Fonds GB 106 7SRE - ISAACS, Lady Stella (1894-1971) marchioness of Reading and Baroness Swanborough

Identity area

Reference code

GB 106 7SRE

Title

ISAACS, Lady Stella (1894-1971) marchioness of Reading and Baroness Swanborough

Date(s)

  • 1977-1990 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

0.5 A box (2 folders and 3 photographs)

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Lady Stella Reading (1894-1971) was born Stella Charnaud in 1894 in Constantinople where her father worked for the British Foreign Service. She was educated in Europe before becoming a secretary. She was posted to India as the secretary of the new Viceroy's wife before becoming part of the Viceroy's secretariat in Delhi. There, she met John Isaacs, the Marquis of Reading whom she would marry after the death of his wife in 1931. He died in 1935, soon after their return to England. Lady Reading became increasingly involved in social work such as the Personal Service League (PSL) and was elected to a number of committees as well as becoming a magistrate. Her work with the PSL meant that it was her that the Home Secretary, Sir Samuel Hoare, approached to set up the Women's Voluntary Service for Air Raid Precautions in 1938. The organisation, which soon became known as the simply the Women's Voluntary Service or WRS, recruited and organised female volunteers before and during the war. After 1945, Lady Reading and the organisation continued their work and it was for this that she was created a Life Peer in Jul 1958, becoming the first woman to take her seat in the House of Lords as Baroness Swanborough. She died on 21 May 1971.

Repository

Archival history

GB 106 7SRE 1977-1990 fonds 0.5 A box (2 folders and 3 photographs) Isaacs , Lady , Stella , 1894-1971 , nee Charnaud , marchioness of Reading and Baroness Swanborough , founder of the Women's Royal Voluntary Service

Smieton , Dame , Mary

Dunbar , Elsa

Lady Stella Reading (1894-1971) was born Stella Charnaud in 1894 in Constantinople where her father worked for the British Foreign Service. She was educated in Europe before becoming a secretary. She was posted to India as the secretary of the new Viceroy's wife before becoming part of the Viceroy's secretariat in Delhi. There, she met John Isaacs, the Marquis of Reading whom she would marry after the death of his wife in 1931. He died in 1935, soon after their return to England. Lady Reading became increasingly involved in social work such as the Personal Service League (PSL) and was elected to a number of committees as well as becoming a magistrate. Her work with the PSL meant that it was her that the Home Secretary, Sir Samuel Hoare, approached to set up the Women's Voluntary Service for Air Raid Precautions in 1938. The organisation, which soon became known as the simply the Women's Voluntary Service or WRS, recruited and organised female volunteers before and during the war. After 1945, Lady Reading and the organisation continued their work and it was for this that she was created a Life Peer in Jul 1958, becoming the first woman to take her seat in the House of Lords as Baroness Swanborough. She died on 21 May 1971.

7SRE/1 was deposited with the Fawcett Library by Dame Mary Smieton, Feb 1977

7SRE/2 was deposited with the Fawcett Library by Mrs Elsa Dunbar in Jan 1990.

The archive consists of two typescript memoirs concerning Lady Reading and 3 photographs.

This collection is available for research. Readers are advised to contact The Women's Library in advance of their first visit.

English

Fawcett Library Catalogue

The Papers of the Women's Royal Voluntary Service are held by the organisation. Her correspondence with Lord Cherwell (1933-43) is held in Oxford University's Nuffield College Library (ref. Cherwell papers) while that with Sir Samuel Hoare is in the Cambridge University Library, Department of Manuscripts and University Archives (ref. Templewood Papers).

Finding aid created by export from CALM v7.2.14 Archives Hub EAD2002. Edited for AIM25 by Sarah Drewery.

In compliance with ISAD (G): General International Standard Archival Description - 2nd Edition (1999); UNESCO Thesaurus, December 2001; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

07/03/2008 Isaacs , Lady , Stella , 1894-1971 , nee Charnaud , founder of the Women's Royal Voluntary Service Women Social work Volunteers Organizations Associations Womens organizations International organizations International politics Nongovernmental organizations Smieton , Dame , Mary Guillan , 1902-2005 , civil servant Sex Sex distribution

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

7SRE/1 was deposited with the Fawcett Library by Dame Mary Smieton, Feb 1977

7SRE/2 was deposited with the Fawcett Library by Mrs Elsa Dunbar in Jan 1990.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

The archive consists of two typescript memoirs concerning Lady Reading and 3 photographs.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

This collection is available for research. Readers are advised to contact The Women's Library in advance of their first visit.

Conditions governing reproduction

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

The Papers of the Women's Royal Voluntary Service are held by the organisation. Her correspondence with Lord Cherwell (1933-43) is held in Oxford University's Nuffield College Library (ref. Cherwell papers) while that with Sir Samuel Hoare is in the Cambridge University Library, Department of Manuscripts and University Archives (ref. Templewood Papers).

Finding aids

Fawcett Library Catalogue

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Women's Library

Rules and/or conventions used

In compliance with ISAD (G): General International Standard Archival Description - 2nd Edition (1999); UNESCO Thesaurus, December 2001; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area