Welcome to this page, part of David Byers - His Website. Here you'll find information and context for
my 2017 Christmas carol and card. Not much about music, more about a
partcular way of life in the first part of the twentieth century (and
best read on a laptop or PC).
The original card, presumably one of a batch, was printed specifically for Minna Rider.
It was Christmas 1913. Who did she send it to? Who indeed was Minna Rider?
She sounds like the key figure in a television series.
There’s more than enough here to provide the backdrop for a new Hercule Poirot mystery!
It was Christmas 1913. Who did she send it to? Who indeed was Minna Rider?
She sounds like the key figure in a television series.
There’s more than enough here to provide the backdrop for a new Hercule Poirot mystery!
What was Minna Rider up to in war-time France?
Why in 1917 did she wish to travel in the UK, Spain, Portugal, France, Holland, Sweden, Norway and Egypt?
Was she a spy? Or simply a wealthy lady enjoying life in France, and Biarritz in particular?
Was this wealthy American socialite one of the circle in Biarritz around the Prince of Wales?
Not all the answers are provided here. You'll have to use your imagination! Before all that, here’s the carol, the card and details about the Baron and Baroness to whom Minna Rider sent her Christmas greetings.
Why in 1917 did she wish to travel in the UK, Spain, Portugal, France, Holland, Sweden, Norway and Egypt?
Was she a spy? Or simply a wealthy lady enjoying life in France, and Biarritz in particular?
Was this wealthy American socialite one of the circle in Biarritz around the Prince of Wales?
Not all the answers are provided here. You'll have to use your imagination! Before all that, here’s the carol, the card and details about the Baron and Baroness to whom Minna Rider sent her Christmas greetings.
The music is a setting of A Christmas Carol, by Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936). The poem was first published in The Wild Knight and Other Poems (Grant Richards, London, 1900), a collection financed and promoted by Chesterton’s father.
On the right is a PDF of my 2017 Carol.
It’s No.48 of a series which began 50 years ago in 1967.
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Christmas Carol 2017.pdf Size : 42.646 Kb Type : pdf |
A complete PDF listing of my carols is available here under Compositions - Vocal and Choral on this website.
The illustration within the decorative surround is from the famous Madonna and Child with Angels by Fra Filippo Lippi (c.1406-1469), though with some interesting 1913 ‘Photoshopping’ to make it work!
The card was printed in Firenze by Fratelli Baccani who offered similar cards over many years.
It measures 139 x 93 mm. and was posted somewhere around Rue Boissy d’Anglas in Paris on 24 December 1913.
It’s addressed to 5 rue Verdi, ‘En ville’, but interpreting the surname of the Baron and Baroness to whom it was sent, defeated me for a long time.
A plea on Facebook brought forth no solution.
All was revealed when I found a listing of laws and decrees in the Journal officiel de la République française, 2 May 1915. It included a listing of receivership orders issued up to January 1st, 1915, for property belonging to German, Austrian and Hungarian subjects.
And there it was: 5 rue Verdi / De Doblhoff / Austrian.
The card was printed in Firenze by Fratelli Baccani who offered similar cards over many years.
It measures 139 x 93 mm. and was posted somewhere around Rue Boissy d’Anglas in Paris on 24 December 1913.
It’s addressed to 5 rue Verdi, ‘En ville’, but interpreting the surname of the Baron and Baroness to whom it was sent, defeated me for a long time.
A plea on Facebook brought forth no solution.
All was revealed when I found a listing of laws and decrees in the Journal officiel de la République française, 2 May 1915. It included a listing of receivership orders issued up to January 1st, 1915, for property belonging to German, Austrian and Hungarian subjects.
And there it was: 5 rue Verdi / De Doblhoff / Austrian.
But who was Baron R de Doblhoff?
Minna Rider’s handwriting made that identification particularly difficult!
On the right is the address side of the card, complete with postage stamp and postmarks.
On the right is the address side of the card, complete with postage stamp and postmarks.
The Baron - Robert Heinrich von Doblhoff - was a significant Viennese-born artist.
He was related to Baron Anton von Doblhoff-Dier (1800-1872), an important Austrian statesman who, in earlier times, had been one of Franz Schubert’s circle of carousing friends. Following the March revolutions in 1848, Anton served as Acting Minister-President of the Austrian Empire for a brief period.
He was related to Baron Anton von Doblhoff-Dier (1800-1872), an important Austrian statesman who, in earlier times, had been one of Franz Schubert’s circle of carousing friends. Following the March revolutions in 1848, Anton served as Acting Minister-President of the Austrian Empire for a brief period.
Robert’s grandfather was Anton’s younger brother, Joseph (1806-1856), another Austrian politician (though sadly I’ve been unable to find a drawing or photograph of him).
Joseph’s son (Robert’s father) was Josef von Doblhoff (1844-1928), the Austrian writer, diplomat and explorer. In 1875, Josef married Antonie Freiin von Haan (1847-1899), and in 1900 he married the pianist Mathilde Stohl (1866-1939). Robert was the eldest of the two sons born in that first marriage.
Only the first-born son bore the name Doblhoff-Dier,
though some references to our painter friend do indeed have him as
Robert von Doblhoff-Dier.
Pics above (click to enlarge):
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Anton von Doblhoff (1800-1872) from an 1834 lithograph by Josef Kriehuber.
Josef von Doblhoff (1844-1928). Photo by Dr Székely of Vienna, simply credited in longhand as ‘Baron Doblhoff / colleague from the Schottengymnasium’.
Josef - photo by Studio Fotografico Arena, 7 Strada Pace, Napoli, 1871. Pencilled credit as ‘Baron Joseph [sic] Doblhoff’.
Josef c.1905 from Hans Meissner, The Doblhoffs and Baden-Weikersdorf, Baden 1993.
Robert von Doblhoff (1880-1960). Pic from Österreichische Nationalbibliothek / Austrian National Library. See here. But is this really the same man as in the photograph below?
Josef von Doblhoff (1844-1928). Photo by Dr Székely of Vienna, simply credited in longhand as ‘Baron Doblhoff / colleague from the Schottengymnasium’.
Josef - photo by Studio Fotografico Arena, 7 Strada Pace, Napoli, 1871. Pencilled credit as ‘Baron Joseph [sic] Doblhoff’.
Josef c.1905 from Hans Meissner, The Doblhoffs and Baden-Weikersdorf, Baden 1993.
Robert von Doblhoff (1880-1960). Pic from Österreichische Nationalbibliothek / Austrian National Library. See here. But is this really the same man as in the photograph below?
The recipient of Minna Rider’s Christmas card, Baron Robert Heinrich von Doblhoff, was born in Vienna in 1880.
