Sybil Cholmondeley, Marchioness of Cholmondeley

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Template:Short description Template:EngvarB Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Template:Infobox nobility Sybil Rachel Betty Cecile Cholmondeley, Marchioness of Cholmondeley Script error: No such module "If empty". (Script error: No such module "IPAc-en". Script error: No such module "Respell"., born Sybil Rachel Betty Cecile Sassoon; 30 January 1894 – 26 December 1989), styled Countess of Rocksavage from 1913 to 1923, was a British socialite, patron of the arts, and Chief Staff Officer in the Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS) during the Second World War. She belonged to the prominent Sassoon and Rothschild families.

Family and life

File:Sims Lady Rocksavage 3068 Z.jpg
1922 portrait of Cholmondeley by Charles Sims; a preparatory work for the artist's The Countess of Rocksavage and her Son

Sybil Sassoon was born in London, to a Jewish family. She was the daughter of Sir Edward Sassoon (1856–1912), 2nd Bt., and Baroness Aline Caroline de Rothschild (1865–1909). Her brother was Sir Philip Sassoon.

On 6 August 1913, she married George Cholmondeley, Earl of Rocksavage (19 May 1883 – 16 September 1968). He later succeeded as the 5th Marquess of Cholmondeley. They had two sons and one daughter:

File:Houghton Hall 01.jpg
Houghton Hall

Lady Cholmondeley was largely responsible for restoring her husband's family estate, Houghton Hall, to its former glory.[1] She was a generous patron of the arts and had an extensive art collection by the time of her death.[1]

The Sybil Sassoon Gardens at Houghton were opened to the public in 1996. Lady Sybil's grandson, the current marquess, developed the gardens in honour of his grandmother. In 2008, the garden was named Historic Houses Association and Christie's Garden of the Year.[2] In "the pool garden", the entwined initials "SS" are represented in the outlines of the clipped box-hedge which surrounds plantings of lavender and rosemary.[3] She is buried in the Church of St Martin on the Houghton Hall estate.[4] Through her son George Hugh Cholmondeley, Sybil is the great-grandmother of actor Jack Huston.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

File:The Countess of Rocksavage 1922.jpg
The Countess of Rocksavage wearing gown made by House of Worth 1922 by John Singer Sargent

She was Chief Staff Officer to Director WRNS from 12 November 1939 until 1946. On 9 February 1945 she was appointed as Superintendent of the Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS) and the following year was made CBE.

File:Sibyl Sasson, Countess of Rocksavage.jpg
Sibyl Sassoon (later Marchioness of Cholmondeley) by John Singer Sargent

Titles

She was identified by a number of changing titles during the several phases of her life:

  • 1894–1913: Miss Sybil Sassoon
  • 1913–1923: Countess of Rocksavage
  • 1923–1946: The Most Honourable The Marchioness of Cholmondeley
  • 1946–1968: The Most Honourable The Marchioness of Cholmondeley, CBE
  • 1968–1989: The Most Honourable The Dowager Marchioness of Cholmondeley, CBE

Honours

See also

Notes

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  1. a b Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  2. Caroline Donald "The new garden at Houghton Hall, King’s Lynn, Norfolk"Script error: No such module "Unsubst".Template:Cbignore, The Times (UK); 11 May 2008.
  3. Houghton Hall Gardens webpage Script error: No such module "webarchive".. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
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References

External links

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