Why Don't You Come On Over Valerie? The Remarkable Lady Meux.
My article on the great beer flood of 1814 is copping lots of reads today, it being the anniversary of that bizarre industrial accident. The incident took place at the Horseshoe Brewery of the Meux company, at or very near the site of where the Dominion Theatre now stands.
A remarkable story. But to my mind not the most interesting thing about this brewing family. Far from it. That has to be the amazing life and times of Valerie, Lady Meux.
She was the wife of Sir Henry Meux, 3rd baronet and grandson of the fellow who owned the brewery in 1814 at the time of the beer flood. Born Valerie Susan Langdon in 1847, she worked as an “actress” and singer in Holborn. When Sir Henry married her in secret in 1878, it caused a scandal. But while she was obliged to live always outside of polite society, the impediment never prevented her from enjoying a flamboyant and fascinating life.
Ensconsed at the Meux’ family seat, “Theobalds” in Herfordshire, Lady Valerie is said to be responsible for persuading her husband to purchase Christopher Wren’s Temple Bar from the City of London, and ship it stone by stone to the estate where it was re-erected. There it stayed until returned to town in the 1990s when it was placed in Paternoster Square.
Lady Valerie had many interests, chief among them being the turf and collecting Egyptian artefacts. She offered her collection of over 1,700 ancient Egyptian objects to the British Museum, a gesture that was spurned by the Trustees: they were sold off instead. Duh.
Shortly after her husband’s death, Lady Meux became concerned for the beleaguered British forces during the Siege of Ladysmith during the 2nd Boer War. Her offer quickly to finance some ordnance was rejected by the War Office, so the redoubtable woman went ahead and did it privately anyway, supplying 12 field guns from Armstrongs which she had shipped to Lord Roberts.
After the war, she got to know Sir Hedworth Lambton, who had been the senior naval officer at Ladysmith. So impressed was she with this gentleman that she left everything, including the Meux brewery, to Lambton in her will (Valerie and the late Sir Henry Meux had no children). The proviso was that Sir Hedworth change his name to Meux, which he readily did on his benefactress’ death in 1910. Sir Hedworth Meux went on to become Admiral of the Fleet and a Conservative MP.
Valerie, Lady Meux was remembered in oil by no less than James Whistler, who painted her portrait on three occasions. She was often to be seen in London in her phaeton which at one stage was drawn by a team of zebras!
The Meux Brewery was founded in 1764 in Clerkenwell before moving to the Horseshoe brewery site in St Giles. After Lady Meux’ time, it underwent a number of mergers and takeovers before finally ceasing trading in 1961.
Coincidence – I am researching Theobalds at the moment; specifically a 17th century farm house on the estate in Hertfordshire. Lady Meux certainly was an interesting character!
Wonderful. Please share any interesting diggings!
Hello . I used to work in the British museum in the department for the Middle east , I worked in the Library and i used to look through the departmental archives including the correspondence of sir A.E. Wallis Budge the keeper of the deparment in the 1890s on ward till 1924 .
He knew lady meux well theres a lot of correspondence regarding her , mostly letters to him regarding her and her not paying her bills fro furniture
people where always asking him to ask her to “Pay up” plus a quarrel about her taking all the credit for the work on a book of hers he did all the research she took all the credit and ignored him . she didnt acknologe him or anything he got a lot of letters from his friends saying how awful it was and how bad her behaviour was.
I dont recalls eiing any actual letters from her in his correspondence , but there was so much there stacks of stuff. it defys catalougueing .
I would like to know do you know where Lady Meux came from who was her family ? also did she have any relations left when she died in 1910 ?
Hi Kevin, thanks for this, interesting stuff. All I know is more or less what I’ve written. This may well be a case of “the candle burned out long before the legend ever did”, that is to say we know the sensational bits on the surface, but actually very little of the detail, including what she was really like. It’s quite possible from what you’ve written that she may actually have been ghastly, and it was not just a case of contemporary snobbery. She appears to have had no children and since her early profession was more-or-less a showgirl, finding out more about her family might prove difficult, though not necessarily impossible for the determined researcher (not me, in this instance).
Do you know the final resting place of Lady Meux ?
Afraid not. I’m sure one could find out though.
i think lady meux is in the meux tomb in cheshunt at st mary’s church
Yes she is buried in St Mary’s Church Cheshunt.
For three years Lady Meux employed the Christian Socialist, Margaret McMillan as a companion, though politics drove them apart. The latter mixed with the likes of Henry Hyndman, William Morris and George Lansbury of the Social Democratic Federation, as well as the Fabians who included Beatrice and Sydney Webb, H,G. Wells and George Bernard Shaw .With her sister, Rachel she pioneered the Nursery school movement in the early years of the 19th century.
20th C, I think you mean. That’s very interesting, thanks. I can see that Valerie after a time would probably tire of someone with those connections!
Although Whistler’s portrait is very remarkable. I would love to have seen a portrait of her by John Singer Sargent.
Me too! I can’t remember seeing it a the big Sargent exhibition a few years ago, NPG, I think it was.