He studied at Vienna’s Akademie der bildenden Künste (1896-1900) with Siegmund Christoph L’Allemand and August Eisenmenger. After his military service, he studied in Paris at the Académie Julian with Jules Joseph Lefebvre and Tony Robert-Fleury.
He studied at Vienna’s Akademie der bildenden Künste (1896-1900) with Siegmund Christoph L’Allemand and August Eisenmenger. After his military service, he studied in Paris at the Académie Julian with Jules Joseph Lefebvre and Tony Robert-Fleury.
From 1906, Doblhoff lived in Paris, where he was an
‘Associé des Champs de Mars’.
In 1907 he travelled to the USA and painted a portrait of President Roosevelt.
In 1907 he travelled to the USA and painted a portrait of President Roosevelt.
See the PDF on the right for the Washington Post’s report on Baron Robert von Doblhoff’s meetings with President Roosevelt in 1907 - the difficulties of being a portrait painter!
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Doblhoff meets President Roosevelt 1907.pdf Size : 224.209 Kb Type : pdf |
In 1909 he painted a portrait
of Kaiser Franz Josef.
The following year he married the artist Hertha Schrack (1886-1961) and their honeymoon was a world tour which included China and Japan.
The following year he married the artist Hertha Schrack (1886-1961) and their honeymoon was a world tour which included China and Japan.
LH pic: The Artist’s Wife, 1911, by R. von Doblhoff, courtesy Wilnitsky.com
Figaro, 5 December 1911, News from Cannes
Baron and Baroness Doblhoff have left for Vienna, where they will spend a month.
During the war (WW1), Baron Robert von Doblhoff served as an officer in the Austrian army before becoming a war artist.
From 1918 he worked in Vienna (painting a portrait of
Chancellor Ignaz Seipel in 1923) and between 1924 and 1932 he visited
the USA seven times.
RH pic, dated 7 April 1930: ‘The Speaker of the House of Representatives Nicholas Longworth, sitting for his portrait being painted by Baron Robert Doblhoff, noted Austrian artist. The portrait is being done for Beman Gates Dawes (1870-1953), and will hang in the Dawes private art gallery in Columbus, Ohio.’
A different report states that 'Mr. Beman Dawes, brother of Ambassador Dawes, will present it to the city of Columbus, Ohio'.
A different report states that 'Mr. Beman Dawes, brother of Ambassador Dawes, will present it to the city of Columbus, Ohio'.
Pic Credit: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, photograph by Harris & Ewing, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USZ62-123456]
Between 1926 and 1938 (when it was dissolved) Doblhoff was
president and honorary member of the ‘Theseus temple’ of the Association
of Danubian artists. He died in Vienna in 1960.
His preference was to paint portraits, but he produced a wide range of drawings, watercolours and oil paintings. Some of the many war pics are currently on sale at Boris Wilnitsky Fine Arts (see here).
LH pic: The Speaker of the House, a painting by Robert Doblhoff, 1930. Collection of U.S. House of Representatives.
Three paintings by Doblhoff below, from the left:
Afternoon bridge / WW1, 1915, courtesy wilnitsky.com
Portrait of a 1920’s Viennese Flapper Woman with Pearls, 1926,
courtesy mutualart.com
Venice, 1928, courtesy 1stdibs.com
Afternoon bridge / WW1, 1915, courtesy wilnitsky.com
Portrait of a 1920’s Viennese Flapper Woman with Pearls, 1926,
courtesy mutualart.com
Venice, 1928, courtesy 1stdibs.com
And who was Minna Rider?
Minna was born in Chicago, Illinois, on 24 January 1882. Then she was Minna Louise Claussenius, the middle sibling of the three children of Gustavus Adolphus Claussenius (in NYC his father had been the German consul and then the Austro-Hungarian consul). Gustavus managed his father’s banking house and in 1883 ‘he went into the general ocean steamship passage and railroad ticket business’.
‘Mr. Claussenius is a prominent member of the Germania Mäennerchor, the Chicago Bowling Club and the Royal Arcanum, in which organizations he has held many important positions, from time to time. He is a fine baritone singer, is actively interested in several well-known quartettes, and is the treasurer of the village of Morgan Park, where he resides.’ A. T. Andreas History of Chicago from the Earliest Period to the Present Time (Chicago, 1884).
This next is from an unknown source, quoted online: ‘Miss Claussenius, whose stage name is Jane Field, quitted a year ago, at the age of nineteen, her society friends of Chicago and secured a small part in Kirke La Shelle’s Sergeant James company. She proved her talent and was put in The Earl of Pawtucket company at the Madison Square about three months ago [as an understudy, at short notice, she replaced Elizabeth Tyree, who’d been thrown from her hansom cab on Fifth Avenue]. Though hers was a minor part, she instantly attracted attention by her stage presence.
‘Laurens Rider was introduced to the young actress by Mr. and Mrs. La Shelle while at the Waldorf-Astoria ball Feb. 20, and they immediately took a liking to each other. Yesterday they returned from an automobile ride in a particularly happy frame of mind, and Miss Claussenius announced to Mr. La Shelle that she would leave his company after giving the customary two weeks’ notice, for she would then become Mrs. Rider. She says she will never play again.’
‘Laurens Rider was introduced to the young actress by Mr. and Mrs. La Shelle while at the Waldorf-Astoria ball Feb. 20, and they immediately took a liking to each other. Yesterday they returned from an automobile ride in a particularly happy frame of mind, and Miss Claussenius announced to Mr. La Shelle that she would leave his company after giving the customary two weeks’ notice, for she would then become Mrs. Rider. She says she will never play again.’
Brooklyn Life, June 13, 1903, page 16, 17, noted that ‘On Thursday of last week, at high noon, the marriage of Miss Minna Clausennius, of Chicago, and Mr. Laurens Pember Rider, formerly of this borough, but now of Manhattan, was solemnized in the West Presbyterian Church on West Forty-second street. Until her engagement was made known a few weeks ago, the bride was playing the role of Ella Sea-forth in [Augustus Thomas’s hit comedy] The Earl of Pawtucket, under the stage name of Jane Field, but afterwards she severed her connection with the stage.
‘In her wedding gown, of white crepe and lace, the bride
appeared even more charming than she did upon the stage. The ceremony
was quietly performed, being attended only by a small group of relatives
and friends, including several members of The Earl of Pawtucket
company and Mr. and Mrs. Kirke La Shelle ...
‘Following the ceremony, a breakfast was served at the home of the bride’s aunt, Mrs. J. L. De Laine, 355 Lexington avenue.
‘The bride and groom are spending their honeymoon on an automobile tour through the Berkshires, and upon their return will take up their residence at his country place, Millbrook Farm, Smithtown, Long Island.’
‘Following the ceremony, a breakfast was served at the home of the bride’s aunt, Mrs. J. L. De Laine, 355 Lexington avenue.
