Hariot Georgina Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava (5 February 1843 – 25 October 1936) was a British peeress, known for her success in the role of "diplomatic wife," and for leading an initiative to improve medical care for women in

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

Biography

Born Hariot Georgina Rowan-Hamilton, she was the eldest of the 7 children of Archibald Hamilton-Rowan of

Killyleagh Castle Killyleagh Castle is a castle in the village of Killyleagh, County Down, Northern Ireland. It dominates the small village and is believed to be amongst one of the oldest inhabited castles in the country, with parts dating back to 1180. It follows ...

(now

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

). Through her father, Hariot was the great-granddaughter of both United Irishmen patriot and hero

Archibald Hamilton Rowan Archibald Hamilton Rowan (1 May 1751 – 1 November 1834), christened Archibald Hamilton (sometimes referred to as Archibald Rowan Hamilton), was a founding member of the Dublin Society of United Irishmen, a political exile in France and the Unit ...

as well as the political writer, activist, and Irish nationalist General George Cockburn. On 23 October 1862, she married her distant cousin the 5th Baron Dufferin and Claneboye at Killyleagh Castle; they later had five daughters and seven sons. Her husband was created Earl of Dufferin in 1871. A year later, she and their children travelled with him to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

upon his appointment as

Governor General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

, where her assistance in turning

Rideau Hall Rideau Hall (officially Government House) is the official residence in Ottawa of both the Canadian monarch and their representative, the governor general of Canada. It stands in Canada's capital on a estate at 1 Sussex Drive, with the main b ...

into a centre of social activity included literary readings and presentation of plays in which she herself sometimes performed. Lady Dufferin was one of the most popular of the governor-generals' wives, and was starting to build up her reputation as "the most effective diplomatic wife of her generation". Next she joined him as he served as president to

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

from 1879 to 1881, and to the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

from 1881 to 1884, where she received the Grand Crescent of the Turkish

Order of the Chefakat The Order of Charity ( ota, نشانِ شفقت), sometimes referred to as the Order of the Chefakat, was an order of the Ottoman Empire founded in 1878 by Sultan Abdul Hamid II. It was bestowed on selected women for distinguished humanitarian ...

in 1883, followed by the Persian Order of the Sun in 1887. In both

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

and

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

, as at all their embassies, the couple were known for their hospitality.

Work in India

Lady Dufferin went with her husband to

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

in 1884 when he was appointed as the country's

viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning "k ...

. Prior to her departure, she was asked by Queen Victoria to initiate a plan to improve the situation for women in India in illness and in child-bearing. In 1885, having successfully canvassed for substantial donations from Indian princes such as the Maharajahs of Kashmir and Durbungha, Lady Dufferin, established a fund - the ''National Association for supplying Female Medical Aid to the Women of India'' (known as the

Countess of Dufferin Fund The Countess of Dufferin Fund was established by Hariot Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava, more commonly known as Lady Dufferin, in 1885 and was dedicated to improving women's healthcare in India. The Fund was founded after ...

). Whilst there had been previous initiatives to provide Western medical care for women in India, Lady Dufferin's fund was the first to deliver a co-ordinated programme with official backing. The fund aimed to: provide medical tuition to doctors, hospital assistants, nurses and midwives; medical relief through dispensaries; female wards; female doctors; and female hospitals. The fund facilitated the provision of medical care for women by women in India, recognising the reticence amongst women of some cultural and religious affiliations, to seek care from male doctors. To this end, scholarships were set up to train Indian women in England, and also for English and European women who would promise to practice in India. Some of the early Indian women beneficiaries of this fund included: Kadambini Basu who entered medical college in 1883; Anandabai Joshi, and

Rukhmabai Rukhmabai (22 November 1864 – 25 September 1955) was an Indian physician and feminist. She is best known for being one of the first practicing women doctors in colonial India as well as being involved in a landmark legal case involving her m ...

. As well as the numerous 'Lady Dufferin' hospitals and clinics which were established, some of which still exist under that name, there are medical colleges and midwifery schools named after her. This involved her in a great deal of fund-raising and is sometimes referred to as her fardone work; it was celebrated by

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. ...

in his ''The'' ''Song of the Women''. The Countess of Dufferin fund was selected by the King in 1935 as one of the beneficiaries of the Indian Jubilee Fund. Lady Dufferin herself sent a contribution of £100 towards this fund which was earmarked for the renovation of the Dufferin Hospital in

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...

