Gladys, Baroness Swaythling

Gladys, Baroness Swaythling OBE DStJ (née Goldsmid; 4 December 1879 8 January 1965), was a prominent member of the British Jewish community, a philanthropist and wife of Louis Montagu, 2nd Baron Swaythling.

Biography Gladys Helen Rachel Goldsmid was born in Belfast to Colonel Albert Edward Williamson Goldsmid and Ida Stewart Hendricks on 4 December 1879. On 9 February 1898 she married Louis Samuel-Montagu and became Baroness Swaythling on 12 January 1911.

She was Officer of Public Instruction at France before her marriage. During the First World War Swaythling volunteered with the Wounded Allied Committee and Belgian refugees. She also worked with the Ladies London Association. Throughout 1921 to 1962 Swaythling was Vice-President the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

After her husband died, Swaythling was involved in the Electrical Association for Women for three decades, as the inaugural President of the Hampshire branch, acting as national treasurer from 19311938 and then as national president 19381957.

She volunteered with refugees during the second world war. André Simon credited her with inspiring the founding of International Wine and Food Society. Swaythling was President of the Southampton Branch of the Alliance Française in Great Britain.

Family Swaythling had four children with her husband. Stuart Albert Samuel Montagu, 3rd Baron Swaythling Ewen Edward Samuel Samuel Montagu Ivor Goldsmid Samuel Montagu, founder of the International Table Tennis Federation, to which his mother donated the Swaythling Cup awarded to the men's world team champion. Joyce Ida Jessie Samuel-Montagu

She died on 8 January 1965 aged 85 in London.

She was a great-aunt of comedian Christopher Guest.

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