Emma Alice Margaret Asquith, Countess of Oxford and Asquith (' Tennant; 2 February 1864 – 28 July 1945), known as Margot Asquith, was a British socialite and author. She was married to
British Prime Minister
The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet, and selects its ministers. Modern pri ...
H. H. Asquith
Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith (12 September 1852 – 15 February 1928) was a British statesman and Liberal Party (UK), Liberal politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916. He was the last ...
from 1894 to his death in 1928. Known for her wit, in late
Victorian society
The Victorian Society is a UK charity and amenity society that campaigns to preserve and promote interest in Victorian and Edwardian architecture and heritage built between 1837 and 1914 in England and Wales. As a statutory consultee, by l ...
she was a member of the famed aristocratic group of intellectuals called "
The Souls". An opponent of
women's suffrage
Women's suffrage is the women's rights, right of women to Suffrage, vote in elections. Several instances occurred in recent centuries where women were selectively given, then stripped of, the right to vote. In Sweden, conditional women's suffra ...
, whose autobiography was lampooned, Lady Oxford and Asquith was a controversial yet colourful character in her time.
Early life
Emma Alice Margaret Tennant was born in 1864 at
The Glen, the family's
country estate in
Peeblesshire
Peeblesshire (), the County of Peebles or Tweeddale is a Counties of Scotland, historic county of Scotland. Its county town is Peebles, and it borders Midlothian to the north, Selkirkshire to the east, Dumfriesshire to the south, and Lanarkshire ...
, the 12th and youngest child of
Sir Charles Tennant, 1st Baronet
Sir Charles Clow Tennant, 1st Baronet, (4 November 1823 – 4 June 1906) was a Scottish businessman, industrialist and Liberal Party (UK), Liberal politician.
Early life
Tennant was the son of John Tennant (1796–1878) and Robina (née Arrol ...
, an industrialist and politician, and Emma Winsloe. She never knew one of her five sisters and three of her six brothers, who died young. She was of Scottish and English descent and was a great-great-granddaughter of
John Walter, founder of ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
''.
Known always as Margot, Tennant was brought up at The Glen; Asquith and her sister
Laura grew up wild and uninhibited. Asquith was a "venturesome child", for example roaming the
moors
The term Moor is an Endonym and exonym, exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslims, Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages.
Moors are not a s ...
, climbing to the top of the roof by moonlight, riding her horse up the front steps of the
estate house.
Riding and golf were her lifelong passions.
The two girls were inseparable,
entering society together in London in 1881. She and Laura became the central female figures of an
aristocratic
Aristocracy (; ) is a form of government that places power in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats.
Across Europe, the aristocracy exercised immense economic, political, and social influence. In Western Christian co ...
group of intellectuals called "
The Souls" ("You are always talking about your souls," complained
Lord Charles Beresford
Admiral (Royal Navy), Admiral Charles William de la Poer Beresford, 1st Baron Beresford, (10 February 1846 – 6 September 1919), styled Lord Charles Beresford between 1859 and 1916, was a British admiral and Member of Parliament.
Beresford w ...
, thereby providing them with a suitable label). Laura married
Alfred Lyttelton
Alfred Lyttelton KC (7 February 1857 – 5 July 1913) was a British politician and sportsman from the Lyttelton family who excelled at both football and cricket. During his time at university he participated in Varsity Matches in five sport ...
in 1885 and died in 1888, and Asquith's life was strongly impacted by these events.
Mrs Asquith

On 10 May 1894, Asquith married
H. H. Asquith
Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith (12 September 1852 – 15 February 1928) was a British statesman and Liberal Party (UK), Liberal politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916. He was the last ...
and became a "spur to his ambition". She brought him into the glittering social world, which he had in no way experienced with his first wife, who Asquith had known and always spoke of warmly. Asquith also became an unenthusiastic stepmother to five children, who were bemused by Asquith, so different from their quiet mother.
Violet Asquith wrote: "She flashed into our lives like some dazzling
bird of paradise, filling us with amazement, amusement, excitement, sometimes with a vague uneasiness as to what she might do next." In 1908, when Asquith became prime minister, Violet was the only child of his first wife still at home, and the two shared a deep interest in politics. In contrast, relations between stepmother and stepdaughter were frequently strained, prompting H. H. Asquith to write lamentingly of how the two were "on terms of chronic misunderstanding".
Asquith bore five children of her own, two of them surviving infancy.
Elizabeth Asquith, born in 1897, later married Prince
Antoine Bibesco
Prince Antoine Bibesco (; July 19, 1878 – September 2, 1951) was a Romanian aristocrat, lawyer, diplomat, and writer.
