A Tale of Two Eileens

Orwell Society member Brian Thompson describes his work to maintain the grave of Eileen O’Shaughnessy, born on September 25th 1905. She married George Orwell (Eric Blair) on June 9th, 1936, and died during an operation on March 29th, 1945. Born on the south bank of the Tyne, she died on the north bank.

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I have been tending and planting flowers on Eileen Maud Blair’s grave since 2017, mainly Begonias, which have a long flowering season, Petunias, and Primrose, though I try and plant something new every year. I planted the rose, Rosa Noaschnee (Flower Carpet White) in September of that year, and added the plaque, which can be seen in front of the headstone in 2019, also adding decorative slate chippings. I hoped the plaque would enhance the grave for Orwell scholars and also explain who Eileen was to casual visitors to the cemetery, and on a number of occasions I have been approached by visitors who have been left astounded that they had no idea George Orwell’s wife was buried in St Andrew’s Cemetery Jesmond, I would then recount how this came to be, and telling them about the work of the Orwell Society. I also regularly chat to the gatehouse keeper on his walks around the cemetery. On Tuesday 6th September 2022 I visited the grave, to do some late summer tidying and pruning, as we have had record temperatures over the summer, work has been minimal, mainly watering the thirsty flowers. Unfortunately, Horsetail weed is once again growing profusely on the surrounding graves, that is always my main concern, to stop it taking hold on Eileen’s grave, by constantly pulling it up. Whilst there I was approached by two volunteers from a food bank, it became clear this was a repeat visit as they had looked into the life of Eileen after a previous visit, in particular mentioning her poem ‘End of the Century: 1984’. I was overjoyed, as this was exactly what I was hoping for. I am planning for 2023, after reading Rebecca Solnit’s book Orwell’s Roses and Orwell’s diary entry, to source at least some, of the flowers, aubretia, miniature flox, saxifrage, miniature dianthus, Orwell had planted on his last visit on May 22nd 1946, on his way up to Jura.

‘This might be one of the most poignant images of Orwell: a widower stooped over his young wife’s grave, in a place where he had few connections, digging and planting on a gray, damp day’ (From Orwell’s Roses by Rebecca Solnit)

In June 2022 I was contacted via Quentin Kopp by Eileen M. Hunt, political theorist and Professor of political science at University of Notre Dame, Indiana. Eileen was in Newcastle upon Tyne for a conference at the Civic Centre and is doing research into the women who influenced Orwell, for an upcoming book. Eileen asked if I would take her to see Eileen’s grave and her childhood home, Westgate House in South Shields, where a blue plaque had been unveiled in March. I wrote, ‘it would be a pleasure’, but also decided to contact Fernwood House in Jesmond, which from 1937 to 1963, was a Maternity Hospital, and where Eileen died on the operating table in March 1945, and is now owned by Lowes Financial Management Ltd. I had never been inside myself and thought this an excellent opportunity as I would be accompanying an American Professor! They agreed to the visit and a time was arranged. Of course, Eileen’s actual room and the operating theatre is not recorded, but going from the description in her last, sad and poignant, letter to Orwell.

‘This is a nice room – ground floor so one can see the garden. Not much in it except daffodils and I think arabis but a nice lawn. My bed isn’t near the window, but it faces the right way, I also see the fire and the clock,’

Where her writing tails off as the morphine kicks in, it could be the two rooms we visited on the ground floor, now board and reception rooms.

We then visited Eileen’s grave, the June weather could not have been kinder, if I may paraphrase Orwell’s diary entry ”Rosa Noaschnee on E’s grave has rooted well” and is in full flower. I then read a short piece from Eileen: The Making of George Orwell by Sylvia Topp.

In the hilarious photo taken by Eileen, my expression is more like a town crier, ”Oyez, oyez, oyez”. After respects were given and photos taken, we travelled to South Shields and Westgate House to see Eileen’s childhood home, now fully recognized with a blue plaque.

So ended the first of two terrific days with Eileen. For the second day I took her on a historic tour of my beautiful city Newcastle upon Tyne.

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Sources and quotes

Orwell’s Roses by Rebecca Solnit

Eileen: The Making of George Orwell by Sylvia Topp

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Photographs by Eileen M. Hunt and Brian Thompson

Thanks to Lowes Financial Management board and staff, for graciously allowing our visit to Fernwood House.

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