Noël Leslie, Countess of Rothes
Encyclopedia
Lucy Noël Martha Leslie, Countess of Rothes (25 December 1878 – 12 September 1956) was the wife of the 19th Earl of Rothes
, whom she married on 19 April 1900.
Lord and Lady Rothes had two children:
Noëlle Rothes is best known as a survivor of the RMS Titanic. She embarked at Southampton with her parents, Thomas and Clementina Dyer-Edwardes, cousin Gladys Cherry
, and maid Roberta Maioni. Her parents disembarked at Cherbourg, while the others continued, en route for New York
and possibly Vancouver, British Columbia. While Lady Rothes and her cousin were originally installed in the first class basic cabin C37, it is possible they upgraded to a more commodious suite, C77 (in an interview with the American press, she has been quoted as having said she and her cousin stayed in stateroom B77).
The Countess, her cousin and maid were rescued in lifeboat 8. Thomas William Jones, the able seaman in charge of their lifeboat, later said Rothes "had a lot to say, so I put her to steering the boat," a compliment on her leadership abilities. She took the tiller, asking her cousin to assist her until she went to sit next to and comfort a young Spanish newlywed, Señora María de Satode y Peñasco, whose husband had remained behind on the sinking liner. There she remained for the duration of the night, rowing all the while and helping to boost the morale of other women until their lifeboat was picked up by the RMS Carpathia
; once aboard Carpathia, she devoted herself to the care of the steerage women and children from Titanic. As a token of his esteem, Jones later presented her with the brass number plate from their lifeboat. She wrote to him every Christmas, and the two maintained correspondence until her death.
After her husband died in March 1927, Lady Rothes remarried on 22 December 1927, to Colonel Claud Macfie, DSO, in London
. The Countess retained her title. The couple had no children. She died in Hove
, Sussex
, on 12 September 1956, having suffered for some time from heart disease.
Norman Leslie, 19th Earl of Rothes
Colonel Norman Evelyn Leslie, 19th Earl of Rothes , a Scottish representative peer, was the son of Martin Leslie Leslie and Georgina Frances Study....
, whom she married on 19 April 1900.
Biography
"Noëlle," as she spelled her forename of choice, was the only child of Thomas and Clementina Dyer-Edwardes.Lord and Lady Rothes had two children:
- Malcolm George Dyer-Edwardes Leslie, Lord Leslie (later 20th Earl of Rothes) (1902–1975), married Beryl Violet Dugdale, daughter of Captain James Lionel Dugdale and Maud Violet Woodroffe, on July 17, 1926 and had issue.
- The Honourable John Wayland Leslie (1909 – 1991)
Noëlle Rothes is best known as a survivor of the RMS Titanic. She embarked at Southampton with her parents, Thomas and Clementina Dyer-Edwardes, cousin Gladys Cherry
Gladys Cherry
Gladys Cherry was a survivor of the Titanic disaster.- Major highlights :Gladys Cherry was born in Greenwich, England, as the third and last child of J. F. Cherry and his wife, Lady Emily Cherry , the daughter of Mary Elizabeth, 18th Countess of Rothes...
, and maid Roberta Maioni. Her parents disembarked at Cherbourg, while the others continued, en route for New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and possibly Vancouver, British Columbia. While Lady Rothes and her cousin were originally installed in the first class basic cabin C37, it is possible they upgraded to a more commodious suite, C77 (in an interview with the American press, she has been quoted as having said she and her cousin stayed in stateroom B77).
The Countess, her cousin and maid were rescued in lifeboat 8. Thomas William Jones, the able seaman in charge of their lifeboat, later said Rothes "had a lot to say, so I put her to steering the boat," a compliment on her leadership abilities. She took the tiller, asking her cousin to assist her until she went to sit next to and comfort a young Spanish newlywed, Señora María de Satode y Peñasco, whose husband had remained behind on the sinking liner. There she remained for the duration of the night, rowing all the while and helping to boost the morale of other women until their lifeboat was picked up by the RMS Carpathia
RMS Carpathia
RMS Carpathia was a Cunard Line transatlantic passenger steamship built by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson. Carpathia made her maiden voyage in 1903 and became famous for rescuing the survivors of after the latter ship hit an iceberg and sank on 15 April 1912...
; once aboard Carpathia, she devoted herself to the care of the steerage women and children from Titanic. As a token of his esteem, Jones later presented her with the brass number plate from their lifeboat. She wrote to him every Christmas, and the two maintained correspondence until her death.
After her husband died in March 1927, Lady Rothes remarried on 22 December 1927, to Colonel Claud Macfie, DSO, in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The Countess retained her title. The couple had no children. She died in Hove
Hove
Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, on 12 September 1956, having suffered for some time from heart disease.
External links
- Lucy Noël Martha, Countess of Rothes (née Dyer-Edwards) Encyclopedia TitanicaEncyclopedia TitanicaEncyclopedia Titanica is an online reference work containing extensive and constantly-updated information on the . The website, a nonprofit endeavor, is a database of passenger and crew biographies, deck plans, and articles submitted by historians or Titanic enthusiasts...
Biography - A Matter of Course : Titanic's Plucky Countess