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Lucy Noël Martha (Noël or Noëlle), Countess of Rothes (25 December 1878 – 12 September 1956) was the wife of the 19th Earl of Rothes. A noted philanthropist and social leader, she was a heroine of the ''Titanic'' disaster, famous for taking the tiller of her lifeboat and later helping row the craft to the safety of the rescue ship ''Carpathia''.〔''New York Times'', 20 April 1912.〕 The countess was for many years a popular figure in London society, known for her blonde beauty, bright personality, graceful dancing and the diligence with which she helped organize lavish entertainments patronized by English royalty and members of the nobility.〔''The Bystander'' (London), 27 November 1907, p. 408; ''The Times'', 13 June 1911, p. 12; and 21 November 1912, p. 8.〕 She was long involved in charity work throughout the U.K., most notably assisting the Red Cross with fundraising and as a nurse for the Coulter Hospital in London during World War I.〔''Tatler'' (London), 24 July 1918, p.95.〕 Lady Rothes was also a leading benefactor of the Queen Victoria School and The Chelsea Hospital for Women, known today as Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital.〔(A Matter of Course : The Story of Noelle Rothes, Titanic's "Plucky Little Countess" by Randy Bryan Bigham ); ''The Times'', 6 May 1914, p. 4; and 16 December 1916, p. 11.〕 ==Childhood and married life== Born in her parents' home in Kensington, London, England, U.K., on Christmas Day 1878, "Noël," as she sometimes spelled her forename of choice, was the only child of Thomas and Clementina Dyer-Edwardes. She was brought up at her parents homes, Prinknash Park, Gloucestershire, England, U.K. and Chateau de Retival, Caudebec-en-Caux, Normandy, France.〔''The Sketch'' (London), 20 December 1916, p. 243.〕 Noël Dyer-Edwardes married Norman Leslie, Earl of Rothes (pronounced "Roth-ez") on Primrose Day, 19 April 1900 at St Mary Abbots, Kensington, London, England, U.K.. Although wedding announcements in ''The Sketch'' and other London papers spelled the bride's name "Noëlle," and she periodically adopted this spelling herself, the family today prefers "Noël," as it appears on her birth certificate 〔''The Sketch'' (London), 25 April 1900, p. 8. Other standard biographical sources reflecting the countess' preference for spelling her name "Noëlle" include ''Who's Who'' (1903), v. 55, p. 1192, ''Dod's Peerage'' (1914), p. 962 and ''Debrett's Peerage'' (1980), p. B-891. Also, in the official register of the 1902 Coronation of Edward VII, she is listed as "Noelle Countess of Rothes." (See: John Bodley, ''His Majesty's Gracious Command'' (1903), pp. 363-364). Finally, letters dating to her girlhood, signed "Noelle Dyer Edwardes," are included in the book ''The Diary of a Victorian Squire'' (1983), a collection of the correspondence of Dearman and Emily Birchall.〕 The Countess's husband headed one of the oldest peerages in the United Kingdom, dating to before 1457, and was elected a Representative peer for Scotland, a position he held between 1906 and 1923. The Leslie family earldom was also one of the few which recognized the right of descent through female heirs. The Clan Leslie motto is "Grip Fast." Lord Rothes was a captain in the Fife Royal Garrison Artillery Militia, a lieutenant in the Royal Highland Regiment, known as the Black Watch, and a lieutenant-colonel in the Highland Cyclist Battalion. The Leslies resided in England until 1904 when they took possession of the 10,000-acre family seat in Scotland, Leslie House in Leslie, Fife.〔''The Bystander'' (London), 27 November 1907, p. 408.〕 Although the couple kept homes in England, including a townhouse in Chelsea, London, they lived most of each year at their Scottish estate. The earl and countess shared a wide range of sporting interests, from hunting to cricket, and were active socially, attending royal and other society functions. They were frequently mentioned in the daily press, and Noël Rothes, in particular, was often photographed in the illustrated weeklies in London.〔''Tatler'' (London), 28 September 1910; ''The Bystander'' (London), 28 September 1910, p. 631; ''The Times'', 16 May 1903; 30 July 1908; and 13 June 1910; ''Tatler'' (London), 24 July 1918, p. 95; ''The Sketch'', 28 July 1920, p. 3.〕 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 17 July 1926 and had issue. * The Honourable John Wayland Leslie (1909–1991). He had issue. In 1916 the earl was wounded in action in France during the First World War and recovered at the Coulter Hospital in London. He was promoted to the rank of colonel in 1918. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Noël, Countess of Rothes」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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