Person    | Female  Born 19/12/1900  Died 4/9/1951

Barbara Barclay Carter

Categories: Friend / family, Literature

Countries: France, Italy, Switzerland, USA

A Catholic convert who translated Italian writing and promoted the Italian democratic cause.

Born California, but brought up in England and studied in France. From TerraNouvelle: "... she interviewed Luigi Sturzo on behalf of the Daily Herald. This was the beginning of what was to be a lasting collaboration. Acting at first as his interpreter, she became his regular translator and was brought into ever closer contact with Christian Democracy in its international manifestations."

Sturzo was a guest of Carter and Cicely M. Marshall, 1926-33, while in London, exiled from Italy.

Read her story in her own words at Catholic Authors.

Source: TerraNouvelle.

Our colleague, Andrew Behan, states that she was born on 19 December 1900 in Santa Barbara, California, USA, and her full name was Dorothy Barbara Barclay Carter. She was the only child of John Alexander Carter (b.1860) and Lucia Rebecca Carter née Barclay (1867-1913). In 1901 she was baptised in the Episcopalian Church in Montecito, Santa Barbara, California.

She came to England in 1902 and in the 1911 census she is shown as aged 10 years and an American citizen, living in a 4 roomed property at 1 Evelyn Mansions, Kew Road, Richmond, Surrey, with her widowed mother and a female general domestic servant. Her mother described herself a beauty specialist who had been born in Jerusalem, Palestine but who was British by parentage.

From July 1920 to June 1921 she was a typist at the International Labour Office in Geneva, Switzerland and from October to December 1921 she was working for Dáil Éireann's Irish Legation in Rome, Italy. She then went to France and in May 1922 she was residing at 31 rue de Tauron, Paris whilst attending the Sorbonne University.

Electoral registers from 1930 to 1934 show her listed as Dorothy Barbara Barclay Carter at 213b Gloucester Terrace, London, W2, with Edith Jones and Cicely Mary Marshall (1871-1955). From 1935 the electoral registers list her as Barbara Barclay Carter at 32 Chepstow Villas, London, W11, with Edith Jones, Cicely Mary Marshall and Valentine Watts. From 1937 Edith Jones was no longer listed. The 1939 England and Wales Register confirmed her date of birth and she is shown as Dorothy B. B. Carter, a journalist and author, still residing at 32 Chepstow Villas with: Cicely M. Marshall, a person of private means and Hilda Clausen (b.1891), a widowed working housekeeper.

Probate records list her as Dorothy Barbara Barclay Carter otherwise Barbara Barclay Carter, confirming that her address was 32 Chepstow Villas and that she died, aged 50 years, on 4 September 1951 at Bordighera, Italy. Administration, with a will, was granted to Cicely Mary Marshall, a spinster, on 31 May 1952 and her effects totalled £96-5s-0d.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Barbara Barclay Carter

Commemorated ati

Don Luigi Sturzo

Don Luigi Sturzo, 1871 - 1959, Italian political leader, lived here in exile ...

Read More

Other Subjects

Winifred Darch

Winifred Darch

Author and teacher. Born in Brighton. A prolific writer of novels, mainly for girls. From 1906 to 1935, she worked as a teacher and housemistress at the High School for Girls, Loughton. We cannot f...

Person, Education, Literature

1 memorial
Hayes Literary Society

Hayes Literary Society

We can find little about this group but they were very active in 1992  re. Orwell.

Group, Community / Clubs, Literature

1 memorial
Enid Blyton

Enid Blyton

Children's writer. Born Enid Mary Blyton at 354 Lordship Lane, East Dulwich. Best known for creating the character of Little Noddy and the 'Famous Five' stories. Her works have been translated into...

Person, Children, Literature, Race Issues, Seriously Famous

4 memorials
Arthur Clive Heward Bell

Arthur Clive Heward Bell

Known professionally as Clive Bell, he was an art critic and writer who married Vanessa Stephen, sister of Virginia Woolf. His Wikipedia page gives much information about this man. Additionally we...

Person, Literature

2 memorials
Will Self

Will Self

Novelist and journalist. Born William Woodard Self in Westminster. He is the author of ten novels, five collections of shorter fiction, three novellas, and five collections of non-fiction writing. ...

Person, Journalism / Publishing, Literature

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Upholders' Hall

Upholders' Hall

Destroyed in the Great Fire and never rebuilt. 'Upholder' is an archaic word for 'Upholsterer'.

Building, Liveries & Guilds

1 memorial
Edward Charles Grenfell

Edward Charles Grenfell

1st Baron St Just. At Harrow, West Acre House, 1884-8. Banker and politician. Governor of Harrow School 1922-41. Director of the Bank of England 1905-40.

Person, Benefactor, Commerce, Politics & Administration

1 memorial
Ernest R. Beadle

Ernest R. Beadle

Auxiliary Fireman Ernest Reginald Beadle was born on 26 November 1908 in Anerley, Surrey, the son of Ernest Albert Beadle (1879-1942) and Annie Beadle née Penberthy (b.1881). In the 1911 census he ...

Person, Emergency Services

War dead non-military, WW2
1 memorial
Heathcoat House

Heathcoat House

W1, Savile Row, 20

20 Savile Row is the address of the building but the plaque is actually around the corner in New Burlington Street. An insurance map of ...

1 subject commemorated
Heritage Foundation

Heritage Foundation

We believe this group now encompasses Comic Heritage, Musical Heritage, Sports Heritage and Films and Television Heritage. Its aim is to pay tribute to Britain's entertainers and raise funds for go...

Group, Cinema, History, Humour, Music / songs, Sport / Games, Theatre, TV & Radio

64 memorials