919, the Desborough Committee investigated the causes of the London Police Strike of August 1918. Its recommendations resulted in the enactment of the influential Police Act of 1919. He was President of the Central Association of

Volunteer Training Corps The Volunteer Training Corps was a voluntary home defence reserve force in the United Kingdom during World War I. Early development After war had been declared in August 1914, there was a popular demand for a means of service for those men who we ...

, a voluntary home-defence

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

, from November 1914 until it was disbanded in 1920. From 1924 to 1929 he was Captain of the Queen's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard. From 1919 to 1929 he was chairman of the Pilgrims of Great Britain. He planned and oversaw the construction of the

Desborough Cut The Desborough Cut is an artificial channel in the River Thames above Sunbury Lock near Walton on Thames in England. It was completed in 1935, to improve flow and ease navigation on the river. The cut was dug between 1930 and 1935, taking the r ...

, an artificial navigation channel on the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...

, which was opened in 1935. He married Ethel "Ettie" Fane in 1887. (See below.) They had three sons and two daughters. Their eldest son, the poet

Julian Grenfell Julian Henry Francis Grenfell (30 March 1888 – 26 May 1915) was a British soldier and a war poet of World War I. Early life Julian Grenfell was born at 4 St James's Square, London, the eldest son of William Grenfell, later Baron Desborough ...

, was killed in action in 1915. Their second son, Gerald William Grenfell, was killed about two months later. Their third son, Ivo George Grenfell, died in 1926 after a car accident. With no surviving male heirs the barony became extinct after Grenfell's death. * Ethel 'Ettie' Grenfell, née Fane, Lady Desborough (1867–1952) was the daughter of the Hon. Julian Fane, a diplomat and poet, the fifth and youngest son of

John Fane, 11th Earl of Westmorland John Fane, 11th Earl of Westmorland (3 February 178416 October 1859), styled Lord Burghersh until 1841, was a British soldier, politician, diplomat, composer and musician. Background Styled Lord Burghersh from birth, he was born at Sackville St ...

, and Lady Adine Eliza Anne Cowper, daughter of

George Cowper, 6th Earl Cowper George Augustus Frederick Cowper, 6th Earl Cowper (26 June 1806 – 15 April 1856), styled Viscount Fordwich until 1837, was a British Whig politician. He served briefly as Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs under his uncle Lord Melbo ...

. Lady Adine died in 1868, a few months after the birth of a son (who did not live to adulthood). Fane died in 1870, leaving Ettie an orphan. She was 20 years old when she married William Grenfell. They welcomed gatherings of The Souls and many others to

Taplow Court Taplow Court is a Victorian house in the village of Taplow in Buckinghamshire, England. Its origins are an Elizabethan manor house, remodelled in the early 17th century. In the 18th century the court was owned by the Earls of Orkney. In the 185 ...

. Lady Desborough was a well-known celebrity and hostess whose guest lists included

Henry Irving Sir Henry Irving (6 February 1838 – 13 October 1905), christened John Henry Brodribb, sometimes known as J. H. Irving, was an English stage actor in the Victorian era, known as an actor-manager because he took complete responsibility ( ...

Vita Sackville-West Victoria Mary, Lady Nicolson, CH (née Sackville-West; 9 March 1892 – 2 June 1962), usually known as Vita Sackville-West, was an English author and garden designer. Sackville-West was a successful novelist, poet and journalist, as wel ...

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...

when

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells"Wells, H. G."
Revised 18 May 2015. ''

Patrick Shaw Stewart,

Edith Wharton Edith Wharton (; born Edith Newbold Jones; January 24, 1862 – August 11, 1937) was an American novelist, short story writer, and interior designer. Wharton drew upon her insider's knowledge of the upper-class New York "aristocracy" to portray ...

and

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...

. From 1911 on, Ettie served periodically as

Lady of the Bedchamber Lady of the Bedchamber is the title of a lady-in-waiting holding the official position of personal attendant on a British queen regnant or queen consort. The position is traditionally held by the wife of a peer. They are ranked between the Mis ...

Mary of Teck Mary of Teck (Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes; 26 May 186724 March 1953) was List of British royal consorts, Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 6 May 1910 until 20 Janua ...

, Queen Consort to

. She was said to be the confidante of six Prime Ministers: Rosebery, Balfour,

Asquith Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, (12 September 1852 – 15 February 1928), generally known as H. H. Asquith, was a British statesman and Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of ...

, Baldwin,

Chamberlain Chamberlain may refer to: Profession *Chamberlain (office), the officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign or other noble figure People *Chamberlain (surname) **Houston Stewart Chamberlain (1855–1927), German-British philosop ...

and

Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from 1 ...

. The Grenfells' lives were marked by the loss of all three sons, two in the Great War and one in an automobile accident in 1926. In 1915, their son Julian was fatally wounded when a splinter from an exploding shell landed in his brain. Ettie received the news from their daughter, who was serving as a nurse in France. Ettie and William travelled to

Boulogne Boulogne-sur-Mer (; pcd, Boulonne-su-Mér; nl, Bonen; la, Gesoriacum or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department of Pas-de-Calais. Boulogne lies on the ...

, France to be with their son. It took Julian 13 days to die, with his mother, father and sister at his side.

The Windsor-Clives

Robert Windsor-Clive, 1st Earl of Plymouth Robert George Windsor-Clive, 1st Earl of Plymouth, (27 August 1857 – 6 March 1923), known as the 14th Baron Windsor between 1869 and 1905, was a British nobleman and Conservative politician. He was the founding President of the London Socie ...

(1857–1923), was a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

politician. He was the founding President of the London Society. * Alberta Victoria Sarah Caroline Windsor-Clive, née Paget, Countess of Plymouth (1863–1944), his wife.

