Jane Beatrice Forbes, Countess of Granard (née Mills; July 19, 1883 – January 30, 1972) was an American-born heiress, social leader, and thoroughbred horse racer.
[
]
Early life
She was born on 19 July 1883 in Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island, United States. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and nort ...
to some of the most prominent and wealthy American families. She was the daughter of the American financier Ogden Mills and Ruth (née
The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...
Livingston) Mills (1855–1920). She was a twin to Gladys Mills (who married Henry Carnegie Phipps) and sister of Ogden Livingston Mills
Ogden Livingston Mills (August 23, 1884 – October 11, 1937) was an American lawyer, businessman and politician. He served as United States Secretary of the Treasury in President Herbert Hoover's cabinet, during which time Mills pushed for tax ...
, the United States Secretary of the Treasury
The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...
who married Margaret Styuvesant Rutherfurd (daughter of Anne Harriman and Lewis Morris Rutherfurd Jr.)
Her maternal grandparents were Maturin Livingston Jr. and Ruth (née Baylies) Livingston a descendant of Thomas Baylies. Her aunt, Elizabeth Livingston Cavendish-Bentinck, was married to William George Cavendish-Bentinck, a Member of Parliament for Penryn and Falmouth and descendant of the Dukes of Portland. Her paternal grandparents were Jane Templeton Cunningham and Darius Ogden Mills
Darius Ogden Mills (September 25, 1825 – January 3, 1910) was a prominent American banker and philanthropist. For a time, he was California's wealthiest citizen.
Early life
Mills was born in North Salem, in Westchester County, New York, t ...
, a highly successful banker and investor worth over $36 million at his death. Her aunt, Elisabeth Mills, was married to Whitelaw Reid
Whitelaw Reid (October 27, 1837 – December 15, 1912) was an American politician, diplomat and newspaper editor, as well as the author of ''Ohio in the War'', a popular work of history.
After assisting Horace Greeley as editor of the ''New-Yo ...
, the U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain. Through her aunt, she was the first cousin of Jean Templeton Reid, who married Sir John Hubert Ward, son of the Earl of Dudley
Earl of Dudley, of Dudley Castle in the County of the West Midlands (though previously in the County of Stafford) is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, both times for members of the Ward family.
Hist ...
.
Thoroughbred racing
Beatrice Mills was raised around horses at her family's Livingston Mansion in Staatsburg, New York. Her father owned Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...
racehorses in the United States and in France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
in partnership with Edward, Earl of Derby. Beatrice's sister Gladys and her brother Ogden would establish Wheatley Stable that would become one of the preeminent Thoroughbred racing and breeding operations in the United States.
Beatrice's husband, Bernard, was Master of the Horse
Master of the Horse is an official position in several European nations. It was more common when most countries in Europe were monarchies, and is of varying prominence today.
(ancient Rome)
The original Master of the Horse () in the Roman Rep ...
whose duties for 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 his death in 1936.
George was born during the reign of his pa ...
included overseer of the Royal Stables and Stud
Stud may refer to:
Animals
* Stud (animal), an animal retained for breeding
** Stud farm, a property where livestock are bred
Arts and entertainment
* Stud (band), a British progressive rock group
* The Stud (bar), a gay bar in San Francisco
* ...
. On January 29, 1929, Beatrice's father died. As part of her inheritance she received his stable of Thoroughbreds in France. That year, she led all owners in purses earned.
In 1933, her horse, Cappiello
Leonetto Cappiello (9 April 1875 – 2 February 1942) was an Italians, Italian and French people, French poster art designer and painter, who mainly lived and worked in Paris. , won the Prix Lupin
The Prix Lupin was a Conditions races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred Colt (horse), colts and Filly, fillies. It was run at Longchamp Racecourse, Longchamp over a distance of 2,100 m ...
and the prestigious Grand Prix de Paris
The Grand Prix de Paris is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), an ...
at Longchamp Racecourse
The Longchamp Racecourse (, ) is a 57 hectare horse-racing facility located on the Route des Tribunes at the Bois de Boulogne in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, 16th arrondissement of Paris, France. It is used for flat racing and is noted for ...
in Paris. Among her other racing successes, Lady Granard's horses won the Prix Jacques le Marois
The Prix Jacques Le Marois is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbred colts and fillies aged three years or older. It is run in August each year at Deauville over a distance of ...
in 1937 and 1967. In 1964 her horse Pourparler won the British Classic, the 1,000 Guineas Stakes
The 1000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1 ...
.
The most notable horse bred and raced by her siblings Wheatley Stable in the United States was Bold Ruler
Bold Ruler (April 6, 1954 – July 12, 1971) was an American Thoroughbred National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame racehorse who was the 1957 American Horse of the Year, Horse of the Year. This following a three-year-old campaign t ...
, a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee and an eight-time Leading sire in North America
The list below shows the leading Father, sire of Thoroughbred Horse racing, racehorses in North America for each year since 1830. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the year. It is restricted to Stallio ...
. Gladys and Ogden bred Bold Ruler to the Champion racing mare, Misty Morn. The result of the mating was Bold Lad
Bold Lad (1962–1986) was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse.
Background
Bold Lad bred and raced by Gladys Phipps and her brother Ogden L. Mills under their Wheatley Stable banner. His sire was eight-time leading sire in North Amer ...
, a colt born in 1962 that earned American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt The American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971.
The award originated in 1936 when the ''Daily Racing F ...
honors. Bold Ruler sired a second colt in 1964 by a different mare that was given the same Bold Lad name. Bold Lad II was bred by Lady Granard and raced in England and Ireland where it too won Champion Two-Year-Old Colt honors.
Personal life
On 14 January 1909, she married Bernard, Earl of Granard. With her marriage, Beatrice Mills would be known as Countess and/or Lady Granard. Her husband's wealth was limited and she provided the funds to finish restoring the family's historic Castleforbes in Newtownforbes
Newtown Forbes () is a large village in County Longford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It was historically called ''Lisbrack'', an anglicisation of the Irish name. As of the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census, Newtownforbes had a population of ...
, County Longford
County Longford () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Longford. Longford County Council is the Local government in the Republic ...
, Ireland. Their principal residence was at Forbes House, Halkin Street, SW1 in London, plus a residence at 73 Rue de Varenne, Paris, France, she would inherit from her father. Together, Beatrice and Bernard were the parents of four children:
* Lady Moira Mary Forbes (1910–1994); married Count Rossi of Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
.
* Lady Eileen Beatrice Forbes (1912–1993); married John Crichton-Stuart, 5th Marquess of Bute.
* Arthur Patrick Hastings Forbes, 9th Earl of Granard (1915–1992); married Princess Marie-Madeleine Eugénie de Faucigny-Lucinge.
* Hon. John Forbes (1920–1982); whose son later became the 10th Earl of Granard.
A widow for more than twenty-three years, Lady Granard died at her Paris residence on 30 January 1972. She was buried at St. Paul's, Newtown Forbes, County Longford, Ireland.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Granard, Beatrice Mills Forbes, Countess of
1883 births
1972 deaths
Livingston family
American emigrants to the United Kingdom
American socialites
Irish countesses
British people of American descent
British racehorse owners and breeders
British expatriates in France
People from Newport, Rhode Island
People from Staatsburg, New York
Social leaders
Wives of knights
American twins