‘The bride and groom are spending their honeymoon on an automobile tour through the Berkshires, and upon their return will take up their residence at his country place, Millbrook Farm, Smithtown, Long Island.’
The Hardwood Record, Chicago, 10 June 1903, noted that the Earl of Pawtucket Company sent the happy couple a silver toilet set.
Another uncredited source adds that ‘On the back of the
mirror was engraved, “One for all time”. Miss Claussennius spoke this
line in the play when telling of her engagement, and the guests declared
that it started the romance, because, after hearing it, Mr. Rider
sought the acquaintance of the actress.’
Laurens Pember Rider was 20 years older than Minna. He was born on 4 April 1862 in Hartford, Connecticut, and was the Rider of White, Rider & Frost, North Tonawanda, N.Y., and Chicago.
When it was established in 1890, the firm ‘carried on a buying and selling business, but in 1893 they put in a stock of lumber at Tonawanda and have since conducted a yard business [a wholesale lumber company]’. (American lumbermen; the personal history and public and business achievements of ... eminent lumbermen of the United States, Chicago,1905).
When it was established in 1890, the firm ‘carried on a buying and selling business, but in 1893 they put in a stock of lumber at Tonawanda and have since conducted a yard business [a wholesale lumber company]’. (American lumbermen; the personal history and public and business achievements of ... eminent lumbermen of the United States, Chicago,1905).
Laurens’s father, Henry L. Rider, was a lawyer. In the 1870 US Census, Henry was living in Brooklyn Ward 1, Kings, New York, and his real estate was valued at $30,000 and his personal estate at $6,500.
Brooklyn Life, 6 February 1904, page 13, reports: ‘An interesting event of the past week was the reception given on Thursday by Mr. and Mrs. Laurens Pember Rider of 1138 Dean street, in honor of the latter’s sister, Miss Mabel Claussenius, of Chicago, who is visiting her for a week.
‘This was the first entertainment of the kind given by the Riders, since taking up their residence on this side of the river. Mrs Rider, it will be recalled, was, before her marriage, last June, a member of The Earl of Pawtucket company … Mrs. Rider was very becomingly gowned in pale green silk with an overdress of white silk mull, trimmed with lace appliques.
Spring flowers were used as decorations. In the drawing-room there were banks of gay, yellow tulips and crocuses while in the dining-room red tulips and maidenhair ferns were used.’
‘This was the first entertainment of the kind given by the Riders, since taking up their residence on this side of the river. Mrs Rider, it will be recalled, was, before her marriage, last June, a member of The Earl of Pawtucket company … Mrs. Rider was very becomingly gowned in pale green silk with an overdress of white silk mull, trimmed with lace appliques.
Spring flowers were used as decorations. In the drawing-room there were banks of gay, yellow tulips and crocuses while in the dining-room red tulips and maidenhair ferns were used.’
RH pic: Report of the major fire which destroyed White, Rider and Frost’s lumber yard. It’s from The Daily Pioneer, Minnesota, 29 January 1904, page 1.
A more colourful report, dated 28 January 1904, noted that ‘Half a square mile of glowing embers was all that remained of one of the largest lumber yards in the region. Flames raced across the entire north end of the island, consuming more than 15 million feet of lumber. The fire started shortly before midnight in the White, Rider & Frost Company’s yards and was soon out of control. Help was requested from Buffalo, Lockport and Niagara Falls as the entire end of the island was evacuated. The fire was believed to be arson.’
Just over two years after the fire, life changed for the couple. Laurens retired from his business and was able to spend more time playing golf. Buffalo Morning Express and Illustrated Buffalo Express, 2 April 1906, page 11:
Laurens P. Rider retires.
‘North Tonawanda, April 1 (Special). — Laurens P. Rider of New York today retired from the lumber firm of White, Rider & Frost of this city. The company is one of the largest and oldest lumber firms in the Tonawandas. Mr. Rider, it is understood, will retire from active business.’On 14 June 1906, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported (page 8) on the first annual golf tournament held over the Nassau course, of the Lumbermen’s Association, comprising the dealers of the Eastern states, managed by three Nassau members, including Laurens Rider who was also elected vice president.
Over the next five or six years, newspapers and passenger lists provide occasional glimpses of a leisurely social life of golf, travel, entertaining and some music - and with some rather wealthy colleagues!
Laurens Rider was a passenger on board the Oronsa from Valparaiso, Chile, arriving in Liverpool, England, on 3 December 1906.
The Oronsa, a brand new passenger ship built that year by Harland & Wolff in Belfast for the British-owned Pacific Steam Navigation Company, served the route between Britain and South America, but was sunk by a German submarine in 1918.
The Oronsa, a brand new passenger ship built that year by Harland & Wolff in Belfast for the British-owned Pacific Steam Navigation Company, served the route between Britain and South America, but was sunk by a German submarine in 1918.
LH pic of the Oronsa courtesy of Michael Romanov. See here.
On 11 February 1907, Laurens and Minna are listed as passengers arriving in New York on board the liner Cedric from Naples, Italy.
RMS Cedric was built for the White Star Line by Harland & Wolff in Belfast and completed in January 1903. Mainly used on the Liverpool – New York run, it also provided winter cruises to the Mediterranean, which may have been the reason for Laurens and Minna’s journey.
RMS Cedric was built for the White Star Line by Harland & Wolff in Belfast and completed in January 1903. Mainly used on the Liverpool – New York run, it also provided winter cruises to the Mediterranean, which may have been the reason for Laurens and Minna’s journey.
RH pic: a postcard illustration of Cedric. See also here.
The New York Times, 11 November 1908, page 16: Mrs Laurens P. Rider was reported as being in a box at the Horse Show. She was ‘in black, with a red hat … All the boxes were occupied, except that of Alfred Vanderbilt.’
The New York Times, 11 November 1908, page 9 ( and also Brooklyn Life, 14 November 1908, page 18): ‘Mr. and Mrs. Laurens P. Rider of Smithtown, L.I., are spending two weeks at the Holland House, Manhattan.’
The Brooklyn Eagle, 31 January 1909, page 42: Laurens P. Rider, Manhattan, was listed among the arrivals at Augusta, Georgia, for the golf. He was in company with the likes of John D. Rockefeller.
And so life went on ... but where was Minna Rider planning on going to?
On 18 February 1909, she applied for a US Passport, duly certified by her husband (of No.1 Madison Avenue) as to the truthfulness of the information. She stated that she was 22 years of age (in a more accurate application five years later she had aged by 10 years!), she stated she was born on 24 January 1886 [actually 1882], and intended to return to the USA within two years. She was described as 5ft 7ins in stature, with a medium mouth, firm chin, high forehead, brown hair, brown eyes, fair complexion, Grecian nose and oval face.
