Muriel Ashley, Lady Mount Temple
British aristocrat
About Muriel Ashley, Lady Mount Temple
Lived 1881 – 1954 (aged 72–73).
Muriel Emily Ashley, Baroness Mount Temple (née Spencer, formerly The Hon. Mrs. Arthur Forbes-Sempill; 1881 – 24 June 1954), also known as Molly Mountemple, was a British aristocrat. She was first married to Arthur Forbes-Sempill, a military officer and younger son of William Forbes-Sempill, 17th Lord Sempill. After their divorce in 1914, she married Wilfrid Ashley, who would later be created Baron Mount Temple in 1932. As the wife of Lord Mount Temple, she was the stepmother of Edwina Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma and Mary Cholmondeley, Baroness Delamere. She was unpopular with her stepchildren, and described as "wicked" and "unkind" by friends of the family. She managed the family's estate Broadlands and two London town houses in Westminster. A bathroom in their second town house, done in the Art Deco style, was called "Lady Mount Temple's Crystal Palace" by the British press.
Biography Lady Mount Temple was born Muriel Emily Spencer, the daughter of Rev. Walter Spencer of Fownhope Court, Herefordshire and Anne Elizabeth Hudson of Bache Hall. Her sister, Margery, was the wife of Hamar Greenwood, 1st Viscount Greenwood. She also had a sister named Olive and two brothers named Robert and Geoffrey.
On 29 August 1914 she married a second time, to Lieutenant-Colonel Wilfrid Ashley, who was a grandson of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury. On 13 January 1932 her husband was elevated to the peerage, becoming Baron Mount Temple. She was not well-liked by the family and friends of her husband.
Lady Mount Temple and her husband commissioned the architect Oliver Hill to design two Westminster town houses, naming them both Gayfere House. Their first house, built at 12 Gayfere Street (1923–26), had a drawing room completely decorated with gold leaf. with mirrored walls and ceilings. The bathroom in their second town house was called "Lady Mount Temple's Crystal Palace" by the press.
She was an accomplished interior decorator.
She was the second president of the Electrical Association for Women, succeeding Nancy Astor and holding the role from 1928 until 1931.
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Important facts
People in Muriel Ashley, Lady Mount Temple's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Muriel Ashley, Lady Mount Temple?
British aristocrat
When was Muriel Ashley, Lady Mount Temple born?
Muriel Ashley, Lady Mount Temple was born in 1881.
When did Muriel Ashley, Lady Mount Temple die?
Muriel Ashley, Lady Mount Temple died on 24 June 1954.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Muriel Ashley, Lady Mount Temple
· DBpedia: Muriel Ashley, Baroness Mount Temple
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Muriel Ashley, Lady Mount Temple. https://biography.guide/muriel-ashley-lady-mount-temple/
MLA: "Muriel Ashley, Lady Mount Temple." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/muriel-ashley-lady-mount-temple/.
Chicago: "Muriel Ashley, Lady Mount Temple." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/muriel-ashley-lady-mount-temple/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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