Courtauld family tree
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This is a fascinating historical fiction story about the life of Virginia Courtauld, particularly her time in Rhodesia in the 1950s with her second husband, Stephen. Ginie, as Virginia was more often referred to, was also known as the Dragon Lady because of the tattoo on her ankle and leg, actually a snake and not a dragon at all.
Life in London doesn't quite work out for Ginie. After failing to be accepted in to society, being a divorcee and having an exotic heritage, she and Stephen cannot seem to find a place to settle. They eventually move to Rhodesia, Africa, to new house called 'La Rochelle'. Surrounded by comfort and beautiful gardens and wildlife, Ginie and Stephen think they have escaped the worries of war and political upheaval in Europe and found a home where they can be happy. However, they soon find that things are really no better in Rhodesia with its segregation and oppression and unrest in the townships.
They try to settle in and do the right thing by the African people, using their wealth to improve the standard of living, education and even cu
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They got married in 1923 in Italy. Despite – or perhaps because of – their contrasting personalities, their union was a happy one. They moved to Grosvenor Square in London, where they embraced the lifestyle of the very rich and toured the world in their yacht, the Virginia.
In the 1930s they acquired the lease on Eltham Palace, a medieval royal residence. They renovated the Great Hall and added an art deco extension, the epitome of decadence and modern design.
They became renowned for their flamboyant entertaining. Among their notable guests at Eltham were Queen Mary and the late Queen Mother, then Duchess of York. One imagines English society being shocked by Virginia, a tattooed, divorced foreigner accustomed to speaking her mind, though Stephen’s wealth and philanthropy probably partly compensated for her eccentricities. She kept a pet lemur called Mah-Jongg, who was notorious for scampering under the dining room table and nipping guests he disliked.
La Rochelle©La Rochelle Country House
During the Second World War, Eltham lay on a German bomb path and after it received s
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Stephen Courtauld
British businessman (1883–1967)
Sir Stephen Lewis CourtauldMC FRGS (27 February 1883 – 9 October 1967) was an English philanthropist associated with geographical exploration, the restoration of Eltham Palace in south-east London, and cultural and education causes, both in the UK and in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), where he and his wife Virginia also donated to organisations promoting racial equality.
Family, education and military service
Courtauld was a member of the wealthy English Courtauld textile family. He was born in Bocking, Essex,[1] the son of Sydney Courtauld (10 March 1840 – 20 October 1899) and Sarah Lucy Sharpe (1844–1906) and youngest brother of Samuel Courtauld, founder of the Courtauld Institute of Art. He was educated at Rugby and King's College, Cambridge. He did not enter the family business but his wealthy background enabled him to travel extensively and to pursue cultural and philanthropic interests.
Serving in the Artists' Rifles, Worcestershire Regiment and the Machine Gun Corps during World War
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