Gertrude Elizabeth Blood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lady Colin Campbell
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Portrait of Lady Colin Campbell, by Giovanni Boldini (1897)
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Gertrude Elizabeth Blood
3 May 1857 |
| Died | 1 November 1911 (aged 54) |
| Nationality | Irish, British |
| Occupation | Journalist, author, playwright, and editor |
| Spouse(s) | Lord Colin Campbell (1881–1895) |
Gertrude Elizabeth, Lady Colin Campbell (born Blood; 3 May 1857 – 1 November 1911) was an Irish writer. She worked as a journalist, author, playwright, and editor. She was married to Lord Colin Campbell. He was the brother-in-law of Princess Louise, who was Queen Victoria's fourth daughter.
Contents
Early Life
Gertrude Elizabeth Blood was born in Dublin, Ireland. Her parents were Edmund Maghlin Blood and Mary Amy Fergusson. The Blood family owned land in County Clare for many years. Gertrude was the youngest of their three children.
Marriage and Challenges
Gertrude was known for her beauty. She met Lord Colin Campbell in October 1880 in Scotland. They quickly decided to get married. The wedding took place on 21 July 1881. After their marriage, the Campbells lived in London.
Lord Colin Campbell was born in 1853. He was the fifth son of the Duke of Argyll. He studied law and became a Member of Parliament for Argyllshire from 1878 to 1885.
Later, Gertrude and Lord Colin faced difficulties in their marriage. They separated in 1884. Both of them asked for a divorce. The divorce trial happened in late 1886. It was a very public event. The divorce was not granted, so they remained married. Lord Colin died in 1895.
A Life of Writing and Art
After the trial, Gertrude focused on her writing. She became a successful journalist. She wrote about many topics like art, travel, fashion, music, and sports. Fishing was one of her favorite hobbies.
Gertrude had many talents. She could paint, ride horses, and cycle. She was also a good swimmer and had a lovely singing voice. She spoke French and Italian very well. She also knew some German, Spanish, and Arabic. She was even known as an expert fencer.
She wrote for famous newspapers like the Saturday Review and the Pall Mall Gazette. Later, she became the editor of Ladies Field. She sometimes used different pen names, such as "Véra Tsaritsyn" and "G. E. Brunefille".
Even though some parts of society avoided her, Gertrude was popular in literary and art groups. She was known for being lively, open-minded, creative, and witty. The famous artist James McNeill Whistler called her "the very handsome and exceedingly amiable lady." The writer George Bernard Shaw saw her as a goddess.
Shaw once wrote about meeting her: "Imagine a lady with a lightning wit, a merciless sense of humour... a superb bearing... and a beauty..." -George Bernard Shaw
Gertrude Elizabeth Blood passed away in London on 1 November 1911 after a long illness.
Selected Works
- Topo, A Tale About English Children in Italy (1876) – written as G. E. Brunefille
- A Book of the Running Brook and of Still Waters (1885)
- Darell Blake, a Study (1889) – a novel
- Etiquette of Good Society (1893) (editor)
- The Lady's Dressing-Room (1893) (translator)
- A Woman's Walks (1903) – a collection of essays
- Bud and Blossom, a play
- St. Martin's Summer, a play with Clothilde Graves
- A Miracle in Rabbits
Images for kids
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Lady Colin Campbell by Percy Anderson
