Mary Fox-Strangways, Countess of Ilchester (born Hon. Mary Eleanor Anne Dawson; 6 January 1852 – 1935) was an

Anglo-Irish Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the State rel ...

noblewoman, an

anti-suffragist Anti-suffragism was a political movement composed of both men and women that began in the late 19th century in order to campaign against women's suffrage in countries such as Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States. To ...

and a leading figure in London society. She was the wife of

Henry Fox-Strangways, 5th Earl of Ilchester Henry Edward Fox-Strangways, 5th Earl of Ilchester PC (13 February 1847 – 6 December 1905), known as Henry Fox-Strangways until 1865, was a British peer and Liberal politician. He served as Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arm ...

Life

Mary-Eleanor-Anne-ne-Dawson-Countess-of-Ilchester

Mary Eleanor Anne Dawson was born in 1852 in

St George Hanover Square St George Hanover Square was a Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the metropolitan area of London, England. The creation of the parish accompanied the building of the St George's, Hanover Square, Church of St George's, Hanover Square, ...

, Westminster, the fourth child and only daughter of

Richard Dawson, 1st Earl of Dartrey Richard Dawson, 1st Earl of Dartrey Order of St. Patrick, KP (7 September 1817 – 12 May 1897), styled the Hon. Richard Dawson until 1827 and the Lord Cremorne from 1827 to 1866, was an Anglo-Irish Liberal Party (UK), Liberal, and later Libera ...

(then Lord Cremorne) and Augusta Stanley. She married

on 8 February 1872 and became the Countess of Ilchester. The couple had three children, two of whom predeceased her: Giles, 6th Earl of Ilchester (1874–1959), Hon. Denzil Vesey (1879–1901; who died of pneumonia in Paris) and Lady Muriel Augusta Digby (1876–1920). The family lived at

Holland House Holland House, originally known as Cope Castle, was an early Jacobean architecture, Jacobean country house in Kensington, London, situated in a country estate that is now Holland Park. It was built in 1605 by the diplomat Sir Walter Cope. The b ...

after the Countess' husband took over the property in 1899. The Ilchesters also owned the Abbotsbury Gardens. The Countess published a catalogue of the garden's 4,000 plants in 1899. In 1902, she edited and published a collection of the letters of

Lady Sarah Lennox Lady Sarah Lennox (14 February 1745 – August 1826) was the most notorious of the famous Lennox sisters, daughters of Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond and Sarah Cadogan. Early life Lady Sarah Lennox was born on 14 February 1745, the sixt ...

. The Countess was active in the

anti-suffrage Anti-suffragism was a political movement composed of both men and women that began in the late 19th century in order to campaign against women's suffrage in countries such as Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States. To ...

cause. She founded the London branch of the

Women's National Anti-Suffrage League The Women's National Anti-Suffrage League (1908–18) was established in London on 21 July 1908. Its aims were to oppose women being granted the voting, vote in parliamentary elections, although it did support their having votes in local govern ...

in South Kensington in 1908. Together with the Duchess of Montrose and others, she published an article in the ''

Pall Mall Magazine ''The Pall Mall Magazine'' was a monthly British literary magazine published between 1893 and 1914. Begun by William Waldorf Astor as an offshoot of '' The Pall Mall Gazette'', the magazine included poetry, short stories, serialized fiction, a ...

'' titled "Why Women Should Not Have the Vote, From the Woman’s Point of View." A member of the

Primrose League The Primrose League was an organisation for spreading Conservative principles in Great Britain. It was founded in 1883. At a late point in its existence, its declared aims (published in the ''Primrose League Gazette'', vol. 83, no. 2, March/April ...

, she advocated for

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

politics. She also served as president of the Women's Unionist and Tariff Reform Association. She died in 1935 at Holland House, Kensington.

References

External links

1873 portrait of Mary Ilchester
- Royal Household Portraits
Watercolor painted by Mary, Countess of Ilchester
- In the Royal Collection Trust {{DEFAULTSORT:Ilchester, Mary 1852 births 1935 deaths

Ilchester Ilchester is a village and civil parish, situated on the River Yeo or Ivel, north of Yeovil, in the English county of Somerset. Originally a Roman town, and later a market town, Ilchester has a rich medieval history and was a notable settleme ...

Daughters of British earls

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a female given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religion * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also called the Blesse ...

19th-century English painters British anti-suffragists 20th-century English painters 19th-century Irish women painters 19th-century Irish painters 19th-century English women painters