Biography
He was born as the son of Prince Alexandre Bibesco, the last surviving son of the ''Duke'' of Wallachia and ...
of
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
in 1919 and became a writer of some note.
Anthony Asquith
Anthony Asquith (; 9 November 1902 – 20 February 1968) was an English film director. He collaborated successfully with playwright Terence Rattigan on ''The Winslow Boy'' (1948) and '' The Browning Version'' (1951), among other adaptations ...
, born in 1902, became a leading English film director.
Until they moved to the prime minister's residence at
10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street in London is the official residence and office of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, prime minister of the United Kingdom. Colloquially known as Number 10, the building is located in Downing Street, off Whitehall in th ...
in 1908, the Asquith home was a huge house in
Cavendish Square
Cavendish Square is a public square, public garden square in Marylebone in the West End of London. It has a double-helix underground commercial car park. Its northern road forms ends of four streets: of Wigmore Street that runs to Portman Square ...
in London, with a staff of 14 servants. The residence of most importance in the life of the Asquiths was
The Wharf in
Sutton Courtenay, Oxfordshire, built in 1912. It became their weekend home away from home, and it was there that literary, artistic and political luminaries would gather.
Views on Suffrage and Politics
Her husband was in office as British Prime Minister from April 1908 to December 1916.
Asquith was a staunch opponent of
women's suffrage
Women's suffrage is the women's rights, right of women to Suffrage, vote in elections. Several instances occurred in recent centuries where women were selectively given, then stripped of, the right to vote. In Sweden, conditional women's suffra ...
, once saying in a letter that "women have no reason, very little humour, hardly any sense of honour... and no sense of proportion".
In 1909, on holiday in
Clovelly Court, Devon, the Asquiths were followed by suffragettes
Elsie Howey,
Jessie Kenney
Jessica "Jessie" Kenney (1887–1985) was an English suffragette who was jailed for assaulting the Prime Minister and Home Secretary in a protest to gain suffrage for women in the UK. Details of a bombing campaign to support their cause were di ...
and
Vera Wentworth, whom Asquith recognised again at church. They also hid in her garden, covering plants with the colours of the movement: purple, white and green.
With other politicians' wives, she attended the debate on the aborted
Conciliation Bill and, in 1911, she "seemed highly amused at the earnestness" of women's suffrage lobbyists, whilst near to
Constance Lytton
Lady Constance Georgina Bulwer-Lytton (12 February 1869 – 22 May 1923), usually known as Constance Lytton, was an influential British suffragette activist, writer, speaker and campaigner for prison reform, votes for women, and birth control. S ...
and
Annie Kenney
Ann "Annie" Kenney (13 September 1879 – 9 July 1953) was an English working-class suffragette and socialist feminist who became a leading figure in the Women's Social and Political Union. She co-founded its first branch in London with Minnie ...
, who remembered her as unpleasant and sarcastic.
In 1912, an article in the newspaper
''Votes for Women'' told of Asquith's "stealth" journey when travelling with her husband as Prime Minister, via Wolverhampton and the Holyhead ferry, to Dublin, where the ferry was met by a yacht of
Irish Women's Franchise League
The Irish Women's Franchise League was an organisation for women's suffrage which was set up in Dublin in November 1908. Its founder members included Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington, Margaret Cousins, Francis Sheehy-Skeffington and James H. Cousins. Tho ...
demanding the female vote be included in the
Irish Home Rule Bill
The Home Rule movement was a movement that campaigned for Devolution, self-government (or "home rule") for Ireland within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It was the dominant political movement of Irish nationalism from 1870 to ...
.
During
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, Asquith's outspokenness led to a public outcry. For example, she visited a German
prisoner of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...
camp, and she accused her
shell-shocked stepson,
Herbert, of being drunk. The negative public and media response may well have contributed to the political downfall of her husband.
In 1918, she was publicly attacked in court by
Noel Pemberton Billing
Noel Pemberton Billing (31 January 1881 – 11 November 1948), sometimes known as Noel Pemberton-Billing, was a British aviator, inventor, publisher and Member of Parliament for Hertford. He founded the firm that became Supermarine and promoted ...
, a right-wing MP, who was convinced that the nation's war effort was being undermined by homosexuality in high society. He hinted that she was associated with the conspirators.
Billing also published a poem, written by
Lord Alfred Douglas
Lord Alfred Bruce Douglas (22 October 1870 – 20 March 1945), also known as Bosie Douglas, was an English poet and journalist, and a lover of Oscar Wilde. At Oxford University he edited an undergraduate journal, ''The Spirit Lamp'', that carr ...
