This biography is republished from The Dictionary of Irish Biography and was written by Bridget Hourican. Shared by permission in line with Creative Commons ‘Attribution’ (CC BY) licencing.
Born: 1856, United Kingdom
Died: 16 March 1919
Country most active: Ireland
Also known as: Theresa Chetwynd
Charles Stewart, marquess of Londonderry, married Lady Theresa Chetwynd Talbot (1856–1919), eldest daughter of the 19th earl of Shrewsbury. Theirs was a dynastic rather than a love match and Londonderry suffered through his wife’s infidelities; but they were politically attuned and, in later years at least, relations were affectionate. Beautiful and dynamic, Lady Londonderry was more forceful than her husband, and her political talents were more impressive. She used her influence to effect and was the model of a great political hostess, befriending Edward Carson and Walter Long, with whom she held important correspondences, and arranging the social calendar for Andrew Bonar Law after the death of his wife in 1908. As one of the founders and its first president, she left a lasting legacy in the creation of the Ulster Women’s Unionist Council. She died 16 March 1919 at home, 5 Carlton Terrace, London. Her papers and those of her husband are held in PRONI and Durham County Record Office.