Others

George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, (11 January 1859 – 20 March 1925), styled Lord Curzon of Kedleston between 1898 and 1911 and then Earl Curzon of Kedleston between 1911 and 1921, was a British Conservative statesman ...

(1859–1925), Viceroy of India 1899–1905 *

Margot Asquith Emma Margaret Asquith, Countess of Oxford and Asquith (' Tennant; 2 February 1864 – 28 July 1945), known as Margot Asquith, was a British socialite, author. She was married to H. H. Asquith, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, from 1894 ...

, née Tennant (1864–1945): a British socialite, author, and wit, she married

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As modern pr ...

, in 1894 and became Countess of Oxford and Asquith in 1925 when her husband was granted a peerage. *Laura Tennant, Margot's sister (1882–1886), who married Alfred Lyttelton in 1885 and died a year later giving birth to their son (who died in 1888). *Lucy Graham Smith, another of Margot's sisters (1860–1942), who lived in

Easton Grey Easton Grey is a small village and civil parish in north Wiltshire, England, on the county boundary with Gloucestershire. The village lies just south of the B4040 road between Malmesbury and Sherston, about west of Malmesbury. The Church of En ...

House (Wiltshire) and later Sindlesham House (Berkshire). * St. John Brodrick (1856–1942): a

and

Irish Unionist Alliance The Irish Unionist Alliance (IUA), also known as the Irish Unionist Party, Irish Unionists or simply the Unionists, was a unionist political party founded in Ireland in 1891 from a merger of the Irish Conservative Party and the Irish Loyal and ...

politician, he served in many important positions and was sworn into the

in 1897. At his father's death in 1907, he became 9th Viscount Midleton. In the 1920

New Year Honours The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, with New Year's Day, 1 January, being marked by naming new members of orders of chivalry and recipients of other official honours. A number of other Commonwealth realms also mark this ...

he was made 1st Earl of Midleton. * Hugo Richard Charteris, Lord Elcho (1857–1937) was a Scottish

politician. He married

Mary Constance Wyndham Mary Constance Charteris, Countess of Wemyss and March (''née'' Wyndham; 3 August 1862 – 29 April 1937), styled Lady Elcho from 1883 to 1914, was an English society hostess and an original member of The Souls, an exclusive social and intel ...

in 1883, They had seven children. Hugo was the fifth son, but by 1914 he was the eldest survivor, and he succeeded his father, becoming the 11th Earl of Wemyss and the 7th Earl of March. He served as

Lord-Lieutenant of Haddingtonshire This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of East Lothian, or Haddingtonshire. *Thomas Hamilton, 6th Earl of Haddington, 1716 – 28 November 1735 *George Hay, 7th Marquess of Tweeddale, 17 March 1794 – 9 August 1804 *Charles ...

from 1918 to 1937. *

(1857–1913): the 12th child of the 4th Baron Lyttelton, he displayed versatility at sport, excelling at both football and cricket. Lyttelton took up the law. He married Laura Tennant in 1885. She died in 1886, bringing their son into the world. The child died in 1888. In 1892, he married Edith Sophy Balfour. In 1895, he was elected to the House of Commons as a

Liberal Unionist 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 ...

. In 1900 he was appointed

Queen's Counsel In the United Kingdom and in some Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries, a King's Counsel (Post-nominal letters, post-nominal initials KC) during the reign of a king, or Queen's Counsel (post-nominal initials QC) during the reign of ...

and was sent to South Africa as chairman of the committee planning reconstruction following the

Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sou ...

. He served as Colonial Secretary from 1903 to 1905. * Henry White, U.S. diplomat (1850–1927) and his wife, Margaret Stuyvesant Rutherfurd 'Daisey' White. *

(1856–1937).

The Coterie

The Coterie The Coterie was a fashionable and famous set of English aristocrats and intellectuals of the 1910s, widely quoted and profiled in magazines and newspapers of the period. They also called themselves the "Corrupt Coterie". Members Its members in ...

, often considered to be the second generation of The Souls, was a celebrated group of intellectuals, a mix of aristocrats, politicians and art-lovers, most of whom were killed in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. There were children of The Souls among them, notably

Lady Diana Manners Diana, Viscountess Norwich (née Lady Diana Olivia Winifred Maud Manners; 29 August 1892 – 16 June 1986) was an English actress and aristocrat who was a well-known social figure in London and Paris. As a young woman, she moved in a celebrat ...

, daughter of

. Officially the youngest daughter of the 8th Duke of Rutland, she was in fact the daughter of

Harry Cust Henry John Cockayne-Cust, Justice of the Peace, JP, Deputy Lieutenant, DL (10 October 1861 – 2 March 1917) was an England, English politician and editor in chief, editor who served as a Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parl ...

. She married one of the Coterie's few survivors,

Duff Cooper Alfred Duff Cooper, 1st Viscount Norwich, (22 February 1890 – 1 January 1954), known as Duff Cooper, was a British Conservative Party politician and diplomat who was also a military and political historian. First elected to Parliament in 19 ...

, later

British Ambassador to France The British Ambassador to France is the United Kingdom's foremost diplomatic representative in France, and is the head of Britain's diplomatic mission in Paris. The official title is ''His Majesty's Ambassador to France''. Traditionally, the ...

. After his death, she wrote three volumes of memoirs.

Raymond Asquith Raymond Herbert Asquith (6 November 1878 – 15 September 1916) was an English barrister and eldest son of British prime minister H. H. Asquith. A distinguished Oxford scholar, he was a member of the fashionable group of intellectuals known as ...

, eldest son of

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

, was a member of the Coterie, but not out of sympathy with his stepmother, Margot Tennant Asquith. He was killed on the Somme.