, which referred to "merry Margot, bound With Lesbian fillets".
After the war
In 1920, the mansion in Cavendish Square was sold and the Asquiths moved to 44
Bedford Square
Bedford Square is a garden square in the Bloomsbury district of the London Borough of Camden, Borough of Camden in London, England.
History
Built between 1775 and 1783 as an upper middle class residential area, the square has had many disti ...
, a beautiful house formerly occupied by
salonière Ottoline Morrell. She became Countess of Oxford and Asquith in 1925 when her husband was granted a peerage.
Writings
Asquith published her autobiography in 1920. Her writing style was not always critically accepted—the most famous review of Asquith's work came from New York wit
Dorothy Parker
Dorothy Parker (née Rothschild; August 22, 1893 – June 7, 1967) was an American poet and writer of fiction, plays and screenplays based in New York; she was known for her caustic wisecracks, and eye for 20th-century urban foibles.
Parker ros ...
, who wrote, "The affair between Margot Asquith and Margot Asquith will live as one of the prettiest love stories in all literature".
Asquith's autobiography was part of a new trend of revelatory political books written close in time to the events described, including
Lytton Strachey
Giles Lytton Strachey (; 1 March 1880 – 21 January 1932) was an English writer and critic. A founding member of the Bloomsbury Group and author of ''Eminent Victorians'', he established a new form of biography in which psychology, psychologic ...
’s ''
Eminent Victorians
''Eminent Victorians'' is a book by Lytton Strachey (one of the older members of the Bloomsbury Group), first published in 1918, and consisting of biography, biographies of four leading figures from the Victorian era. Its fame rests on the irreve ...
'' in 1918,
John Maynard Keynes
John Maynard Keynes, 1st Baron Keynes ( ; 5 June 1883 – 21 April 1946), was an English economist and philosopher whose ideas fundamentally changed the theory and practice of macroeconomics and the economic policies of governments. Originall ...
' ''
The Economic Consequences of the Peace'' in 1919 and
Lord Beaverbrook
William Maxwell Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook (25 May 1879 – 9 June 1964), was a Canadian-British newspaper publisher and backstage politician who was an influential figure in British media and politics of the first half of the 20th century ...
’s ''Politicians and the War'' in 1928. In 1921, humorist
Barry Pain published a book called ''Marge Askinforit'', described on the cover as "a rollicking skit on the Margot Asquith memoirs". Pain wrote in his author's note that "There was a quality in that autobiography which seemed to demand parody."
Asquith was known for her outspokenness and acerbic wit. A possibly
apocryphal
Apocrypha () are biblical or related writings not forming part of the accepted canon of scripture, some of which might be of doubtful authorship or authenticity. In Christianity, the word ''apocryphal'' (ἀπόκρυφος) was first applied to ...
but typical story has her meeting the American film actress
Jean Harlow
Jean Harlow (born Harlean Harlow Carpenter; March 3, 1911 – June 7, 1937) was an American actress. Known for her portrayal of "bad girl" characters, she was the leading sex symbol of the early 1930s and one of the defining figures of the ...
and correcting Harlow's mispronunciation of her first name – "No, no; the 't' is silent, as in 'Harlow'."
The story was recorded by the Liberal MP
Robert Bernays in his diary entry for 26 June 1934, but Bernays does not claim to have witnessed the alleged encounter himself.
Publication of her diaries
Asquith's diaries covering 1914–16 were published by
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...
in June 2014 as ''Margot Asquith's Great War Diaries''.
List of Publications
''The Autobiography Of Margot Asquith'' 1920
*''
A Little Journey
''A Little Journey'' is a 1927 American silent comedy film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and featuring Claire Windsor, William Haines and Harry Carey. It is based on a play by Rachel Crothers. No prints are thought to survive of this film. ...
'', 1921
''The Autobiography Of Margot Asquith''. Volume II 1922
''My Impressions of America'' 1922
''Places & Persons'' 1925
*
Lay Sermons', 1927
*
Octavia', 1928
*''More Memories'', 1933
*''More or Less about Myself'', 1934
*"Off the Record", 1943
*''Margot Asquith's Great War Diaries'' (2014)
Later years
In the late 1920s, Asquith and her husband were seriously in debt: she admitted to owing £15,000 () and having pawned her pearls for £2,000 despite, she claimed, having made £18,000 from books and £10,000 from various writings. A whip-round of Liberal sympathisers had to be organised to provide for them.
