Evelyn Byng, Viscountess Byng of Vimy ( Marie Evelyn Moreton; 11 January 1870 – 20 June 1949), also known as Lady Byng, was the wife of Lord Byng, the 12th

Governor General of Canada The governor general of Canada (french: gouverneure générale du Canada) is the federal viceregal representative of the . The is head of state of Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, but resides in oldest and most populous realm, ...

(1921–26).

Biography

Born as Marie Evelyn Moreton in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

in 1870, she was the daughter of the Hon. Sir Richard Charles Reynolds-Moreton and Janie Ralli. Her father was comptroller at

Rideau Hall Rideau Hall (officially Government House) is the official residence in Ottawa of both the Canadian monarch and their representative, the governor general of Canada. It stands in Canada's capital on a estate at 1 Sussex Drive, with the main b ...

during the term of

Marquess of Lorne A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman wi ...

. She married, at

St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge, is a Grade II*listed Anglican church of the Anglo-Catholic tradition located at 32a Wilton Place in Knightsbridge, London. History and architecture The church was founded in 1843, the first in London to champion ...

, on 30 April 1902, Colonel the Hon. Julian Byng, youngest son of the 2nd Earl of Strafford. They lived in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

before the outbreak of

WWI World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, and moved to Canada on his appointment as Governor-General in 1921. He was created Baron Byng of Vimy in 1919, for his service during the war, and

Viscount Byng of Vimy A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...

in 1928, after his service in Canada. They had no children. Lady Byng is best known today for donating the

Lady Byng Trophy The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, formerly known as the Lady Byng Trophy, is presented each year to the National Hockey League "player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of ...

to the

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Itali ...

. She and her husband were both keen sports fans, especially of

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...

, and they attended many

Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a membe ...

games. They donated the trophy because Lady Byng appreciated gentlemanly play and good

sportsmanship Sportsmanship is an aspiration or ethos that a sport, or activity will be enjoyed for its own sake. This is with proper consideration for fairness, ethics, respect, and a sense of fellowship with one's competitors. A "sore loser" refers to o ...

and wanted to encourage and reward it. At the end of his term as Governor General, Lord and Lady Byng returned to Thorpe Hall, their home in

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and Grea ...

, England. They continued to travel together, visiting friends in South Africa, Jamaica, California and Canada, until Lord Byng's death in 1935. With the outbreak of war in 1939, the area around her home became vulnerable to enemy attacks, and the Home Secretary,

Sir John Anderson John Anderson, 1st Viscount Waverley, (8 July 1882 – 4 January 1958) was a Scottish civil servant and politician who is best known for his service in the War Cabinet during the Second World War, for which he was nicknamed the "Home Front Pr ...

, urged her to evacuate to Canada for the duration. She remained in Canada from 1940 to the end of the war, visiting western Canada before making her temporary home in Ottawa. While there, she wrote her memoirs, ''Up The Stream of Time''. She also worked at volunteer jobs, including a local thrift shop to raise funds for the Red Cross and The Women's Active Service Club, a haven for non-commissioned women in all three services branches. Lady Byng died on 20 June 1949, aged 79, at Thorpe Hall, in Essex, England.

Legacy

A 2/4 march for bagpipes was composed in her honour.Archie Cairns – Book 1 Pipe Music 'Lady Byng of Vimy' 2/4, March 1995.

References

1870 births 1949 deaths Canadian viceregal consorts People from London Evelyn British viscountesses Wives of knights {{Canada-gov-bio-stub