Assorted rogues - Person Sheet
Assorted rogues - Person Sheet
NameStella Winifred Woodthorpe Robertson 
798
798Birth1882, Shillong, Meghalaya, India798
FatherDavid Robertson (1840-)
MotherAmy Somers Boileau (1855-)
Notes for Stella Winifred Woodthorpe Robertson
To quote directly from Grigonis798:
-----------------
Stella was born in Shillong, Meghalaya, India in 1882. Her father, as you know, was Major General David Robertson of Her Majesty's Indian Army (born 1840 in Bengal, India). Her mother was Annie (also listed as Amy) Somers (born 1855 in Shillong, Meghalaya, India). Her older sister (by five years) was Erica Marion Josephine Robertson.
Stella was an international bill broker-somebody who buys and sells promissory notes and bills of exchange and an early example of a venture capitalist, who claimed to have helped finance the work of Scottish television pioneer John Logie Baird (August 13, 1888 – June 14, 1946).
Arthur Buchanan Sanderson and Stella Winifred Woodthorpe Robertson were married 13 October 1906 (Parish: Holy Trinity, Chelsea. County: London. Borough: Kensington and Chelsea.) Arthur was 25 years old, Stella 24. Arthur is listed as a "wine merchant" instead of a whisky manufacturer. Click here to see their marriage certificate.
Arthur Sanderson brought a divorce action against Stella on 12 June 1920, on grounds of desertion. The custody agreement for their only child, Ivan Sanderson, was worked out on May 21, 1921.
Stella was a brilliant, somewhat headstrong and overbearing woman. Ivan would always acquiesce to her wishes. That didn't stop him from describing her in glowing terms...
“My mother was a remarkable woman... half French... who became an orientalist; entirely self taught. She was 'a bill broker'do you know what that is? It is somewhat like a stock broker, only involves international currencies and all that. Most unusual for a woman, especially in those days. She sat next to Stanley Baldwin, the British Prime Minister once at a dinner in London and he told someone later he wished he knew as much about the economy of Egypt as she did. [Cameron, Gledhill. "As Leader of 'Society for Investigation of Unexplained' He Probes Worldful of Unanswered Questions." The Evening Times. (Trenton, New Jersey) 10 July 1968. 13.] “
No doubt Stella leveraged the prestige of the Sanderson name to enhance her international business dealings. A fabulous black Chinese wall hanging with gold dragons in Ivan's home had originally been given to his mother by the last emperor of China, Puyi. Ivan would occasionally accompany her on trips (Australia, Tangier, etc.). She apparently traveled quite a bit, probably a mix of business and sightseeing. Strangely, despite her sophisticated international business dealings, on at least one ocean liner document she lists herself as a humble "homemaker," even though her husband had been dead for years and her son was a world adventurer. After her divorce from Arthur Sanderson, she became close with James McKelvie, the millionaire coal merchant in charge of all coal and fuel during World War I. (McKelvie was one of Ivan's godfathers).
Ivan says that she was half French. Stella's grandparents on her father's side were Nobel Robertson (born 1806 in Ireland) and Elizabeth Robertson (maiden name unknown, but born in 1818 in Dublin, Ireland).
As I said, I now realize that this "French connection" is to the Boileau family.
There are some photos of "Googie" and others at the APS in Philadelphia. I take it that you have no information on this part of your family (since I don't see Stella listed with Erica, Frank and Mabel (nicknamed "Vida").
--------------------------------
-----------------
Stella was born in Shillong, Meghalaya, India in 1882. Her father, as you know, was Major General David Robertson of Her Majesty's Indian Army (born 1840 in Bengal, India). Her mother was Annie (also listed as Amy) Somers (born 1855 in Shillong, Meghalaya, India). Her older sister (by five years) was Erica Marion Josephine Robertson.
Stella was an international bill broker-somebody who buys and sells promissory notes and bills of exchange and an early example of a venture capitalist, who claimed to have helped finance the work of Scottish television pioneer John Logie Baird (August 13, 1888 – June 14, 1946).
Arthur Buchanan Sanderson and Stella Winifred Woodthorpe Robertson were married 13 October 1906 (Parish: Holy Trinity, Chelsea. County: London. Borough: Kensington and Chelsea.) Arthur was 25 years old, Stella 24. Arthur is listed as a "wine merchant" instead of a whisky manufacturer. Click here to see their marriage certificate.
Arthur Sanderson brought a divorce action against Stella on 12 June 1920, on grounds of desertion. The custody agreement for their only child, Ivan Sanderson, was worked out on May 21, 1921.
Stella was a brilliant, somewhat headstrong and overbearing woman. Ivan would always acquiesce to her wishes. That didn't stop him from describing her in glowing terms...
“My mother was a remarkable woman... half French... who became an orientalist; entirely self taught. She was 'a bill broker'do you know what that is? It is somewhat like a stock broker, only involves international currencies and all that. Most unusual for a woman, especially in those days. She sat next to Stanley Baldwin, the British Prime Minister once at a dinner in London and he told someone later he wished he knew as much about the economy of Egypt as she did. [Cameron, Gledhill. "As Leader of 'Society for Investigation of Unexplained' He Probes Worldful of Unanswered Questions." The Evening Times. (Trenton, New Jersey) 10 July 1968. 13.] “
No doubt Stella leveraged the prestige of the Sanderson name to enhance her international business dealings. A fabulous black Chinese wall hanging with gold dragons in Ivan's home had originally been given to his mother by the last emperor of China, Puyi. Ivan would occasionally accompany her on trips (Australia, Tangier, etc.). She apparently traveled quite a bit, probably a mix of business and sightseeing. Strangely, despite her sophisticated international business dealings, on at least one ocean liner document she lists herself as a humble "homemaker," even though her husband had been dead for years and her son was a world adventurer. After her divorce from Arthur Sanderson, she became close with James McKelvie, the millionaire coal merchant in charge of all coal and fuel during World War I. (McKelvie was one of Ivan's godfathers).
Ivan says that she was half French. Stella's grandparents on her father's side were Nobel Robertson (born 1806 in Ireland) and Elizabeth Robertson (maiden name unknown, but born in 1818 in Dublin, Ireland).
As I said, I now realize that this "French connection" is to the Boileau family.
There are some photos of "Googie" and others at the APS in Philadelphia. I take it that you have no information on this part of your family (since I don't see Stella listed with Erica, Frank and Mabel (nicknamed "Vida").
--------------------------------
Notes for Arthur Buchanan (Spouse 1)
Killed by a rhinoceros while assisting a film crew.798 Is that an unusual way to die, or what?