Elizabeth Philippa Biddulph, Baroness Biddulph VA (born Lady Elizabeth Yorke, later Lady Elizabeth Adeane; November 15, 1834–January 1916), was an English humanitarian and leader in the temperance movement. She wrote a biography about her father, Charles Yorke, 4th Earl of Hardwicke. Queen Victoria chose her to be a Woman of the Bedchamber.

Early life

Lady Elizabeth Philippa Yorke, often called "Lady Libbet," was born in England on November 15, 1834. She was the daughter and first child of Charles Yorke, the 4th Earl of Hardwicke, and Susan, the sixth daughter of Thomas Liddell, the 1st Baron Ravensworth. Before her marriage, she lived at Wimpole Hall and was a close companion to her father, sharing his interests, including politics and his love for the sea. She had many friends, including her mother and her mother’s sisters: Lady Normanby, Lady Barrington, and Lady Bloomfield.

Career

In 1860, she married Henry John Adeane, a member of Parliament, from Babraham Hall in Cambridgeshire. The couple traveled to other countries, and her ability to speak foreign languages, especially French, which she used perfectly, helped her enjoy traveling and meeting people abroad. She visited Italy more than once with her husband, and later, after his death. However, France was her favorite country to visit.

After her husband died in 1870, she was left to care for their three children, including a son named Charles. Lady Elizabeth was chosen to be a Woman of the Bedchamber by Queen Victoria, who treated her kindly. Lady Elizabeth attended important events, such as Queen Victoria’s two Jubilees and the marriage of the King and Queen, which happened near the end of the Queen’s time on the throne. She also spent time with friends, both wealthy and not wealthy. She enjoyed holidays at Wimpole or at Sydney Lodge in Hamble-le-Rice, which was another home of her family near Southampton Water. This house was built for her grandfather, Admiral Sir Joseph Sydney Yorke.

Although she was raised in a family that supported the Conservative Party, Lady Elizabeth was naturally open-minded and willing to consider different ideas. In the early 1870s, she worked in Bethnal Green, a part of London, where she lived most of the time. This experience helped her understand the difficult lives and challenges faced by poor people. She believed that drinking alcohol was the biggest problem among them.

In 1877, she married Michael Biddulph, who later became Baron Biddulph of Ledbury in Herefordshire. He was part of a London banking company called Cocks, Biddulph, and Co. Mr. Biddulph was given a title in 1903. This marriage did not have any children.

Lady Biddulph joined a temperance society in Ledbury after her doctor, Sir Andrew Clark, refused to give her medicine containing alcohol during an illness. Her doctor suggested she stop drinking alcohol completely, and this helped her recover. Because of this, she promised to never drink alcohol again and wore a blue ribbon as a symbol of her commitment. She became an active supporter of efforts to stop alcohol use. She later became president of the Ledbury Temperance Union and also worked with groups like the Rechabites and the Good Templars. Between 1896 and 1898, she was president of the Women’s Total Abstinence Union.

In addition to her work against alcohol use, Lady Biddulph helped poor people and supported efforts to improve care for sick and vulnerable individuals. She was a supporter of the Ledbury Cottage Hospital.

In 1910, she wrote a biography about her father, Charles Philip Yorke, the fourth Earl of Hardwicke. The book was titled A Memoir by His Daughter, the Lady Biddulph of Ledbury.

Personal life

Lady Biddulph was part of the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert. She died at her home in London in January 1916. She was buried in the churchyard at Babraham Hall.

Selected works

• A memoir about Charles Philip Yorke, the fourth Earl of Hardwicke, written by his daughter, the Lady Biddulph of Ledbury, 1910 (Text)