Angela Pery

Angela Pery, Countess of Limerick
In Malaya in 1953 representing the Red Cross
Born	Angela Trotter 1897 Folkestone
Died	1981 West Hoathly
Residence	Chiddinglye, West Hoathl
Nationality	United Kingdom
Known for	leadership of the Red Cross
Title	Countess of Limerick
Spouse(s)	Edmund Pery, 5th Earl of Limerick

Angela Olivia Pery, Countess of Limerick, CH GBE (1897–1981) was a leader of the International British Red Cross movements. She was the Countess of Limerick.

Life

Angela Pery was born in Folkestone on 27 August 1897. She was the last child of Lt Col. Sir Henry Trotter KCMG, who was an Indian Army officer, an explorer, and a diplomat, and his wife, Olivia Georgiana, daughter of Admiral Sir George Wellesley. Pery was a great-great-niece of the Duke of Wellington. Her family spent sometime in Romania. She had a scar on her arm which was said to have been made by King Carol when they played together.^[1]

Pery went to North Foreland Lodge^[2] at Broadstairs until she was 17 when she left to train as a nurse. She became a Red Cross Voluntary Aid Detachment nurse. She nursed the wounded of World War One in French and British hospitals after she lied about her age to get accepted.

At the end of the war she continued her education at the London School of Economics where she studied social science and administration. She then travelled in both in Europe and adventurously in the Middle East.

In 1926 Angela Trotter married Edmund Colquhoun Pery, but she continued to work in the London branch of the British Red Cross Society. She served as a Poor Law Guardian from 1928 to 1930 and on Kensington Borough Council until 1935 when the following year she was Kensington's representative on the London county council. She continued the role throughout the war.^[3] Her support for contraception led to her being called the "Countess of Contraception"^[1] and missiles were thrown at her during a meeting in Glasgow.^[3]

Pery had three children:^[4] Lady Anne Patricia Pery was born in 1928. She would later marry the physics lecturer Sir Peter Francis Thorne. Her husband's heir, Patrick Edmund, Viscount Glentworth was born in 1930 and seven years later the Hon. Michael Henry Colquhoun Pery was born.^[4]

Pery had continued her association with the Red Cross and in 1947 she was promoted from director to President of the British Red Cross Society in London. The Red Cross joined with the St John Ambulance to created the Joint War Organisation during the war. Pery served as their deputy director. She visited battle fronts and over a dozen countries becoming a CBE in 1942.^[3]

In 1946, Angela, Countess of Limerick was promoted from CBE to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE).^[3] In 1953 Pathe News reported on her visit to the Red Cross in Malaya.^[5] In 1954, she was elevated to Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE). In 1974 she was given the Order of the Companions of Honour.^[3] Lord Limerick committed suicide in 1967 and his titles were inherited by his elder son, Patrick, who died in 2003.

After the war and until 1963, Pery ran the international part of the British Red Crosses operation. She visited 26 other red cross societies and this base assisted her in becoming vice chair of the League of Red Cross Societies from 1957 to 1973. In 1965 she became chair of the International Red Cross which she served for two four-year terms. She stood down in 1976.^[3]

Meanwhile, in 1974 she became Chairman of the Council of the British Red Cross Society, succeeding the Duke of Edinburgh. She was subsequently made a vice-president of the Society on her retirement in 1976, becoming non-royal to serve in that capacity; her appointment was cleared with Queen Elizabeth.^[3]

Angela, Countess of Limerick, died in 1981.^[3]

References