On 18 February 1909, she applied for a US Passport, duly certified by her husband (of No.1 Madison Avenue) as to the truthfulness of the information. She stated that she was 22 years of age (in a more accurate application five years later she had aged by 10 years!), she stated she was born on 24 January 1886 [actually 1882], and intended to return to the USA within two years. She was described as 5ft 7ins in stature, with a medium mouth, firm chin, high forehead, brown hair, brown eyes, fair complexion, Grecian nose and oval face.
The New York Times – 8 June 1909, Page 7: ‘Mrs. Laurens P. Rider arrived in New York yesterday after an absence of several weeks, and has gone to her residence at Smithtown for the summer.’
The New York Times – 9 July 1909, Page 7: ‘Mr. and Mrs. Laurens P. Rider left the Hotel Gotham yesterday after a short visit to New York and are at their country place at Smithtown, L.I.’
Brooklyn Life, 8 January 1910, page 20: ‘One might easily have imagined oneself in Brooklyn instead of Lakewood, N.J., on New Year’s Eve, for the dance at the Laurel House was attended by a large representation from this borough. According to all accounts the function was most brilliant. Supper was served at small tables and the ladies received boxes of candy as favors, while the men were given musical toys. A few of those noted in the ballroom were … Mr. and Mrs. Laurens P. Rider, …’
Brooklyn Life, Saturday, 11 February 1911, page 23: ‘Amato, Smirnoff and Lydia Lipkowska divided the honors on Monday evening, when Rigoletto attracted the usual gathering of music lovers to the [Brooklyn] opera house of the Academy … In the Leeming box were Mr. and Mrs. Laurens P. Rider of Manhattan, the latter looking particularly handsome in a gown of black satin trimmed with jet.’
LH pics: Boston Academy of Music Opera House. See here.
Shock, horror! In January 1912, Minna Rider’s dogs went walkabout.
Only one was found.
Only one was found.
Read the disturbing story from the New York Herald, recounted in this PDF :
At some point over the next few years, Minna and Laurens’s lives seemed to diverge. She to France, he probably to his golf – though as will soon be seen, she too played golf, and fished, and shot …
She was certainly in Paris on Christmas Eve 1913, sending her specially printed Christmas card to the Baron and Baroness de Doblhoff. Note: that card did not include the name of husband Laurens.
She was certainly in Paris on Christmas Eve 1913, sending her specially printed Christmas card to the Baron and Baroness de Doblhoff. Note: that card did not include the name of husband Laurens.
Brooklyn Life, 17 January 1914, page 17: ‘Mr. Laurens P. Rider has returned from abroad. He arrived [in New York] by the Lusitania from Liverpool last week [9 January].’
The Cunard Line ship had departed from Liverpool on 3 January.
Perhaps Laurens had been in France with Minna and returned a month earlier via England. Or were they already leading separate lives?
The Cunard Line ship had departed from Liverpool on 3 January.
Perhaps Laurens had been in France with Minna and returned a month earlier via England. Or were they already leading separate lives?
Pic above: RMS Lusitania, built in 1906 by John Brown, Clydebank. Torpedoed by a German U-boat, May 1915. See here.
RH pic: SS Kronprinzessin Cecilie, built in Stettin, Germany, 1906. The liner was interned by the USA in August 1914. Pic from Kaisertreuer’s flickr gallery, courtesy of cigcardpix.
Minna Rider arrived in New York one month after Laurens on 19 February 1914. She’d travelled on the liner SS Kronprinzessin Cecilie from Cherbourg, France.
Travelling first class on either ship was a luxury affair!
Travelling first class on either ship was a luxury affair!
On 14 October 1914, Minna Rider applied for another US Passport, this time at the American Embassy in London. She stated that she had left the USA on 26 June 1914, was temporarily staying in London’s Hotel Berkeley and that her permanent residence was in Paris.
She was seeking to return to France, despite the country having just experienced two of its worst periods in World War I.
Minna described herself as 32 years old, 5ft 7½ins in stature, with a medium mouth, pointed chin, medium forehead, brown hair, brown eyes, dark complexion, regular nose and oval face. Note the differences from her 1909 application!
She was seeking to return to France, despite the country having just experienced two of its worst periods in World War I.
Minna described herself as 32 years old, 5ft 7½ins in stature, with a medium mouth, pointed chin, medium forehead, brown hair, brown eyes, dark complexion, regular nose and oval face. Note the differences from her 1909 application!
It looks as if this was the effective end of the marriage. On page 5 of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 28 January 1915, Laurens P. Rider – alone – was listed as attending the fourth and last of the ‘house musicales’ at the home of Mr and Mrs Thomas L. Leeming, featuring Florence Hinkle and Thomas Chalmers, two leading opera singers ‘both widely known in the world of music’. Mr Leeming, he of the box in the Boston Opera House, was President of the Brooklyn Academy of Music. His company was a major druggists’ supplier, eventually sold to Pfizer in 1961 for a reputed 40 million dollars.
Another Passport Application for Minna, dated 26 January 1917, stated again that she was temporarily sojourning in London, having last left the USA on 26 June 1914. However her permanent residence was now given as being in London and she planned to return to the USA within two years.
She required a passport for the purpose of residence and travel in the UK, France, Spain, Portugal, Holland, Norway, Sweden and Egypt. What was she up to? And who was she up to it with?
She required a passport for the purpose of residence and travel in the UK, France, Spain, Portugal, Holland, Norway, Sweden and Egypt. What was she up to? And who was she up to it with?
Laurens seemed to be surviving well without Minna.
New York’s The Sun for 16 February 1919 listed on page 50 the guests from New York city and its environs staying at the Hotel Royal Palm in Miami, noted for its golf course and angling.
‘The season is now at its height’ and The Sun’s listing includes Laurens P Rider - no wife listed, presumably because there wasn’t one!
New York’s The Sun for 16 February 1919 listed on page 50 the guests from New York city and its environs staying at the Hotel Royal Palm in Miami, noted for its golf course and angling.
‘The season is now at its height’ and The Sun’s listing includes Laurens P Rider - no wife listed, presumably because there wasn’t one!
All becomes somewhat clearer with Minna’s next Passport Application on 3 July 1919 at the US Embassy in London.
She stated that her husband, Laurens P. Rider, was now residing in New York City for the purpose of ‘Lumber business – divorced’. When did that happen?
So far, I’ve found no newspaper report or online record for that divorce. Minna had been living in England and France since 1914 and the purpose of the 1919 passport was to allow her temporary residence in England.
Her return to the USA was listed as being ‘uncertain’.
So far, I’ve found no newspaper report or online record for that divorce. Minna had been living in England and France since 1914 and the purpose of the 1919 passport was to allow her temporary residence in England.
Her return to the USA was listed as being ‘uncertain’.
Sure enough, in the 1920 US census, Laurens P Rider gives his marital status as ‘Divorced’.
