George Bernard Shaw had his ‘prayers answered’ when an Eliza Doolittle-style maid was discovered for him simply months earlier than he died, newly-declassified recordsdata reveal.
Paperwork present the Nobel laureate requested Eire’s ambassador to London in 1950 if he might assist discover a parlour-maid for his English residence in Ayot St Lawrence, Hertfordshire.
A lady named Miss M Mooney from the then-Division of Exterior Affairs in Dublin arrange an interview panel to search out the brand new maid – to her thoughts, somebody similar to the protagonist of his famed Pygmalion, the poverty-stricken Eliza Doolittle who was coached for prime society.
The unanimous choice was that Patricia Dicker, from Bray, County Wicklow, was ‘a solution to Mr Shaw’s prayer’. She was described as ‘Eliza Doolittle the Second’ who ‘appears a really adaptable younger lady’.
George Bernard Shaw requested Eire’s ambassador to London in 1950 if he might assist discover a parlour-maid for his English residence
It was famous that Ms Dicker ‘admits that she does like dancing and footage however says they don’t seem to be important to her and he or she could be fairly glad to cycle into Welwyn on her days off and discover her personal amusement in no matter it has to supply’.
Miss Mooney added: ‘She is kind of prepared to take any orders and adapt herself and any impression we’d have had at first that the glamour of the publish attracted her was quickly dispelled by her smart and matter of reality perspective.’
In a subsequent be aware confirming her appointment, Miss Mooney beamed that she was ‘so glad’ Ms Dicker was profitable ‘and I believe we’re very fortunate to get her’.
‘She is a most uncommon sort… she promised to adapt herself to the routine of what I think about to be a relatively troublesome family – not less than we should admit it’s uncommon and never each lady would slot in there.’
Mr Shaw died at residence, aged 94, simply months after Ms Dicker’s appointment.
Round seven months after Shaw’s dying, the Division of Exterior Affairs moved to distance itself from the appointment. The recordsdata present that Dicker’s mom had complained about her daughter being ordered to remain on on the home ‘even after his dying’.
An official notes within the recordsdata that the mom was informed ‘this division had completely no official reference to the appointment’ and that it was ‘merely doing a private favour for GBS’.
‘In my opinion any claims she has on GBS’s property don’t come up till after we had completed with the matter,’ the official wrot
