View source for Bessie Wallis Warfield

'''Bessie Wallis Warfield'''

==Bessie Wallis Warfield==
Bessie Wallis Warfield was born on [[June 19]], 1896 in Square Cottage, Monterey Inn, Blue Ridge Summit, [[Pennsylvania]], as the daughter of [[#Teackle Wallis Warfield|Teackle Wallis Warfield]] and [[#Alice M Montague|Alice M. Montague]].  They were at the place due to a futile attempt to cure Teackle's tuberculosis.  He died a few months later.  Alice and Bessie moved in with Teackle's mother in Baltimore but the two woman could not agree and so Alice and Bessie moved again.  "In the end the two women were supported by Teackle's wealthy brother Solomon Warfield." (see Answers.com) "She was christened Bessie but when she grew up, she dropped the Bessie and called herself Wallis" (''The Amiable Baltimorians'')

Much has been said about Bessie's supposed background of poverty.  But poverty to those authors evidently means not living in splendor.  The records prove that her family was firmly upper class if perhaps "lower-upper" as they say.

In 1907 or 1908, her mother Alice remarried to John Freeman Rasin, an insurance broker and "son of the Democratic boss of Baltimore", and the family lived in Baltimore, Maryland. More details on the Rasin family can be found [http://books.google.com/books?id=pPZom7xkp3gC&pg=PA764&lpg=PA764&dq=warfield+freeman+rasin&source=web&ots=1LVnI_fJph&sig=l_YblZTwEzmDD4rFnDUQl8J3Q8s#PPA764,M1 here].

Bessie married Earl Winfield Spencer Jr. on [[Nov 8]], 1916 at Christ Protestant Episcopal Church, Baltimore, [[Maryland]]. They were divorced on [[Dec 10]], 1927. She married secondly Ernest Aldrich Simpson on [[Jul 21]], 1928 in Chelsea Registrar's Office, Chelsea, London, England. They were divorced on [[Oct 27]], 1936. She married thirdly [[Edward VIII, King of England]], son of [[George V, King of England]] and his wife Mary von Teck, on [[Jun 3]], 1937 in Chateau de Cande, Maine-et-Loire, France. Bessie died on [[Apr 24]], 1986 in Bois de Boulogne, Paris, France. She was buried on [[Apr 29]], 1986 in Frogmore House, Windsor, Berkshire, England. 

===Primary sources for 1===
*[http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=1910USCenIndex%2c&rank=0&tips=0&gsfn=bessie&gsln=warfield&sx=&gs1co=1%2cAll+Countries&gs1pl=1%2c+&year=&yearend=&sbo=0&sbor=&ufr=0&wp=4%3b_80000002%3b_80000003&srchb=r&prox=1&ti=0&ti.si=0&gss=angs-d&o_iid=21416&o_lid=21416&o_it=21416&fh=3&recid=29830787&recoff=1+3+27+29 1910 Census of Baltimore, Maryland] showing : "J Freeman Rasin, 40, first marriage, 2 years ago, b MD/MD/MD, Insurance Broker; Alice M Rasin 40; Bessie W Warfield 13 stepdaughter b PA; Mary Louisa Shorter 27; Minnie Bacon 25; Willima E McDonnell 26; Henry Stitz"
*[http://content.ancestry.com/iexec/?htx=view&dbid=7235&iid=NEWS-MD-FR_PO.1928_11_16_0004&r=an&rc=2891,2533,2996,2566;3013,2533,3153,2566&fn=wallis&ln=warfield&st=d&ssrc=&pid=486916100 ''The Frederick Post'' (Frederick, Maryland)] [[Nov 16]], 1928 "Would Set Aside Will", "Grandniece files Action Against S Davies Warfield Estate" in which "Wallis Warfield Simpson" a niece is mentioned as a legal heir.
*[http://content.ancestry.com/iexec/?htx=view&dbid=7235&iid=NEWS-MD-FR_PO.1936_10_15_0001&r=an&rc=2899,2179,3004,2212;3021,2179,3178,2212&fn=wallis&ln=warfield&st=d&ssrc=&pid=491076609 ''The Frederick Post'' (Frederick, Maryland)], [[Oct 15]], 1936 "American-Born Friend of King Seeks Divorce", "Mrs Simpson Takes Steps To Divorce Ernest Simpson; Hearing Oct 27"

