Clarissa Madeline Georgiana Felicite Tennant (later Bethell, Tennyson and Beck; 13 July 1896 – 3 September 1960), known as Clare Tennant, was a British socialite, prominent in early 20th century high society in London.
Clare Tennant | |
|---|---|
| Born | Clarissa Madeline Georgiana Felicite Tennant 13 July 1896 |
| Died | 3 September 1960 (aged 64) |
| Burial place | Traquair Kirkyard, Traquair, Scotland |
| Spouses | Adrian Bethell
(m. 1915; div. 1918) |
| Children | 6 |
| Parents |
|
| Relatives |
|
Early life edit
Clare was born on 13 July 1896. She was the only daughter of Edward Tennant, 1st Baron Glenconner, and Pamela Wyndham. Among her brothers was poet Edward, Stephen and David Tennant.[1]
Her paternal grandparents were Emma Winsloe and Sir Charles Tennant, 1st Baronet. Her uncle was Harold Tennant, and her aunt, Margot Tennant was the wife of Prime Minister H. H. Asquith.[2]
In her younger years she was often seen at the Ritz Hotel in London, dining with the likes of Lady Cynthia Asquith, Osbert Sitwell, Gilbert Russell and Maud Nelke.[3] Mary Abbott describes her as a "notorious 'bolter'",[4] while Barbara Cartland in her 1970 autobiography "We Danced All Night" called her "one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen".[5]
Personal life edit
She married three times. Her first marriage was to William Adrian Vincent Bethell, whom she married on 18 August 1915.[6] Before they divorced in 1918, they were the parents of one daughter:[7]
- Diana Hermione Bethell (1916–1967), who married Richard Purcell Blow, and had issue, the author Simon Blow[7]
On 27 March 1918, she remarried to Major Hon. Lionel Tennyson (later the 3rd Baron Tennyson), grandson of poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson and the son of Audrey and Hallam Tennyson, 2nd Baron Tennyson, Governor-General of Australia.[8] Before their divorce in 1928, they were the parents of three sons, including the 4th and 5th Baron Tennyson:[7]
- Harold Christopher Tennyson (1919–1991), the 4th Baron Tennyson who died unmarried[7]
- Mark Aubrey Tennyson (1920–2006), the 5th Baron Tennyson who married Deline Celeste Budler but died without issue[7]
- Lionel Tennyson (1925–1925), who died in infancy[7]
In 1928, she married James Montgomery Beck Jr., son of James M. Beck, a Republican U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania who served as U.S. Solicitor General under Presidents Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge.[9][10] Before their separation in 1936 and divorce in 1939,[11] they became the parents of twins:[12]
- James Montgomery Beck III (1929–2006), who adopted Rev. David Lawson-Beck[13][14]
- Virginia Clare Beck (1929–2008)[15]
She died on 3 September 1960 aged 64 and is buried at the Traquair Kirkyard in Traquair, Scotland.[16]
References edit
- ^ "Hon. Clarissa ('Clare') Tennant (Tennyson, later Beck)". National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
- ^ Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles (1910). Armorial Families: A Directory of Gentlemen of Coat-armour. T.C. & E.C. Jack. pp. 1579–1580. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
- ^ Montgomery-Massingberd & Watkin 1980, p. 74.
- ^ Abbott 2003, p. 51.
- ^ Cartland 1972, p. 140.
- ^ Debrett's Peerage, Baronetage, Knightage, and Companionage. Kelly's Directories. 1916. p. 388. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Morris, Susan (20 April 2020). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage 2019. eBook Partnership. pp. 2129, 4568. ISBN 978-1-9997670-5-1. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
- ^ Dakers & Webb 1993, p. 277.
- ^ TIMES, Special to THE NEW YORK (13 April 1936). "JAMES M. BECK, 74, NEW DEAL FOE, DIES; One of Foremost Authorities on the Constitution Stricken Suddenly in Capital". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
- ^ TIMES, Special to THE NEW YORK (5 May 1936). "WIDOW GETS BECK ESTATE; Value in Excess of $200,000 -- Will Is Probated at Philadelphia". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
- ^ "James M. Beck Gets Divorce". The New York Times. 8 November 1939. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
- ^ "JAMES M. BECK DIES; A SOCIETY FIGURE, 80". The New York Times. 6 December 1972. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
- ^ "Our Present Community". The Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist in Linden, NJ. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
- ^ Jersey, Central. "OBITUARIES, Aug. 15, 2006 – Central Jersey Archives". centraljersey.com/2006/08/15/obituaries-aug-15-2006/. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
- ^ "PARTY WILL HONOR MISS VIRGINIA BECK; Parents Will Give a Reception for Debutante Tomorrow -- Sue Kendall Bows". The New York Times. 25 November 1948. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
- ^ Ancestry.com. Global, Find A Grave Index for Burials at Sea and other Select Burial Locations, 1300s-Current [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
Sources edit
- Abbott, Mary (January 2003). Family Affairs: A History of the Family in 20th Century England. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-0-415-14587-9.
- Cartland, Barbara (1972). We Danced All Night. Pyramid Books. ISBN 0-515-02749-9.
- Dakers, Caroline; Webb, Philip (1993). Clouds: The Biography of a Country House. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-05776-8.
- Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh; Watkin, David (1980). The London Ritz: a social and architectural history. Aurum. ISBN 978-0-906053-01-0.