Valerie Goulding
Encyclopedia
Valerie Hamilton, Hon. Lady Goulding (12 September 1918 – 28 July 2003) was an Irish
campaigner for disabled people and senator
who set up the Central Remedial Clinic
in 1951, now the largest organisation in Ireland looking after people with physical disabilities. She served as a member of Seanad Éireann
from 1977 to 1981.
(later 1st Viscount Monckton of Brenchley). She was born at Ightham Mote
, which was owned by her maternal grandfather, Sir Thomas Colyer-Fergusson, until his death in 1951. Her only brother, Gilbert (1915 - 2006), became a Major-General in the British Army
. She was educated at Downe House, near Newbury
.
Both Valerie and her brother, Gilbert, would ultimately convert to Roman Catholicism.
Her father was a British
lawyer and politician, and became chief legal advisor to King Edward VIII
during the Abdication Crisis in 1936. She acted as her father's secretary and courier during the crisis, carrying letters between the King and the Prime Minister
, Stanley Baldwin
.
before switching to the Auxiliary Territorial Service
. In Dublin for a race meeting in 1939, she met and soon married Irish fertiliser manufacturer and art collector Sir Basil Goulding, 3rd Baronet
and moved to Ireland. However, her husband moved to England to join the RAF, ending the war as a wing commander
; meanwhile, she served as a second lieutenant
in the British Army. After the war, the couple returned to Ireland, where Sir Basil and his family managed Goulding Chemicals
.
In 1951, she co-founded the Central Remedial Clinic in a couple of rooms in central Dublin, to provide non-residential care for disabled people. The Clinic's foundation initiated a revolution in the treatment of physical disability and rapidly grew to by far the largest centre dealing with the needs of disabled people. Lady Goulding remained chairman and managing director of the CRC until 1984.
On account of her widespread popularity, in 1977 she was nominated by the Taoiseach
, Jack Lynch
, to Seanad Éireann
, where she worked to raise awareness of disability issues. She sought election to Dáil Éireann
twice as a Fianna Fáil
candidate, both times unsuccessfully. She was spoken of as a possible President of Ireland
in 1983, along with former Nobel
and Lenin Peace Prize winner Sean MacBride
and former head of the International Olympic Committee
Lord Killanin
, should the then president, Dr Patrick Hillery
, decline to seek a second term. (Hillery ultimately was re-elected).
; the other sons are Hamilton and Timothy of Dr. Strangely Strange
.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
campaigner for disabled people and senator
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
who set up the Central Remedial Clinic
Central Remedial Clinic
The Central Remedial Clinic is a non-residential national centre for the care, treatment and development of children and adults with physical disabilities in Ireland...
in 1951, now the largest organisation in Ireland looking after people with physical disabilities. She served as a member of Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
from 1977 to 1981.
Background
Born Valerie Hamilton Monckton, she was the only daughter of Mary Adelaide Somes Colyer-Ferguson and Sir Walter MoncktonWalter Monckton, 1st Viscount Monckton of Brenchley
Walter Turner Monckton, 1st Viscount Monckton of Brenchley, GCVO, KCMG, MC, PC was a British politician.-Early years:...
(later 1st Viscount Monckton of Brenchley). She was born at Ightham Mote
Ightham Mote
Ightham Mote is a medieval moated manor house close to the village of Ightham, near Sevenoaks in Kent .The name "mote" derives from "moot", "meeting [place]", rather than referring to the body of water....
, which was owned by her maternal grandfather, Sir Thomas Colyer-Fergusson, until his death in 1951. Her only brother, Gilbert (1915 - 2006), became a Major-General in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. She was educated at Downe House, near Newbury
Newbury, Berkshire
Newbury is a civil parish and the principal town in the west of the county of Berkshire in England. It is situated on the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal, and has a town centre containing many 17th century buildings. Newbury is best known for its racecourse and the adjoining former USAF...
.
Both Valerie and her brother, Gilbert, would ultimately convert to Roman Catholicism.
