Evening star., 1945-07-29
Margot Asquith, 81,
Widow Of World War
Prime Minister, Dies
Fy the Associated Press.

Fy the Associated Press.
LONDON, July 28-Margot As
quith, Countess of oxford and As
quith, died at her London home to-
day. She was 81.
In spite of her advanced age, the
countess remained in London
throughout the war. When her home
in Bedford Square was bombed in
1943 she moved to No IA Kensington
Square, where she died.
Funeral services will be held Tues
day at All Saints Church, Sutton
Courtenay, Berkshire, burial place of
her husband.
Margot Asquith was a British in
stitution, force in politics and a
caustic critic of the great and near
great of the Victorian, Edwardian
and Georgian eras.
She knew every prime minister of
Great Britain from Gladstone to
Attlee. She knew many continental
celebrities of prewar years, especial
ly German.
In her younger days she was in
demand for royal parties and So
ciety hostesses gagged the success
of their affairs on the their ability
to attract Margot Tenant as a
guest.
Aristocratic owners of stables gave
hunting in 1906 she was one of the
best horsewomen in England.
Born in Scotland.
Born near the Scottish border in
1864, Lady oxford was the sixth
daughter and the ninth of II chill
dren in the family of Sir Charles
Tenant. a chemical manufacturer
and businessman. She was bap-
tized Alice Emma Margaret, but
from childhood was "Margot."
She was educated privately, the
effort to finish" her studies at a
small school in London ending with
abruptness when the irrepressible
Margot quit the prim Victorian
establishment
The night Margot Tenant met
the man who was to be her hus-
band. they sat talking on the ter
race of the House of Parliament un-
til dawn tinted the Thames. Mr.
ASquith was already married and
when she found it out later. Mar
got asked him to bring his wife to
see her. They met often.
Then Mrs. Asquith died. and Mar
got Tenant became the STEP
mother of four children. the young
est only 2 years old. That was in
1894 The new Mrs. Asquith bore
five children, but three of them died
at birth. Her daughter Elizabeth
married the Rumanian Prince
Bibesco. Her son Anthony. known
as "Puf1n," entered the movie in
dustry.
Gracious Hostess.
In 1908 Asquith became Prime
Minister and Mrs ASQuith the host
ess of No. 10 Downing street. In
her eight years there she was re-
garded as one of the most gracious
and successful women who ever held
that difficult politico-social position
Mr. Asquith never was wealthy
and the state of the family income
after the war may have led his wife
to publish in 1922 a candid auto
biography that caused gaSps even
from those keenly conscious of her
audacity. 1t aroused discussions on
both sides Of the Atlantic and led
Margot Asquith to undertake lee
ture tour of America.
The venture was not an unquali-
fed success, for she made cutting
comments upon the brand OF civil
ization she found in the United
States.
After the death of her husband in
1928 she wrote steadily. Mr.. As
quith's estate totaled s45.800 and he
said in his will that the bequest of
81 900 to her was made in view of
an annuity which she received from
her father. Her burden was eased
when she received $4,000 for her
novel "Octavia," which appeared
late in 1923. But in 1888 she had
to give up her country home because
she could not keep both that and
her town house going.
Friend Of Celebrities.
The years Immediately after Mar
got Asquith's introduction into Lon
don society were golden for her
She was a gay and lively member
of one of those little groups of
intelligent people that have brain
parties" sitting around in drawing
rooms and scintillating over the tea
cups
Her group became known as "The
Souls Among its members were
Lord Curzon, Lord Balfour. Lord
Grey, Alfred Lyttleton, Godfrey
Webb, George Wyndham and the
Earl of Pembroke. Lord Morley
too was a friend of hers and they
corresponded until his death. There
was similar relationship with
Howett, master of Balliol, oxford.
Margot had the audacity to write
Queen Victoria a note with pencil
from sick bed, and the social
courage to excuse herself from din
ner parties when royalty had re-
quested her to stay.
She knew many of the poets well
Meredith and John Addingtor
Symonds and Alfred Austin, who
was poet laureate. Her friends in
the theatrical world included the
Trees and Ellen Terry and Henry
Irving.
, In the years after the death of her
husband, Lady Oxford had many
controversies over her writings, and
crossed swords in the press with
Lloyd George and other celebrities
OF Mr.. Churchill, Lady Oxford
said in an interview in 1941, pub
lished in The Star, winston
Churchill is the best war lord Eng
land has even SEEN" She also urged
the avoidance of revengeful peace
such as followed the World War.
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