Bridget Monckton, 11th Lady Ruthven of Freeland

Bridget Helen "Biddy" Monckton, 11th Lady Ruthven of Freeland CBE (27 July 1896–17 April 1982), was also known as The Countess of Carlisle between 1918 and 1947, as Lady Monckton between 1947 and 1957, as The Viscountess Monckton of Brenchley between 1957 and 1965 and as The Dowager Viscountess Monckton of Brenchley between 1965 and 1982. She was a British peer and Conservative member of the House of Lords, but is probably best remembered as the wartime commander of women's services in India.

Early life

The Honourable Bridget Hore-Ruthven was born in 1896, the eldest of the four daughters of Major-General Walter Hore-Ruthven, 10th Lord Ruthven of Freeland. The General's title dated back to 1651 and was in the peerage of Scotland - hence the form: the Lord Ruthven rather than Baron Ruthven - which meant that, unlike most English, Irish, British and UK titles, it could be inherited, as a matter of course, by a daughter. Her mother, Jean, was the daughter of Norman George Lampson, DL, JP, younger son of Sir Curtis Lampson, 1st Baronet. Bridget was therefore the niece both of Miles Lampson, 1st Baron Killearn, and of Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie.

Family

On 17 January 1918 she married George Howard, 11th Earl of Carlisle, becoming the Countess of Carlisle. They had two children:

• Lady Carolyn Bridget Dacre Howard (b. 1919).
• Charles James Ruthven Howard (1923-1994), who held the courtesy-title of Viscount Howard of Morpeth, until he became the 12th Earl of Carlisle in 1963.

Military career

At the beginning of the Second World War, Lady Carlisle was a Senior Controller of the Auxiliary Territorial Service. The Countess of Carlisle was then promoted to become the Director of the Women's Auxiliary Corps (India) - the Indian counterpart of the ATS - and of the Women's Royal Indian Naval Service (WRINS). For her work in command, she was appointed a CBE (military division) in 1947.^[1]

Remarriage

In 1947, Lord and Lady Carlisle divorced. Lady Carlisle then married Sir Walter Monckton, who was also previously married, and became Lady Monckton.^[2] The couple had no children together, but both had offspring from their previous marriages.

Peerage

In 1956, on the death of her father, Lady Monckton inherited the lordship of Ruthven of Freeland. She was now, suo jure, the Lady Ruthven of Freeland. In 1957, her husband received a peerage too, when he was created the first Viscount Monckton of Brenchley. Lady Ruthven of Freeland's marital title was now: the Viscountess Monckton of Brenchley.

Although entitled to a Scottish peerage, Bridget was not initially entitled to membership of the legislature. However, from 1963 she did take her seat in the House of Lords, after the new Peerage Act 1963 gave all Scottish peers and all female holders of hereditary peerages the right to sit in the upper chamber of parliament.^[3] Unusually, she sat concurrently with her son and with her second husband, plus her cousins mentioned above.

Charity work

From 1962-74 Lady Monckton was the Chairman of the charity Attend: the National Association of Leagues of Hospital Friends. In 1977-78 she returned to office at the charity when elected to be the President of Attend.^[4]

Death

Lady Monckton of Brenchley died in April 1982, aged 85, and was succeeded in her own title by her son, who was already the Earl of Carlisle.^[3]

References

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Bridget Monckton, 11th Lady Ruthven of Freeland