Theresa Susey Helen Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Marchioness of Londonderry (née Chetwynd-Talbot; 6 June 1856 – 16 March 1919) was a British socialite and political hostess. She was a leading Unionist campaigner against

Irish Home Rule The Irish Home Rule movement was a movement that campaigned for Devolution, 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 1 ...

, serving as president of the Ulster Women's Unionist Council from 1913 to 1919. She was said to be one of the most "dominating feminine personalities" of the time and was referred to as the "Queen of Toryism" and a "highwaywoman in a tiara."

Early life

left, Lady Theresa Chetwynd-Talbot and her brother, Viscount Ingestre, by Valentine Cameron Prinsep She was born was born Lady Theresa Chetwynd-Talbot in 6 June 1856 at

Ingestre Hall Ingestre Hall is a Grade II* 17th-century Jacobean mansion situated at Ingestre, near Stafford, Staffordshire, England. Formerly the seat of the Earls Talbot and then the Earls of Shrewsbury, the hall is now owned by Sandwell Metropolitan Bor ...

, her family's estate in

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...

. She was the elder daughter of

Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 19th Earl of Shrewsbury Charles John Chetwynd-Talbot, 19th Earl of Shrewsbury, 19th Earl of Waterford, 4th Earl Talbot, Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, PC (13 April 1830 – 11 May 1877), styled Viscount of Ingestre between 1849 and 1868, was a British Con ...

and his wife Anna Theresa Cockerell (1836–1912). She was brought up with conservative values and was interested in politics. She was an admirer of

Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman and Conservative politician who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a central role in the creation o ...

Marriage

She married Charles Vane-Tempest, Viscount Castlereagh, later the 6th Marquess of Londonderry, in the private chapel of Alton Hall in 1875. They were both leading Unionist campaigners against Irish independence. She was the President of the Ulster Women's Unionist Council. In 1893, she organised a petition of 20,000 women from Ulster to oppose the 1893 Home Rule bill in

parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

. She was considered the leading Tory hostess and entertained at the couples' houses at Wynyard Park, County Durham,

Mount Stewart Mount Stewart is a 19th-century house and garden in County Down, Northern Ireland, owned by the National Trust. Situated on the east shore of Strangford Lough, a few miles outside the town of Newtownards and near Greyabbey, it was the Iris ...

, County Down, Northern Ireland, and

Londonderry House Londonderry House was an aristocratic townhouse situated on Park Lane in the Mayfair district of London, England. The mansion served as the London residence of the Marquesses of Londonderry. It remained their home until 1962. In that year London ...

in London. Their guests included royalty. She was said to be one of the "dominating feminine personalities" of the time. She was referred to as the "Queen of Toryism" and a "highwaywoman in a tiara." She was said to be more persuasive than her husband, but they were united in their interests. She was not faithful to her husband. In 1909 her portrait was made 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 painting is now held by the National Trust at

County Down County Down () is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It covers an area of and has a population of 531,665. It borders County Antrim to the ...

. The couple had two sons and one daughter: * Lady Helen Mary Theresa Vane-Tempest-Stewart (8 September 1876 – 14 January 1956); married

Giles Fox-Strangways, 6th Earl of Ilchester Giles Stephen Holland Fox-Strangways, 6th Earl of Ilchester (31 May 1874 – 29 October 1959), styled Lord Stavordale until 1905, was a British peer and philanthropist. Background and education Fox-Strangways was the eldest child of Henry Fox-S ...

,"Marriage of Lord Stavordale and Lady Helen Stewart". The Times. No. 36675. London. 27 January 1902. p. 11 had issue * Charles Stewart Henry Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 7th Marquess of Londonderry (13 May 1878 – 10 February 1949); married The Hon. Edith Chaplain, had issue * Lord Charles Stewart Reginald Vane-Tempest-Stewart (4 December 1879 – 9 October 1899); died unmarried Lady Londonderry was widowed in 1915 and died in 1919.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vane Tempest Stewart, Theresa 1856 births 1919 deaths British political hostesses British socialites Conservative Party (UK) people Daughters of British earls Home rule in Ireland Irish marchionesses Irish unionists

Theresa Teresa (also Theresa, Therese; french: Thérèse) is a feminine given name. It originates in the Iberian Peninsula in late antiquity. Its derivation is uncertain, it may be derived from Greek θερίζω (''therízō'') "to harvest or re ...

Ulster unionism