Grace Stella (Charnaud) Isaacs GBE (1894 - 1971)

Born 6 Jan 1894 in İstanbul, Ottoman Empire

Ancestors

Wife of Rufus Daniel Isaacs PC GCB GCS — married 6 Aug 1931 in St George, Hanover Sq, Westminster, London, England, United Kingdom

Died 22 May 1971 at age 77 in Westminster, London, England, United Kingdom

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Susan O'Carroll [send private message]

Biography

Grace, known by her middle name as 'Stella', was born in Istabul, Turkish Ottoman Empire in 1894. She was the daughter of Charles Charnaud and his second wife, Milbah Johnson.

She was raised in Moda, Istanbul, in a large family. Her father had been widowed with 4 young children before marrying Stella's mother, and fathering 5 more children. She was educated by private tutors and like most Levantines spoke several languages including English, French, German, Italian and Greek.

The Charnaud family fell on hard times financially, and Stella had to find work. She trained as a secretary in London and when the First World War broke out, she joined the Red Cross as a volunteer nurse. She didn't remain a nurse long as she couldn't stand the sight of blood, so was given other duties. After the war, she worked as solicitor's secretary and in 1925 was invited to join the staff of Lord Rufus Isaacs, the Viceroy of India, who was by then an earl.

Initially, she was private secretary to Lady Reading, Alice Isaacs née Cohen, the wife to the Viceroy of India. Stella later became head of staff to the Viceroy himself. The Viceroy had risen in the ranks of the English peerage, being made a baron in 1913, then a viscount and an earl during the First World War. In 1926 he was made a marquess and Stella became his private secretary on his return to England that year.

Lady Reading had been in poor health for some years and died of cancer in 1930. Lord Rufus sat in the House of Lords and required a hostess for politial functions. Stella stepped into this role and they were married the following year in July 1931. ^[1] She was 37 years old and he was 71. The marriage lasted 4 years, before he died in 1935.

Stella founded the Personal Service League in 1932 (now known as the Royal Voluntary Service) and chaired it. She was very involved in helping alleviate poverty and supporting women to find both voluntary and paid work.

She served on the board of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and supported The University of Sussex. And in 1938 she established the Women's Voluntary Sevice. THe WVS provided support to a wide range of people throughout the Second World War and continued on into peacetime.

She was also active in trying to stimulate and rebuild the economy after the Second World War and she founded Women's Home Industries, a craft initiative, which exported to the United States and Canada. Her husband had been ambassador to the United States and Stella took it upon herself after his death to forge relations between the United Kingdom and the United States. She travelled to the U.S. where she became friends with Eleanor Rooseveld

She was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1941. and then Dame Grand Cross in 1944. She fulfilled a number of other roles in her lifetimes, including chairing an advisory council on Commonwealth immigration and leading a working party on providing support to prisoners upon their release.

In 1958, she was made a Baroness and was known as Baroness Swanborough. As a life peer, became the first woman to sit in the House of Lords, in her own right.

She was awarded honorary doctorates from several universities and she bequeathed her house, Swanborough Manor, as the residence of the vice chancellor of The University of Sussex upon her death.

She passed away in 1971. ^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005 View Image View Image View Record NameStella CharnaudRegistration DateJul 1931Registration QuarterJul-Aug-SepRegistration districtSt. George Hanover SquareInferred CountyLondonSpouseRufus D Isaacs Or ReadingVolume Number1aPage number1306Charnaud, Isaacs Or Reading - 1306 1a[Isaacs]Household Members NameAge Name Stella Charnaud Name Rufus D Isaacs
2. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 View Image View Image View Record NameGrace Stella Lady Reading IsaacsDeath Age77Birth Date6 Jan 1894Registration DateApr 1971Registration QuarterApr-May-JunRegistration districtWestminsterInferred CountyGreater LondonVolume5ePage1964Household Members NameAge Name Grace Stella Lady Reading Isaacs

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stella_Isaacs,_Marchioness_of_Reading