That same year, the French press featured a swinging photograph of Minna on the golf course.
It’s dated, rather imprecisely, as 1920, but I’ve found no specific publication or place.
It’s dated, rather imprecisely, as 1920, but I’ve found no specific publication or place.
Pic above: Minna Rider playing golf in France, 1920.
Press photograph [Agence Rol, 59884]. Source: Galicia.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France. See here.
Laurens Pember Rider died on 4 November 1920 in Manhattan and his will was proved on 29 November.
The Ottawa Journal, Ontario, Canada, 29 June 1921: A notice to creditors ‘in the matter of the estate of Laurens P. Rider, late of Smithtown, in the state of New York, Esquire, deceased’ seeking anyone with a claim against the estate. Deadline 15 July 1921.
The Ottawa Journal, Ontario, Canada, 29 June 1921: A notice to creditors ‘in the matter of the estate of Laurens P. Rider, late of Smithtown, in the state of New York, Esquire, deceased’ seeking anyone with a claim against the estate. Deadline 15 July 1921.
With amazing haste, barely two months after Laurens’s death, this had appeared on page 15 of the New York Herald on 16 January 1921:
MRS. LAURENS RIDER WED TO CAPT. PAGET
Bridegroom is Grandson of the Late Mrs. Paran Stevens.
Bridegroom is Grandson of the Late Mrs. Paran Stevens.
News reached New York yesterday of the marriage in the Church of St. John the Baptist, Coombe, [Croydon] London, on December 22 of Mrs. Minnie Louise Rider of New York, to Capt. Reginald Paget. …
The bride was the widow of Laurens Rider of New York and is the daughter of Dr. G.A. Claussenius of Chicago. She has been living in London some time.
Capt. Paget is one of the four children of [General] the Right Hon. Sir Arthur Henry Fitzroy Paget and the late Lady Paget … He is a grandson of the late Mrs. Paran Stevens of New York and of the late Gen. Lord Alfred Paget and a member of the family of which the Marquess of Anglesey is the chief. Capt. Paget is a nephew of Baron Queensborough, who married a daughter of the late William C. Whitney. During the war he served with distinction with the Irish Guards.
Mr. Arthur Paget is his twin brother, and his sister, Margaret Paget, is married to her cousin, Sir Ralph Paget.
Minna Rider had moved from New York high society to British high society. Her new father-in-law had been the Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in Ireland until the outbreak of World War I in 1914.
He was partly responsible for the so-called Curragh Incident. With the prospect of Irish Home Rule, a fear of civil war and the threat of violence from the Ulster Volunteers, Paget suggested he would ‘lead his Army to the Boyne’ – but was told by the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, Sir John French, not to be ‘a bloody fool’. See here.
He was partly responsible for the so-called Curragh Incident. With the prospect of Irish Home Rule, a fear of civil war and the threat of violence from the Ulster Volunteers, Paget suggested he would ‘lead his Army to the Boyne’ – but was told by the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, Sir John French, not to be ‘a bloody fool’. See here.
A decade earlier, in the 1911 census, the Paget family lived at 35 Belgrave Square in London - coincidentally the address for the home of Lady Rosamund Painswick and the former home of Marmaduke Painswick in ITV’s fictional Downton Abbey!
Captain Reginald Paget and his twin brother, Arthur, had been born in Cannes, France. The house had 23 rooms. Gen. Sir Arthur Paget was away somewhere and only USA-born Lady Paget, aged 55, and her twin boys, then aged 23, were in residence at the time. Four children were specified as still living, two others had died.
There was a considerable number of staff in the house (all English unless otherwise described): a nurse (further described as a ‘sick nurse’), a butler, an Irish maid, a French chef, three housemaids, a kitchenmaid, a scullerymaid, two footmen, and a ‘domestic’.
Captain Reginald Paget and his twin brother, Arthur, had been born in Cannes, France. The house had 23 rooms. Gen. Sir Arthur Paget was away somewhere and only USA-born Lady Paget, aged 55, and her twin boys, then aged 23, were in residence at the time. Four children were specified as still living, two others had died.
There was a considerable number of staff in the house (all English unless otherwise described): a nurse (further described as a ‘sick nurse’), a butler, an Irish maid, a French chef, three housemaids, a kitchenmaid, a scullerymaid, two footmen, and a ‘domestic’.
Forward to 1920 and the marriage of Reginald and Minna. It was in the Parish Church of Kingston Vale, close to the groom’s impressive residence, a fine Victorian mansion, Warren House, Kingston upon Thames (see RH pic), just a short walk from Richmond Park.
The Times for 24 December 1920 stated, ‘The marriage between Captain R. Paget and Mrs. M. Rider took place very quietly at St. John the Baptist Church at Coombe at 12 o'clock on Wednesday’.
Reginald was 32, a bachelor (born 6 March 1888); Minna was 38, a widow, then residing at the Hotel Ritz in Paris.
One of the witnesses was Arthur, Reginald’s twin brother.
The Times for 24 December 1920 stated, ‘The marriage between Captain R. Paget and Mrs. M. Rider took place very quietly at St. John the Baptist Church at Coombe at 12 o'clock on Wednesday’.
Reginald was 32, a bachelor (born 6 March 1888); Minna was 38, a widow, then residing at the Hotel Ritz in Paris.
One of the witnesses was Arthur, Reginald’s twin brother.
And then there was the American connection. The New York Times, 30 January, 1895:
Guardian for Lady Paget’s Children
The Boys are back in Town!
LH pic: The New York Times, 8 February 1914, page 18. The caption printed below the photo read: ‘Arthur and Reginald Paget, twin sons of Sir Arthur and Lady Paget, formerly Miss Mary Fiske Stevens of NY. They have just returned to London after two years of ‘roughing it’ on their mother’s ranch in California. (Photo by Underwood & Underwood)’
See a photo of the twins’ mother at the end of this webpage.
See a photo of the twins’ mother at the end of this webpage.
This next piece is from the Leeds Mercury, 23 August 1913, page 4:
A Unique Present.
On a visit home to their parents, General Sir Arthur and Lady Paget, Arthur and Reginald Paget have brought with them an original gift in the form of moving picture films.
The twins went to California about two years ago. There they acquired immense tracts of land and incorporated a land company, one of the shareholders in which is Mr. Balfour [British Prime Minister 1902-1905 and Foreign Secretary 1916-1919].
Before starting home the idea struck the young Pagets (says London Opinion) that their mother would like to see something that would show their life as ‘gentlemen farmers’ more plainly than it could be described in words. Thereupon they engaged a moving picture outfit to follow them on their daily tasks.
Reginald and Arthur’s mother, Lady Paget, has been described as a sort of international marital agent, introducing eligible American heiresses to British noblemen. (Stuart, Amanda Mackenzie, Consuelo and Alva Vanderbilt: The Story of a Daughter and Mother in the Gilded Age, Harper Perennial, 2005)
So what role might she have played in the courtship of her son Reginald and Minna Rider? And when?
