Noël Haskins Murphy (December 25, 1896 – 1982) was an American performer, best-known as the wife and widow of

Frederic Timothy Murphy Frederic Timothy Murphy (September 4, 1884 – May 23, 1924) was the heir of a wealthy Bostonian family who served during World War I in France and at the Battle of the Somme, was decorated with the Cross of the Legion of Honor, and died few ye ...

(who died in 1924 of wounds suffered during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

). She was also the lover of Paris-based American news correspondent

Janet Flanner Janet Flanner (March 13, 1892 – November 7, 1978) was an American writer and pioneering narrative journalist who served as the Paris correspondent of ''The New Yorker'' magazine from 1925 until she retired in 1975.Yagoda, Ben ''About T ...

Early life

Born Noël Haskins into the distinguished

Havemeyer family The Havemeyer family is a prominent New York (state), New York family of Germany, German origin that owned significant sugar refining interests in the United States. History William Havemeyer (1770-1851) left Germany at age 15 and arrived in New ...

, Haskins was one of two daughters of

Charles Waldo Haskins Charles Waldo Haskins (January 11, 1852 – January 9, 1903) was an American accountant, and co-founder of the accounting firm Haskins and Sells, a predecessor to Deloitte. Biography Charles Waldo Haskins was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 185 ...

(1852-1903), co-founder of the accounting firm Haskins and Sells, a predecessor to Deloitte, and Henrietta Sherman Havemeyer (1854-1928), the daughter of the wealthy sugar merchant Albert Havemeyer, whose brother, businessman William F. Havemeyer, was twice elected mayor of New York City. Haskins trained to be a singer and was involved in theatre, performing with the

Washington Square Players The Washington Square Players (WSP) was a theatre troupe and production company that existed from 1915 to 1918 in Manhattan, New York City. It started as a semi-amateur Little Theatre then matured into a Repertory theatre with its own touring ...

under the name Noël Haddon.

Personal life

Noël Haskins Murphy lived in France from 1920 onward, after she married

(1885-1924), brother of

Gerald Murphy Gerald Clery Murphy and Sara Sherman Wiborg were wealthy, expatriate Americans who moved to the French Riviera in the early 20th century and who, with their generous hospitality and flair for parties, created a vibrant social circle, particularl ...

. Frederic, who was seriously wounded during

, died on May 23, 1924. Haskins Murphy, inconsolable, bought a house in the village of

Orgeval, Yvelines Orgeval () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It shares its name with the small river that runs through it, a tributary of the Seine. Its inhabitants are called the ''Orgevalais''. Tr ...

, northeast of Paris, not far from the

Saint-Germain-en-Laye Saint-Germain-en-Laye () is a Communes of France, commune in the Yvelines Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, from the Kilometre Zero, centre of Paris. ...

Old Communal Cemetery where her husband was buried. In 1931,

fell in love with Noël, whom she called Noeline, and they had a short-lived romance with Flanner spending a lot of time at Orgeval.

Solita Solano Solita Solano (born Sarah Wilkinson; October 30, 1888 – November 22, 1975) was an American writer, poet and journalist. Biography Early life Sarah Wilkinson came from a middle-class family and attended the Emma Willard School in Troy, New ...

, Flanner's long-time lover, accepted the relationship and was a frequent visitor at Murphy's country house.Who's Who in Lesbian and Gay Writing, edited by Gabriele Griffin They separated in 1933. After Flanner, Solano started a relationship with Elizabeth Jenks Clark; in 1958 the two women moved to Orgeval as well. Solano died in 1975 and was buried in Orgeval. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Haskins Murphy served with the Comité Américain de Secours Civil and refused to leave her Orgeval home or her husband's nearby gravesite. She was sent by the Nazis to an internment camp in

Vittel Vittel (; archaic ) is a commune in the Vosges department in Grand Est in northeastern France. Mineral water is bottled and sold here by Nestlé Waters France, under the '' Vittel'' brand. A series of negotiations involving Nestlé, local agr ...

Death

She died in France in 1982. She is believed to have been 85.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Murphy, Noël Haskins 1896 births 1982 deaths Havemeyer family American socialites American expatriates in France Date of death missing Place of death missing