Her father was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
lawyer and politician, and became chief legal advisor to King Edward VIII
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
during the Abdication Crisis in 1936. She acted as her father's secretary and courier during the crisis, carrying letters between the King and the Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
, Stanley Baldwin
Stanley Baldwin
Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, KG, PC was a British Conservative politician, who dominated the government in his country between the two world wars...
.
Career
In the Second World War, she joined the First Aid Nursing YeomanryFirst Aid Nursing Yeomanry
The First Aid Nursing Yeomanry is a British independent all-female unit and registered charity affiliated to, but not part of, the Territorial Army, formed in 1907 and active in both nursing and intelligence work during the World Wars.-Formation:It was formed as the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry in...
before switching to the Auxiliary Territorial Service
Auxiliary Territorial Service
The Auxiliary Territorial Service was the women's branch of the British Army during the Second World War...
. In Dublin for a race meeting in 1939, she met and soon married Irish fertiliser manufacturer and art collector Sir Basil Goulding, 3rd Baronet
Sir Basil Goulding, 3rd Baronet
Sir William Basil Goulding was an Irish cricketer, squash player and art collector.-RAF service:During World War II, Goulding was commissioned as a pilot officer in the Royal Air Force...
and moved to Ireland. However, her husband moved to England to join the RAF, ending the war as a wing commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
; meanwhile, she served as a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the British Army. After the war, the couple returned to Ireland, where Sir Basil and his family managed Goulding Chemicals
Goulding Chemicals
Goulding Chemicals Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of IAWS Group plc and has been operating since 1856. It was run for decades by the Goulding family that included Valerie Goulding...
.
In 1951, she co-founded the Central Remedial Clinic in a couple of rooms in central Dublin, to provide non-residential care for disabled people. The Clinic's foundation initiated a revolution in the treatment of physical disability and rapidly grew to by far the largest centre dealing with the needs of disabled people. Lady Goulding remained chairman and managing director of the CRC until 1984.
On account of her widespread popularity, in 1977 she was nominated by the Taoiseach
Nominated by the Taoiseach
The composition of Seanad Éireann, the upper house of the Oireachtas of Ireland, is defined in outline by Article 18 of the Constitution of Ireland, which provides for 11 appointees that are nominated by the Taoiseach...
, Jack Lynch
Jack Lynch
John Mary "Jack" Lynch was the Taoiseach of Ireland, serving two terms in office; from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979....
, to Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
, where she worked to raise awareness of disability issues. She sought election to Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
twice as a Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
candidate, both times unsuccessfully. She was spoken of as a possible President of Ireland
President of Ireland
The President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...
in 1983, along with former Nobel
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
and Lenin Peace Prize winner Sean MacBride
Seán MacBride
Seán MacBride was an Irish government minister and prominent international politician as well as a Chief of Staff of the IRA....
and former head of the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
Lord Killanin
Michael Morris, 3rd Baron Killanin
Michael Morris, 3rd Baron Killanin, MBE, TD was an Irish journalist, author, sports official, the sixth president of the International Olympic Committee...
, should the then president, Dr Patrick Hillery
Patrick Hillery
Patrick John "Paddy" Hillery was an Irish politician and the sixth President of Ireland from 1976 until 1990. First elected at the 1951 general election as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Clare, he remained in Dáil Éireann until 1973...
, decline to seek a second term. (Hillery ultimately was re-elected).
Family
Lady Goulding died, aged 84, on 28 July 2003, in a nursing home. She was predeceased by her husband, Sir Basil Goulding, in 1982, but survived by her sons, the eldest of whom, Sir William Goulding, is Headmaster of the Headfort School in County MeathCounty Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
; the other sons are Hamilton and Timothy of Dr. Strangely Strange
Dr. Strangely Strange
Dr. Strangely Strange were an experimental Irish folk group, formed in Dublin in 1967 by Tim Booth , vocals and guitar, and Ivan Pawle bass and keyboards.-Career:...
.
External links
- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/08/15/db1502.xml&sSheet=/opinion/2003/08/15/ixopright.html Obituary, The Daily TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, 1 July 2006