So what role might she have played in the courtship of her son Reginald and Minna Rider? And when?
Might Minna and Reginald’s paths have crossed in New York during the twins’ ‘roughing it’ years?
That might explain a lot - including Minna’s departure for France!
That might explain a lot - including Minna’s departure for France!
It was transformed in 1896 into a mansion by the Biarritz
architect Raymond Larrebat Tudor. In more recent times it was converted into apartments
and its large garden overlooking the beach has long gone. See pics above.
High society there was a-plenty in Biarritz - all the news and gossip featuring back home in the British press. This excerpt is from the society news of The Tatler, 5 April 1922, page 6:
The Letters of Evelyn
This next announcement is either Reginald’s initial appointment as British Consul in Biarritz, or perhaps a renewal. It’s from L’Europe nouvelle: revue hebdomadaire des questions extérieures, économiques et littéraires, 24 March 1923, page 358:
Consulates - The exequatur [an official recognition by a government of a consul, authorising them to exercise office] has been granted to Mr. Reginald Paget, vice consul of Great Britain in Biarritz, ...
As an aside, when Reginald’s father died in Cannes (how this family loved France!) in December 1928, the Ambassades et consulats: revue de la diplomatie internationale, January 1929, carried a full-page photo of the late General wearing his full military regalia with all his many medals. The caption gave details of the twins’ diplomatic employments:
Le Général Sir Arthur PAGET, Grand-Officier de la Légion d’Honneur,
décédé à Cannes. Père du Captain Arthur Paget, Attaché Militaire près de
S. Exc. l’Ambassadeur de Grande-Bretagne à Paris et du Captain R.
Paget, Ancien Consul à Biarritz.
Minna and Reginald enjoyed great press coverage. Here they are, dining with more Counts, Marquises and Barons than you can count, in Figaro, 14 March 1924, page 2:
LA SAISON DE BIARRITZ
A very elegant dinner was given at the villa ‘Toki Ederra’ by Captain and Mrs Reginald Paget in honour of Count de la Viñaza, ambassador to the Quirinal [in Rome] and the Countess de la Viñaza.
Among the guests were Marquis and Marquise de Gouy d’Arsy, Count and Countess Guy de Maillé, Count and Countess Jean d’Arcangues, Baron and Baroness du Bourdieu, Marquis and Marquise de Fuente Hermosa, Marquis and Marquise of Casa Montalvo.
And here’s Minna in the French Vogue, 1 November 1924, page 29:
Mrs. Paget, la femme du Consul d’Angleterre à Biarritz, dans sa volière dont elle s’occupe avec amour. Elle est charmante ainsi, son pékinois tout noir à ses côtés.
Mrs. Paget, the wife of the English Consul at Biarritz, in her aviary, which she lovingly tends. With her black Pekingese by her side, she is really charming.
Mrs. Paget, the wife of the English Consul at Biarritz, in her aviary, which she lovingly tends. With her black Pekingese by her side, she is really charming.
So there was Warren House, and there was Toki Ederra, but there was also the big house in Scotland and more of those essential house parties, some of which made the press.
These photos and editorial comment are from The Sketch, Wednesday 21 September 1927, page 30:
These photos and editorial comment are from The Sketch, Wednesday 21 September 1927, page 30:
A rest during the shoot: Sir William Joynson-Hicks and Mrs. Paget.
Mrs. Paget watching her husband, Captain Reginald Paget, killing adders.
Sir William Joynson-Hicks fishing - for once - in untroubled waters.
Sir William Joynson-Hicks, Home Secretary, has been staying recently at Eskadale House, Inverness-shire, with Captain and Mrs. Reginald Paget. Captain Reginald Paget is the son of the Rt. Hon. Sir Arthur Henry Fitzroy Paget, and used to be British Consul at Biarritz. In 1921 he married Minna Louisa, daughter of G. A. Claussenius, of Chicago.
Eskadale House is particularly fortunate in its situation between Erchless and Eilean Aigas, on the right bank of the Beauly. There is splendid fishing, and there is grouse shooting just above Loch Brulach, and deer forests in the Glen of Affrick.
Photographs by Fox Photos
There was lots of coverage. This in the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News on Saturday 1 October 1927, page 23:
Above: Eskadale House
The Home Secretary’s hostess takes a rod in the River Beauly.
Mrs. Reginald Paget casts for salmon in a famous Inverness-shire stream.
Mrs. Reginald Paget casts for salmon in a famous Inverness-shire stream.
‘Jix’ goes north: the Home Secretary in Scotland.
Sir William Joynson-Hicks [often known as ‘Jix’] has lately been taking refuge from questions of Soviet propaganda, cheaper taxis, Night Club raids, successful appeals from magisterial courts, and other arduous (if intriguing) duties of the Home Office. His temporary headquarters have been at Beauly, in Inverness-shire, where he has been the guest of Captain Reginald Paget, son of General Sir Arthur Paget.
A pic of the house party hosts and guests is featured in The Bystander, Wednesday 05 October 1927, page 5:
A Scottish house party
Some of the members of Captain and Mrs. Reginald Paget’s house party at Beauly, Inverness-shire, photographed on a walk through the woods. The photograph shows Captain Arthur Paget (left), the Rt. Hon. Sir William Joynson-Hicks, Mrs. Paget, Dr. Porter, Miss Marriott and Captain Reginald Paget.
And so life went on, with apparently no ripples from the great Wall Street Crash of 1929. There seemed to be lots more golf - and not just in Biarritz.
The Tatler caught up with the Reginald Pagets for the edition of Wednesday 18 June 1930, page 15. The caption for the pic on the left simply states:
‘Captain and Mrs Reginald Paget on the Gleneagles Hotel Links’.
The Tatler caught up with the Reginald Pagets for the edition of Wednesday 18 June 1930, page 15. The caption for the pic on the left simply states:
‘Captain and Mrs Reginald Paget on the Gleneagles Hotel Links’.
But actually life didn’t go on for Reginald - and perhaps he looks somewhat seedy in that pic. The next press mention is in The Times, 20 June 1931:
Deaths
‘Paget. - On June 11, 1931, at a clinic, Bayonne, [Departement des Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Aquitaine, France,] following an operation, Reginald Scudamore George Paget, late Captain, Irish Guards, of Toki-Ederra, Biarritz, beloved husband of Minna Louise Paget. Funeral Putney Vale Cemetery, Thursday next, June 25. Flowers to Warren House, Kingston-hill.’
