37 Days: WW1 Politicking

[Coquet]

One for the hard core WW1 historians on BBC 2 tonight:

37 days

Edward Grey as the central character, who as we know was married at Shilbottle Church.

[Alan J.]

Have got the series set to record, been following all these run ups to WW1 and finding them very interesting. Wasn't aware of Greys connection with Shilbottle but his spelling of the name rather than Gray coincides with spelling of the Greys in Shilbottle,did he belong there too?, or was he connected to Grey of Howick Hall?

[Coquet]

There were three different baronetcies for the Greys: Chillingham, Howick and Fallodon: WW1 Edward Grey being the Fallodon one - it's close to Howick somewhere.

http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/nor...es-one-4430579


His first wife was Dorothy Widdrington of Newton Hall, Newton on the moor - her parish church would be Shilbottle.


Another Grey of political background who lived at Fallodon was Edward, born in 1862. He was Foreign Secretary from 1905-1916, the term in this role.

Grey died in 1933 and was buried at Fallodon, with his ashes and those of first wife Dorothy marked by an engraved stone.

[hollydog]

All very interesting Falloden Hall is about 1 mile north of Christon Bank - had its own private station on the mainline as well. The land to the south of Brunton aerodrome is included in the estate, We have painted the hall throughout and I know it well. Currently home to the Bridgeman family.

[Coquet]

In the tv programme the English narrator mentions Grey's bad luck and his wife being killed when thrown from a horse.

Se was driving her trap with her gardener as passenger down a country lane near Ellingham. Something startled the horse and the trap hit a tree stump in the hedge and they were both thrown out. The gardener was ok but Dorothy fractured her skull. She was taken into Ellingham school house but died in the early hours.

That's the short version. Long version from the Morpeth Herald below.

[Coquet]

The Foreign Minister’s Bereavement.

DEATH OF LADY GREY.

The accident which was reported in the last week’s “Herald” happened to lady Grey, wife of Sir Edward Grey, Minister for Foreign Affairs, last Thursday afternoon, terminated fatally. It will be recalled that Lady Grey was, while driving, flung out of a trap and was carried unconscious into the School House at Ellingham, situated in the valley between Preston Main and the village.
Lady Grey never recovered consciousness, the middle fosse of her skull being fractured, together with a severe contusion of the brain substance, and her death occurred at twenty-five minutes past three on Sunday morning, in the presence of Sir Edward Grey, Miss Herbart, the Rev. W.A. Mc Gonigle, and Dr Waterson, her medical attendant.
Sir Edward Grey, who was devotedly attached to his wife, never left her bedside after his arrival from London late at night on the day of the accident, and his grief over her unfortunate and terrible death is extremely deep and painful.
The very sad event has cast a great gloom not only over the people of North Northumberland, to whom she was well known and greatly endeared, but also in many circles throughout the kingdom. Very general and widespread is the sympathy expressed for Sir Edward Grey, who since the accident to Lady Grey has received hundreds of sympathetic messages from all classes of people and from all parts of the kingdom, including one from the King. His Majesty also proffered to send Sir Frederick Treves, the Royal physician, on Saturday to attend Lady Grey, but to the King’s gracious proposal Sir Edward sent a reply thanking His Magesty, and stating that Lady Grey’s condition being then hopeless, she being sinking rapidly, the assistance would be of no avail. Dr Waterson , Embelton, who has been Lady Grey’s medical adviser for several years, was in constant attendance after the accident, and he had the assistance of Dr. Morison of Newcastle, who came with two excellent nurses. Dr. Macaskie of Bamburgh and Dr. Campbell of North Sunderland also gave assistance.
The News of Lady Grey’s death being telegraphed to the King, Sir Edward Grey received in reply the following message of condolence from His Majesty:- Buckingham Palace “It is difficult for me to find words to expres how deepley I feel for you at your irreparable loss. –Edward R.I.”
The Deceased Lady Frances Dorothy Grey, who was about 40 years of age, was the eldest daughter of Major Shallcross Fitzherbert Widdrington, of Newton Hall, and Cecilia his wife, eldest daughter of Edward John Gregge Hopwood, Lancaster.
Her marriage with Sir Edward Grey in 1885 took place before he was elected a member of Parliament, and to him she proved a most devoted wife and valuable helpmate throughout the whole of his eminent political career. Like her husband, she was warmly attached to the Liberal cause, and was organiser of the Alnwick and District Woman’s Liberal Association, of which she was a president from the beginning, and took a lively interest in its working, and until recently attended most of the meeting of the committee. In the early years of the association, which was a great means of helping to popularise Liberalism in its area of the Berwick Division. Lady Grey frequently took the chair at public political meetings at Alnwick and other places in the district, but for some time past owing to the state of her health, had not been able to evince that ardency which characterised her former exertions in behalf of liberalism. Lady Grey was a leader of women Liberals, and once a year held gathering of women Liberals at her seat at Fallodon. No one was aware of the amount of work she did in assisting her husband in opening and answering the great quantity of correspondence which came to him, and advising and helping him during his electoral campaigns. With him she attended his every political meeting in the Berwick Division, and where he was not she was, and took notes of the speeches made by his opponents on the opposite side of politics. She was present with him at Alnwick on the last polling day, and shared with him the next day the success of his return to Parliament with an increased majority, and the honour of his departure from the county town after the declaration of the poll. In her home life Lady Grey took much interest in social organisations in her immediate district. She was also president for several years of the local District Nursing Association, and president of the Women’s Club at Embleton, which has recently risen into much popularity. Lady Grey was devotedly attached to her husband, and whenever she could was always by his side, in his angling excursions, and in pastimes in which he indulged. Her Ladyship leaves no chidren.