. Lady Dufferin received the

Crown of India Crown of India may refer to: * The Monarchy of India between 1876 and 1947, styled as the Emperor of India * The Imperial Crown of India, the crown used by the emperors of India between 1911 and 1947 * ''The Crown of India ''The Crown of India ...

in 1884 and the

Royal Order of Victoria and Albert The Royal Order of Victoria and Albert is a British Royal Family Order instituted on 10 February 1862 by Queen Victoria, and enlarged on 10 October 1864, 15 November 1865, and 15 March 1880. No award has been made since the death of Queen V ...

in 1895.

Return to the UK

When the Earl's term in India ended in 1888, they travelled back to their home at

Clandeboye Clandeboye or Clannaboy (from Irish language, Irish ''Clann Aodha Buí'', "family of Hugh the Blond") was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, comprising what is now south County Antrim, north County Down, and the barony of Loughinsholin, Northern Irelan ...

in Northern Ireland and her husband was elevated in the peerage as the Marquess of Dufferin and Ava that same year. He continued his ambassadorial career in Europe, and the Marchioness accompanied him to

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. She published her memoirs, based on the letters she had written to her mother: ''Our Viceregal Life in India'' (1889) and ''My Canadian Journal'' (1891). They retired to Clandeboye in 1905. After her husband died in 1902, she spent much of her time in a relatively modest house in

Chelsea, London Chelsea is an affluent area in west London, England, due south-west of Charing Cross by approximately 2.5 miles. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames and for postal purposes is part of the south-western postal area. Chelsea histori ...

, economising when possible to help her sons as the family fortune had been depleted by sales of land and unwise investments. She wrote ''My Russian and Turkish Journals'' (1916) and was made a Dame of 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 ...

in 1917.

Issue

The first Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava had seven children. None of her sons outlived her: Archibald was killed in the

Second 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 Sout ...

, Basil was 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 ...

, Terence died of pneumonia, and her youngest, Frederick, was killed in a plane crash in 1930. She died in London in 1936 and was buried at Clandeboye. *Lady Helen Hermione (1863–1941), married

Ronald Munro Ferguson, 1st Viscount Novar Ronald Craufurd Munro Ferguson, 1st Viscount Novar, (6 March 1860 – 30 March 1934) was a British politician who served as the sixth Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1914 to 1920. Munro Ferguson was born in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Sco ...

*Archibald Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 2nd Earl of Ava (1863–1900) * Terence John Temple (1866–1919) *Lady Hermione Catherine Helen Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood (1869–1960) * Lord Ian Basil Gawaine Temple Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood (1870–1917) *Lady

Victoria Alexandrina Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood Victoria Alexandrina Muriel May, Lady Plunket (17 May 1873 – 11 February 1968) was a nursing association founder and vicereine. Early life Lady Victoria Alexandrina Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood was born in Ottawa, Canada, on 17 May 1873. She was ...

(1873–1968), married firstly

William Plunket, 5th Baron Plunket William Lee Plunket, 5th Baron Plunket (19 December 1864 – 24 January 1920) was a British diplomat and administrator. He was Governor of New Zealand from 1904 to 1910. Early life Born in Dublin, he was educated at Harrow and Trinity Coll ...

and had 8 children; married secondly Colonel Francis Powell Braithwaite *

Frederick Temple Frederick Temple (30 November 1821 – 23 December 1902) was an English academic, teacher and churchman, who served as Bishop of Exeter (1869–1885), Bishop of London (1885–1896) and Archbishop of Canterbury (1896–1902). Early life T ...

(1875–1930) File:Hariot Dowager Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava.png, Dowager Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava during the First World War File:Basil Temple Blackwood 1916.jpg, Her third son, Basil, in military uniform in 1916 File:President Lady Helen Munro Ferguson.png, Her third daughter, Helen, during the First World War

Legacy

A Manitoba Historical Plaque was erected in

Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

by the province to commemorate her role as the wife of the Governor General of Canada, and thus in

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

's heritage.

References

Sources

Burke's Peerage & Gentry
*''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (2004)
The Countess of Dufferin's Fund