Page 28 - Apr2022

Eleanor Velasco Thornton, Continued from page 27 turn up after the sinking.
Revealed in Probate Court Records from 1916,
became The Spirit of Ecstasy for the Rolls-Royce
Eleanor's sister, Rose, the last of Eleanor's
Company. Instead of a mascot with her finger pressed
immediate family, administered her will.
to her lips, this version had a woman with a serene face
Among her effects was listed a similar model
standing with her arms outstretched, her draperies
of what became known as the Spirit of
flowing out behind her. The statue was informally
Ecstasy.
referred to , in good fun, as " Nelly in her Nighty" ( Nelly
a pet name for Eleanor) and has appeared on all Rose married in 1923. Many years later the
Rolls-Royce automobiles since 1911. silver model was stolen from the home of her
husband's second wife.
So, What Happened t o Eleanor?
The Aft ermat h
In 1914, Eleanor, then in her '30s, and the 49-year-old
Lord Montagu , took passage on the SS Persia, leaving Joan Thorton was born in 1903. Her father
port on Christmas Day. The journey would through wrote her a letter explaining the circumstance
the Mediterranean, en route to India where Montagu of her birth saying, " your mother was the most
would take up a government post in support of the wonderful and lovable woman I have ever met....I
Crown during the war years. With Lady Cecil's blessings equally loved her as few men ever loved." The
and thanks, Eleanor informed Montagu's wife that she letter was not delivered to Joan until after Lord
would accompany him as far as Egypt before returning Montagu's death, and although Joan did attend
to England. her father's funeral, she was so discreet, the
story goes, that no one ever noticed her
Five days later, the couple was sitting at lunch when
presence there.
the Persia was torpedoed without warning by U-38 ,
under the command of Captain Max Valentiner. There It was left to the 3rd Baron Montagu, only 2.5
was a massive explosion believed to have been the years old when his father died, to, as an
result of one of the ship's boilers exploding. Although adult, locate his half-sister. She had married a
both made it to the deck together, Montagu lost hold of Royal Navy surgeon commander and had two
Eleanor when the listing ship was hit by a wall of water. sons, one of whom worked at Rolls-Royce.
Eleanor disappeared and the port side was submerged Lord Montagu did as he felt his father would
taking Montagu under. He, however, survived, likely have wished and recognized Joan and her
because he was wearing a newly designed Grieve family as full family members.
inflatable waist coat that had been recommended to
Today, Eleanor's image lives on through the
him by his cousin, Admiral Mark Kerr.
hundred plus year association with Rolls-Royce
Montagu made it into a lifeboat with 29 other while her memory is preserved on a plaque
survivors, but, after three days on the open sea with no erected by Lord Montagu in the Beaulieu
food and water, only 11 people remained alive when churchyard.
they were discovered, drifting. 300 people had
When you see a Rolls, remember that this
drowned.
great brand's mascot is marked by a love
According to Montagu's biographer, he wrote a letter story that ended in tragedy but remains alive
home from his sickbed in Malta in 1916, in despair today. "This tablet was erected by John, 2nd Lord
because he had not gotten a tighter grip on Eleanor. Montagu of Beaulieu, in thankfulness for his
From his son's recollections from family stories, miraculous escape from drowning after the
Montagu never got over Eleanor's death, describing his sinking of the P&O's SS Persia, torpedoed by a
father as "physically and mentally shattered over Thorn German submarine near Crete. And in memory of
drowning". He reportedly spent days after returning to Eleanor Velasco Thornton, who served him
England looking for "Thorn" hoping that she would devotedly for fifteen years. Drowned December
30th, 1915.'
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