THE INQUEST.
Mr. Coroner Percy held and inquest into the circumstances attending the lamented death of Frances Dorothy, Lady Grey, the wife of Sir Edward Grey, Bart., MP., Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, at Fallodon Hall. Mr. Mark Appleby of Embleton was foreman of the jury. –The Rev. William Alexander McGonigle, B.D., vicar of Ellingham, gave evidence of identification of the deceased, who was 41 years of age. Thos. Henderson, residing at Fallodon Lodge, said he was under gardener with Sir Edward Grey. On Thursday, the 1st inst., about eleven o’clock, Lady Grey ordered him to put the horse into the dogcart and to be ready at 1.45. He did so. Lady Grey drove, and witness accompanied her, sitting behind. They went by Fallodon East Lodge in the direction of Ellingham. They got to about fifty or sixty yards south of Ellingham school-house, the horse suddenly shied to the left, and the left wheel of the dogcart struck a stump in the hedge. The dogcart overturned, and they were both thrown to the ground. When witness got up the horse was on its feet kicking at the trap. Witness got up immediately, and ran to the horse’s head. The horse pushed him along the road away from Lady Grey. The trap never touched her Ladyship. It knocked witness over a stone heap and got away, and went into the wood. Witness at once went back to lady Grey and found her lying insensible on the road. Witness went at once for Dr. Waterson, who came immediately . – The Coroner: Have you any idea why the horse shied? – I could not say with certainty, but close by on the road, inside the plantation, there were a heap of scaffolding poles lying. That is all I can think of caused the horse to shy. –Dr. William Thomas Waterson, medical practitioner at Embleton, said: On Thursday, about 2.50pm., I got word of Lady Grey’s accident from the last witness, Thomas Henderson, and I went immediately to Ellingham schoolhouse. I was there three-quarters of an hour after the accident. I found Lady Grey lying on a sofa in the school-house quite insensible and bleeding from the right ear, both nostrils, and the mouth. I at once diagnosed fracture of the base of the skull. There was a slight swelling of the right ankle which was of no consequence. There was no marks of injury on the face or head except the bleedings. I called in Dr. Rutherford Morison, of Newcastle, and other medical gentlemen in consultation. Lady Grey was kept in the school-house, not being fit to be removed. She died on Sunday the 4th inst., at 3.25 am never having regained consciousness. – The Coroner in the course of his summing up, said: - Lady Grey has, during the last twenty years and more, by the beauty of her life and excellence of her virtues, not only endeared herself to the public, but also, I venture to say, has rendered, directly and indirectly, no small in the common weal. And when a great calamity has taken life away, I think we may very properly express to those who were near and dear to here, and who were suffering a great bereavement, our profound sympathy in their trouble, and, indeed, claim to share with them some of the sorrow and grief that this sad event has occasioned. To Sir Edward the burden of his grief must be a terrible one indeed, now that she is no longer with him to share in his new-won triumph, or to assist, as a wife may do, in discharging these great responsibilities and onerous duties which his high position in the state entailed. Nor may we neglect to offer our heartiest commiseration to the parents of the deceased lady. I have known Major Widdrington for many years, and to know him long is to respect him the more; and I hope and trust this terrible bereavement that has come upon him in his declining years may be borne by him with humble resignation, and, moreover, with that wonderful fortitude that has in his later life so characterised him. – The jury returned a verdict that Lady Grey died at Ellingham Schoolhouse on the 4th inst. from fracture of the base of the skull, caused through accidental upsetting of a trap in which she was riding near to Ellingham Schoolhouse on the 1st.

[Coquet]

[Coquet]

Originally Posted by hollydog

All very interesting Falloden Hall is about 1 mile north of Christon Bank - had its own private station on the mainline as well. The land to the south of Brunton aerodrome is included in the estate, We have painted the hall throughout and I know it well. Currently home to the Bridgeman family.

A private rail station for the Greys. Nice.

[Alan J.]

Well done Coquet a very precise and interesting account of the accident to Lady Grey. As for the private station, it shows the difference between the "haves" and the "have nots" of the time.