View source for Eleanor Shelley-Rolls

{{short description|British engineer}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Eleanor Shelley-Rolls
| image              = Eleanor_Shelley-Rolls.png
| caption            =
| birth_name         =
| birth_date         = 9 October 1872
| birth_place        = Mayfair, London, England
| death_date         = 15 September 1961
| death_place        = Westminster, London, England
| occupation         = Engineer
| organization       = Women's Engineering Society
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
'''Eleanor Georgiana Shelley-Rolls''' (9 October 1872 – 15 September 1961) was one of the original signatories of the [[Women's Engineering Society]] founding documents. She was a keen hot air{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}} balloonist.
== Early life ==
Rolls was born in [[Mayfair|Mayfair, London]] in 1872.{{cn|date=October 2020}} She was the daughter of [[John Rolls, 1st Baron Llangattock|John Allan Rolls]], 1st Baron Llangattock and [[Georgiana Rolls, Baroness Llangattock|Georgiana Marcia Maclean]]. Her three brothers, [[Charles Rolls]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://unbound.com/books/magnificent-women/updates/where-are-the-wikipedia-women|title=Where are the Wikipedia women? {{!}} Unbound|work=Unbound|access-date=2018-08-26|language=en|archive-date=26 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180826214714/https://unbound.com/books/magnificent-women/updates/where-are-the-wikipedia-women|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[John Rolls, 2nd Baron Llangattock|John Maclean Rolls]] and Henry Allan Rolls all predeceased her, dying without issue, so she inherited the family estate [[The Hendre]], near [[Monmouth]].
== Career ==
Rolls married [[John Courtown Edward Shelley]] in 1898, they both changed their surname legally to Shelley-Rolls in 1917 when she inherited the family estate at [[The Hendre]] on the death of her brother [[John Rolls, 2nd Baron Llangattock|John]], 2nd Baron Llangattock in 1916.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wyndhammarsh.co.uk/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I1820&tree=CledwynMarsh|title=John Allan ROLLS, 1st. Baron Llangattock b. 19 Feb 1837 "Hendre House", Llangatwg Feibion Afel, Monmouthshire, Wales d. 24 Sep 1912 "Hendre House", Llangatwg Feibion Afel, Monmouthshire, Wales: Some Silk Weavers and Stay Makers|website=wyndhammarsh.co.uk|access-date=2018-08-26}}</ref> Before World War One, she and her husband flew in hot air{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}} balloons, often sharing a flight with [[May Assheton Harbord]], the first woman to hold an Aeronaut's Certificate in UK.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Heald, Henrietta|title=Magnificent women and their revolutionary machines|year=2019|isbn=978-1-78352-660-4|location=London|oclc=1080083743}}</ref> The couple in one of the earliest Zeppelins, and in an early type of aeroplane in the pre war years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000104/19370128/323/0013|title=Western Mail|date=28 January 1937|via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]|access-date=2019-05-06}}</ref>
On 23 June 1919, she became one of the seven co-signatures of the Memorandum of Association for the formation of the [[Women's Engineering Society]] alongside [[Rachel Parsons (engineer)|Rachel Parsons]]; [[Katharine Parsons|Lady Katharine Parsons]]; [[Janetta Mary Ornsby]]; [[Margaret Dorothea Rowbotham|Margaret Rowbotham]]; [[Margaret, Lady Moir]] and [[Laura Annie Willson]].<ref>{{Citation|chapter=Feminist campaigns and networks|pages=101–134|publisher=Policy Press|isbn=9781447342441|doi=10.2307/j.ctt1t895mf.10|title=Women and community action, second edition|year=2006}}</ref> With [[Margaret Partridge]], Shelley-Rolls canvassed support for electrification of Britain.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Partridge, Margaret Mary (1891–1967), electrical engineer |journal= Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|year= 2018|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-110230|language=en|doi=10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.013.110230|last1= Locker|first1= Anne|isbn= 978-0-19-861412-8}}</ref> She attended the first statutory meeting of the [[Women's Engineering Society]] in 1920.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.theiet.org/publishing/library-archives/the-iet-archives/the-woman-engineer-journal/|title=The Woman Engineer Vol 1|website=www.theiet.org|access-date=2018-08-26}}</ref> She remained on the [[Women's Engineering Society]] Advisory Council, was part of the Women's Engineering Society's 1925 [[Conference of Women]]. She acted as the [[Women's Engineering Society]]'s representative on the [[Electrical Association for Women]] board.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theiet.org/publishing/library-archives/the-iet-archives/the-woman-engineer-journal/|title=The Woman Engineer Vol 2|website=www.theiet.org|access-date=2018-08-26}}</ref> She was a member of the Council Industrial Co-partnership, a member of the [[Air League]] and the [[Executive League of Empire]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|title=Women, A Modern Political Dictionary|last=Law|first=Cheryl|publisher=I B Tauris & Co. Ltd|year=2000|pages=129–130}}</ref> She was also President of the [[Women's Pioneer Housing]], and a school manager.<ref name=":2" />
She studied and wrote about the history of motoring<ref name=":1" /> and in later life took up breeding of [[Welsh Black cattle|Welsh Black Cattle]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000104/19580724/138/0008|title=Western Mail|date=24 July 1958|via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]|access-date=2019-05-06}}</ref>
In 1920, she founded [[Atalanta_Ltd|Atlanta Co Ltd]], Loughborough, with [[Katharine Parsons]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/collections/design-archives/resources/Women-Designing-1994/European-Feminist-Research-Conference/the-electrical-association-for-women|title=The Electrical Association for Women {{!}} European Feminist Research Conference, Graz University of Technology, Austria {{!}} Arts and culture |website= arts.brighton.ac.uk |language=en-gb |access-date= 2018-08-26}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> ''Atlanta Co Ltd'' only employed women, including [[Annette Ashberry]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lboro-history-heritage.org.uk/the-life-of-annette-ashberry-a-pioneering-woman-engineer/|title=Loughborough History and Heritage Network {{!}} The life of Annette Ashberry – a pioneering Woman engineer|website=www.lboro-history-heritage.org.uk|language=en|access-date=2018-08-26}}</ref> She was the main beneficiary of [[Baron Llangattock]]'s £1.1 million estate.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chch.ox.ac.uk/fallen-alumni/major-lord-john-maclean-rolls-2nd-baron-llangattock|title=Major Lord John Maclean Rolls 2nd Baron Llangattock {{!}} Christ Church, Oxford University|website=www.chch.ox.ac.uk|language=en|access-date=2018-08-26}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gwentarchives.gov.uk/media/16575/d361-rolls-family-barons-llangattock-of-the-hendre.html|title=Rolls family (Barons Llangattock), of The Hendre, documents [c. 1617]-1952GB0218.D361|website=www.gwentarchives.gov.uk|access-date=2018-08-26|archive-date=10 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010142756/http://www.gwentarchives.gov.uk/media/16575/d361-rolls-family-barons-llangattock-of-the-hendre.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://holstmuseum.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Holst_and_Rolls-Royce.pdf|title=Holst in an unusual circle|last=Clarke|first=Tom|website=Holst Museum|access-date=2018-08-25}}</ref> She died on 15 September 1961.<ref>[https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Calendar#calendar Find a will]</ref>
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Shelley-Rolls, Eleanor}}
[[Category:1872 births]]
[[Category:1961 deaths]]
[[Category:English women's rights activists]]
[[Category:British women engineers]]
[[Category:Women's Engineering Society]]
[[Category:Rolls family|Eleanor]]
[[Category:Daughters of barons]]
[[Category:Wives of baronets]]