The Times, 26 June 1931 Funerals
The Rev. H.M. Scott officiated, and the chief mourners were:
Captain and Mrs. Arthur Paget (brother and sister-in-law), Sir Ralph and Lady Paget (brother-in-law and sister), Miss Amy Paget, Major George Paget, Lord Queenborough, the Hon. Gerald Chichester, the Dowager Countess of Plymouth, Lady Phyllis Benton, and Sir William and Lady Davison.’
Captain R.S.G. Paget
‘The funeral took place yesterday at the Church of St. John the Baptist, Kingston Vale, of Captain Reginald S.G. Paget. The Rev. H.M. Scott officiated, and the chief mourners were:
Captain and Mrs. Arthur Paget (brother and sister-in-law), Sir Ralph and Lady Paget (brother-in-law and sister), Miss Amy Paget, Major George Paget, Lord Queenborough, the Hon. Gerald Chichester, the Dowager Countess of Plymouth, Lady Phyllis Benton, and Sir William and Lady Davison.’
Over the next few years there are more glimpses of Minna in Biarritz, interspersed with winter visits to the USA.
On 3 January 1933, she arrived in New York from Cherbourg aboard the Mauretania. See pic below with Olympic.
Her immigration visa had been issued at Paris on 27 Dec 1932 and her last permanent address was given as Biarritz, France. She travelled with a maid, Eugenie Lavie, also from Biarritz.
Biarritz of course was a favourite with the Prince of Wales, but Mrs Wallis Simpson wouldn’t be on the scene until late 1934. Divorced American socialites were very much in fashion, though Mrs Simpson was 14 years younger than Minna.
This next is from a photo-montage (hence the greyed-out corners) in The Bystander, Wednesday 30 August 1933, page 5:
On 3 January 1933, she arrived in New York from Cherbourg aboard the Mauretania. See pic below with Olympic.
Her immigration visa had been issued at Paris on 27 Dec 1932 and her last permanent address was given as Biarritz, France. She travelled with a maid, Eugenie Lavie, also from Biarritz.
Biarritz of course was a favourite with the Prince of Wales, but Mrs Wallis Simpson wouldn’t be on the scene until late 1934. Divorced American socialites were very much in fashion, though Mrs Simpson was 14 years younger than Minna.
This next is from a photo-montage (hence the greyed-out corners) in The Bystander, Wednesday 30 August 1933, page 5:
Brig.-General Trotter, Equerry to the Prince of Wales, and Mrs. Reginald Paget, two more guests of the Marquesa de Portago, who were entertained, and entertained themselves, with backgammon and bridge.
So Minna continues to keep interesting company. Was she part of the Prince’s circle of friends in Biarritz?
On 23 December 1933 she arrived in New York from Cherbourg aboard the Olympic.
As before, her immigration visa had been issued at Paris on 27 Dec 1932 and her last permanent address was given as Biarritz, France.
As before, her immigration visa had been issued at Paris on 27 Dec 1932 and her last permanent address was given as Biarritz, France.
Another glimpse of life in Biarritz is thanks to The Sketch, Wednesday 12 September 1934, page 15:
... Cool, clean, and cheerful, it invites you to eat, drink, and make merry. The Prince [of Wales] gave an almost all-American farewell supper.
Exceptions were his Equerry, Major Jack Aird of the willowy figure, who plays golf in a dilapidated linen hat of great distinction; and Colonel Charles Gerard, who has an attractive Canadian wife, a self-made garden in Sussex said to be worth going miles to admire, and a lot of good-looking suits.
Those dancing included Miss Rosemary O’Malley-Keyes, sunny in blue; the Marquesa di Portago and her solitaire diamond; Mr. Reginald Wright (the new Master of the Fernie), who recently gave a mediaeval dinner-party with chamber music, tapestry hangings, and boars’ heads; Mme. Paul Dubonnet, as always, with her husband; Mrs. Reginald Paget (the fortunate owner of a villa full of French antique furniture, unmistakably authentic); and Miss Jean Combe, who’s staying with her. ‘The Combe’ is a reliable character. If she says she’ll do a thing, from putting through a telephone call to buying you a yard of ribbon, she does it. Her unusually-set brown eyes are a family characteristic shared with brother Peter, sister Mrs. Frank Curzon, and cousin Lady Castlereagh.
Exceptions were his Equerry, Major Jack Aird of the willowy figure, who plays golf in a dilapidated linen hat of great distinction; and Colonel Charles Gerard, who has an attractive Canadian wife, a self-made garden in Sussex said to be worth going miles to admire, and a lot of good-looking suits.
Those dancing included Miss Rosemary O’Malley-Keyes, sunny in blue; the Marquesa di Portago and her solitaire diamond; Mr. Reginald Wright (the new Master of the Fernie), who recently gave a mediaeval dinner-party with chamber music, tapestry hangings, and boars’ heads; Mme. Paul Dubonnet, as always, with her husband; Mrs. Reginald Paget (the fortunate owner of a villa full of French antique furniture, unmistakably authentic); and Miss Jean Combe, who’s staying with her. ‘The Combe’ is a reliable character. If she says she’ll do a thing, from putting through a telephone call to buying you a yard of ribbon, she does it. Her unusually-set brown eyes are a family characteristic shared with brother Peter, sister Mrs. Frank Curzon, and cousin Lady Castlereagh.
Sitting out for drinks at the Chambre d’Amour are MISS
JEAN COMBE and her hostess, MRS. PAGET, whose villa is a Biarritz
beauty-spot. Mrs. Paget is American by birth and English by marriage.
The partying and dinners continued. And with ever more Counts, Countesses, Barons and Baronesses. This from the Ambassades et consulats: revue de la diplomatie internationale, October 1934, page 22:
Mrs. Dean Bushby, après un long séjour sur la côte basque, est repartie pour Paris, mais avant son départ elle a donné une très belle réception.
Y assistaient: le maire de Biarritz et Mme Hirigoyen, comte et comtesse de Montesquiou-Fezensac, comte et comtesse de Zogheb, baron et baronne de Meyendorf, baron et baronne de Gunsbourg, colonel et Mrs. Godfray, M. et Mme Fernandez Alzabal, M. et Mme Beaumont, M. et Mme Bienaimé, Mme de Cartassac, Mrs. Reginald Paget, Mrs. Foster, Mrs. T. Bentley Mott, Mrs. Fiske Fay, Mmes de Landa, Gubbay, le célèbre peintre Beltran y Massés, le marquis d’Abartiague, M. George Bathborne, etc.
Y assistaient: le maire de Biarritz et Mme Hirigoyen, comte et comtesse de Montesquiou-Fezensac, comte et comtesse de Zogheb, baron et baronne de Meyendorf, baron et baronne de Gunsbourg, colonel et Mrs. Godfray, M. et Mme Fernandez Alzabal, M. et Mme Beaumont, M. et Mme Bienaimé, Mme de Cartassac, Mrs. Reginald Paget, Mrs. Foster, Mrs. T. Bentley Mott, Mrs. Fiske Fay, Mmes de Landa, Gubbay, le célèbre peintre Beltran y Massés, le marquis d’Abartiague, M. George Bathborne, etc.