===Secondary sources for 1===
*[http://www.thepeerage.com/p10072.htm#i100717 "Bessie Wallis Warfield"] on ThePeerage
*[http://www.answers.com/topic/wallis-simpson "Wallis Simpson"] on Answers.Com
*[http://books.google.com/books?id=WNso9EnqfxcC&pg=PA118&lpg=PA118&dq=warfield+freeman+rasin&source=web&ots=wti8EKhhjH&sig=8XvvY4HmlpYuyAXcfjnT8wQMa7s ''The Amiable Baltimoreans''], by Francis F Beirne. Page 118-121
*[http://trees.ancestry.com/owt/pedigree.aspx?pid=9580312&st=1 "Bessie Wallis Warfield"], OneWorldTree: Pedigree View
*[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1075108,00.html?promoid=googlep "Time" magazine] (online) "The Woman who Cost a Kingdom", [[Jun 21]], 2005 By Walter Isaacson

==Teackle Wallis Warfield==
Teackle Wallis Warfield was born in 1869, the son of Henry Mactier Warfield and his wife Anna Emery.

Teackle died [[Nov 15]], 1896.

===Secondary sources for 2===
*[http://www.thepeerage.com/p10082.htm#i100818 "Teackle Wallis Warfield"] on ThePeerage

==Alice Montague==
Alice Montague married Teackle Wallis Warfield in 1895 or 1896.  She secondly married a Simpson.  She has a picture online [http://www.thepeerage.com/p10082.htm#i100819 here].

===Primary documetation for 2===
*[http://content.ancestry.com/iexec/?htx=view&dbid=6445&iid=news-dc-thewashingtonpost.1908_06_19_0007&r=an&rc=3167,2304,3286,2329;2621,2329,2762,2354&fn=wallis&ln=warfield&st=d&ssrc=&pid=476269575 ''The Washington Post'' (Washington, D.C.)]], [[Jun 19]], 1908. Page 7 "Social and Personal"

<blockquote>"It is reported that the marriage of Mrs Teackle Wallis Warfield to Mr John Freeman Rasin will take place shortly.  Although the date for the wedding has not been definitely fixed, the Baltimore friends of Mrs Warfield and Mr Rasin expect the ceremony to be performed some time before July 1."</blockquote>

<blockquote>"Mrs Warfield was formerly Miss Alice Montague.  She comes of the well known Virginia family of that name and is a cousin of Mrs Alexander Brown formerly Miss Bessie Montague and of Mrs George Barnett who before her first marriage to the late Basil Gordon was Miss [illegible] Montague.  Mrs Warfield is also a sister of Mrs D Buchanan Merryman of Washington.  Her first husband was the late Teackle Wallis Warfield who has been dead about eleven years.  He was a brother of Mr S Davies Warfield president of the Continental Trust Company of [illegible] .. Warfield adjutant general of Maryland and of Mr R Emory Warfield president of the Hanover Insurance Company of York."</blockquote>

<blockquote>"Mr Rasin is a son of the late I Freeman Rasin and is widely known.  His brother Mr Carroll Wilson Rasin takes an active part in the social and business life of the city.  His youngest sister Miss Alice Rasin was recently married to Mr Barbour Dangerfield and lives in Washington.  His other sisters are Mrs William Tyler Gatchell, Mrs William Pinckney Craig and Mrs Hugo Albert Pennert."</blockquote>

<blockquote>"Mrs Warfield has just returned from Wakefield Manor where she was the guest of Mrs Barnett.  Mrs Merryman went from Washington yesterday to be a guest of Mrs Warfield at her home at East Bidell street Baltimore."</blockquote>

===Secondary sources for 2===
*[http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1900usfedcen&indiv=try&h=78476509 1900 Census of Baltimore, Maryland] showing "John F Raisin, age 30, single" in the household of his father.
*[http://www.thepeerage.com/p10082.htm#i100819 "Alice Montague Simpson"] on ThePeerage

==Henry Mactier Warfield==
==Anna Emery==

[[Category:Maryland]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]