The Ladies of Londonderry

Against a backdrop of increasing democracy and aristocratic decline, this book examines the political influence of the leading Tory hostesses, the Marchionesses of Londonderry. From 1800-1959, these women were patrons and confidantes to key political figures such as Disraeli and Ramsay MacDonald. At the height of their prowess, they exerted political sway by private means as well as public: canvassing, addressing meetings and leading an attempt to educate a mass electorate. This at...
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Against a backdrop of increasing democracy and aristocratic decline, this book examines the political influence of the leading Tory hostesses, the Marchionesses of Londonderry. From 1800-1959, these women were patrons and confidantes to key political figures such as Disraeli and Ramsay MacDonald. At the height of their prowess, they exerted political sway by private means as well as public: canvassing, addressing meetings and leading an attempt to educate a mass electorate. This at first aroused little criticism but, by the interwar period, the hold that the 7th Marchioness of Londonderry, Edith Vane-Tempest-Stewart, allegedly had over MacDonald prompted widespread criticism of her role as the 'Mother' of the National Government. This book offers the first examination of the poweful political hostesses of the Anglo-Irish establishment and sheds considerable light on the workings of 19th and 20th-century politics.