[Koss 1985, pp282-3]
Her husband left her only £300 () on his death in 1928 as he had to use his life insurance to provide for his children. She was left in near penury and her financial position caused her constant concern. Thereafter she made money by advising on "matters of taste" in interior design and advertising Wix cigarettes, often issued "
IOU
An IOU (Abbreviation, abbreviated from the phrase "I owe you") is usually an informal document acknowledging debt. An IOU differs from a promissory note in that an IOU is not a negotiable instrument and does not specify repayment terms such as th ...
"s which she hoped would never be cashed and, beginning before her husband's death, was given regular gifts of money by
Lord Beaverbrook
William Maxwell Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook (25 May 1879 – 9 June 1964), was a Canadian-British newspaper publisher and backstage politician who was an influential figure in British media and politics of the first half of the 20th century ...
.
After her husband's death, Asquith slowly moved down the residential rungs to rooms at the
Savoy Hotel
The Savoy Hotel is a luxury hotel located in the Strand in the City of Westminster in central London, England. Built by the impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan opera productions, it opened on 6 August 1 ...
. Her final home was in
Thurloe Place
John Thurloe (June 1616 – 21 February 1668) was an English politician who served as secretary to the council of state in Protectorate England and spymaster for Oliver Cromwell and held the position of Postmaster General between 1655 and 1660 ...
,
Kensington
Kensington is an area of London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around west of Central London.
The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensingt ...
. She told
Harold Nicolson
Sir Harold George Nicolson (21 November 1886 – 1 May 1968) was a British politician, writer, broadcaster and gardener. His wife was Vita Sackville-West.
Early life and education
Nicolson was born in Tehran, Persia, the youngest son of dipl ...
that
Neville Chamberlain
Arthur Neville Chamberlain (; 18 March 18699 November 1940) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from ...
was "the greatest Englishman that ever lived" for signing the
Munich Agreement
The Munich Agreement was reached in Munich on 30 September 1938, by Nazi Germany, the United Kingdom, the French Third Republic, French Republic, and the Kingdom of Italy. The agreement provided for the Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–194 ...
.
Her final overwhelming sadness was the separation from her daughter Elizabeth, who had been trapped in
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
since 1940. Asquith schemed for her rescue, but Elizabeth died of
pneumonia
Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...
in April 1945; heartbroken, she outlived her daughter by three months.
Arms
In literature and popular culture
Asquith's autobiographical revelations about her boisterous youth and early suitors were satirised by
Neil Munro in his Erchie MacPherson story, "Reminiscences", first published in the ''
Glasgow Evening News
The ''Glasgow Evening News'' was an important Scottish newspaper in the early 20th century. It was founded as the ''Glasgow Evening Post'' in 1866 and became the ''Evening News'' in 1915.
In 1922, Gomer Berry (later 1st Viscount Kemsley) bought ...
'' on 8 November 1920.
[Munro, Neil, "Reminiscences", in Osborne, Brian D. & Armstrong, Ronald (eds.) (2002), ''Erchie, My Droll Friend'', ]Birlinn Limited
Birlinn Limited is an independent publishing house based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1992 by managing director Hugh Andrew.
Imprints
Birlinn Limited is composed of a number of imprints, including:
*Birlinn, which publishes Sc ...
, Edinburgh, pp. 512 - 514,
References
Bibliography
* Ellenberger, Nancy W. ''Balfour's World: Aristocracy and Political Culture at the Fin de Siècle'' (2015)
excerpt*
*
*
External links
*
*
* Full text of
Margot Asquith, An Autobiography' from
Project Gutenberg
Project Gutenberg (PG) is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, as well as to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks."
It was founded in 1971 by American writer Michael S. Hart and is the oldest digital li ...
*
Bodleian Library catalogue of Margot Asquith's private papers*
ttps://archives.parliament.uk/collections/getrecord/GB61_ASQ Parliamentary Archives, Asquith Papers*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Asquith, Margot
1864 births
1945 deaths
Margot Margot ( , ) is a feminine given name, a French language, French diminutive of Marguerite (given name), Marguerite that has long been used as an independent name. Variant spellings in use include Margo (given name), Margo and Margaux (name), Margaux ...
19th-century Scottish women writers
20th-century Scottish autobiographers
20th-century Scottish diarists
20th-century Scottish women writers
British debutantes
Oxford and Asquith
Daughters of baronets
People from the Scottish Borders
Scottish people of English descent
Scottish socialites
Spouses of prime ministers of the United Kingdom
British women diarists
Tennant family
Wives of knights
British anti-suffragists