The following month Minna was bound for New York on board the luxurious Italian liner, Conte Di Savoia, departing from Villefranche.
Her immigration visa had been issued at Biarritz and that too was given as her last permanent address. Along with a maid, Alice Duplant, she arrived in New York on 21 November 1934.
Her immigration visa had been issued at Biarritz and that too was given as her last permanent address. Along with a maid, Alice Duplant, she arrived in New York on 21 November 1934.
LH pic: the Conte Di Savoia, courtesy of Reuben Goossens. See here.
Illness was catching up with Minna and she probably stayed longer than usual in New York. Here she is in The Tatler, Wednesday, 6 March 1935, page 3:
HOW NOW IN NEW YORK CITY
American hospitality is world-famous, and with the definite diminishing of depression, visitors to New York City are once again being given a wonderful time. … photographed at the Peacock Ball, held recently at the Waldorf-Astoria.
At ‘The House’ before the war, and a prominent member of the Bullingdon, Prince Serge Obolensky has lately been living in New York. Lord Duncannon is the elder son of the Governor-General of Canada, and Miss Grace, a popular New York debutante, belongs to the well-known American shipping family.
Mrs. Reginald Paget is spending the season in her native city before going down to Palm Beach. She is the widow of Captain Arthur Paget’s twin brother, and has a wonderful villa at Biarritz, where she entertains lavishly.
Her health was declining. Did Minna return to Biarritz from New York or only travel to London?
The next sighting is another trans-Atlantic journey, from Southampton to New York, arriving on 8 November 1935.
The next sighting is another trans-Atlantic journey, from Southampton to New York, arriving on 8 November 1935.
Minna had left Southampton on 3 November, travelling first class of course, this time aboard the Norddeutsche Lloyd’s ship MS Europa.
Minna’s immigration visa had been issued at Biarritz the previous year (12 Nov 1934) and her last permanent address was given as Warren House, London.
Her maid, Eugenie Lavie, was also travelling with her - so too was Marina Stael v. Holstein, a Russian-born nurse.
Both Eugenie and Marina had immigration visas issued in London, 11 Jan (maid) and 11 Feb (nurse).
LH pic: the MS Europa. See here.
Minna’s immigration visa had been issued at Biarritz the previous year (12 Nov 1934) and her last permanent address was given as Warren House, London.
Her maid, Eugenie Lavie, was also travelling with her - so too was Marina Stael v. Holstein, a Russian-born nurse.
Both Eugenie and Marina had immigration visas issued in London, 11 Jan (maid) and 11 Feb (nurse).
LH pic: the MS Europa. See here.
Minna died on 1 November 1936 in Rydal, Montgomery, Pennsylvania, apparently having gone to stay there with her elder sister Lillian, Mrs Harry W Butterworth.
The cause of death was cancer of the oesophagus which, according to the death certificate, she’d had for two years.
She’d been in Rydal for six months (the certificate is ambiguously filled in: it could be 6 days, but the doctor had seen her for 9 days from 23 to 31 October). Cremation took place on 2 November.
The cause of death was cancer of the oesophagus which, according to the death certificate, she’d had for two years.
She’d been in Rydal for six months (the certificate is ambiguously filled in: it could be 6 days, but the doctor had seen her for 9 days from 23 to 31 October). Cremation took place on 2 November.
The Times, November 3, 1936
Death
Paget. - On Nov. 1, 1936, at Vale Vue, Rydal, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., after a long illness, Minna Louise Paget, lately of Toki-Ederra, Biarritz, widow of Captain Reginald Paget. A service will be held at St. John the Baptist Church, Kingston Vale, on a date to be notified later. (Biarritz papers, please copy.)
Her ashes were buried at the Putney Vale Cemetery and Crematorium, Wimbledon, London (Memorial ID 74550435), just as her husband’s had been in 1931 (Memorial ID 74548658).
The Times, November 14, 1936
Funeral
Paget. - The funeral service for Mrs. Minna Louise Paget will be held at St. John the Baptist Church, Kingston Vale, on Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 12.30 p.m. Interment afterwards at Putney Vale Cemetery. Flowers to be sent to Warren House, Kingston Hill, Surrey.
National Probate Calendar, 1937
PAGET Minna Louise of Vale Vue Cloverly-lane Rydal Pennsylvania USA widow died 1 November 1936
Probate London 14 July to Guaranty Executor and Trustee Company Limited.
Effects £162893 18s. 10d. Resworn £38235 16s. 10d. Resworn £38280 1s. 7d.
Probate London 14 July to Guaranty Executor and Trustee Company Limited.
Effects £162893 18s. 10d. Resworn £38235 16s. 10d. Resworn £38280 1s. 7d.
The End (definitely, but not quite!)
Postscript: This photo (RH pic) of Reginald Paget’s mother, Lady Paget, née Mary Minnie Stevens, is from the Jordan Times, 28 October 2008.
It was taken by the London photographic firm of Lafayette, one of many photos of guests at the Duchess of Devonshire’s ball at Devonshire House in 1897, celebrating Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. More than 700 invitations were issued.
The accompanying article in the Jordan Times by Ica Wahbeh quotes from the accompanying Victoria and Albert Museum exhibition captions.
It was taken by the London photographic firm of Lafayette, one of many photos of guests at the Duchess of Devonshire’s ball at Devonshire House in 1897, celebrating Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. More than 700 invitations were issued.
The accompanying article in the Jordan Times by Ica Wahbeh quotes from the accompanying Victoria and Albert Museum exhibition captions.
‘Mrs Arthur Paget, later Lady Paget, dressed at the ball as Cleopatra, was left by her wealthy hotelier father Paran Stevens “the fantastic sum of ten million dollars”, which enabled her to do charitable work.
‘For the ball, she “commissioned one of the most spectacular and certainly the most expensive costumes from Worth of Paris at a reputed cost of over $6,000.
‘“The train is of black crêpe de chine, embroidered with gold scarabs. The bodice, encrusted with gold and diamonds, is held up on the shoulders with straps of large emeralds and diamonds. The square headdress is made of cloth of gold with striped black and gold sphinx-like side pieces studded with diamonds, and incrusted with diamonds”.’
‘For the ball, she “commissioned one of the most spectacular and certainly the most expensive costumes from Worth of Paris at a reputed cost of over $6,000.
‘“The train is of black crêpe de chine, embroidered with gold scarabs. The bodice, encrusted with gold and diamonds, is held up on the shoulders with straps of large emeralds and diamonds. The square headdress is made of cloth of gold with striped black and gold sphinx-like side pieces studded with diamonds, and incrusted with diamonds”.’
