Dame of Sark, an autobiography

by Sibyl Collings Hathaway

Dame Sibyl Mary Collings Beaumont Hathaway DBE (1884–1974) was Dame of Sark from 1927 until her death in 1974. Her 47-year rule over Sark, in the Channel Islands, spanned the reigns of four Monarchs and during her lifetime Sark probably experienced more danger and excitement than in the whole of the rest of its history.
Sark, a remnant of the ancient Duchy of Normandy is one of the Channel Islands and one of the oldest possessions of the British Crown,. Since the days of Queen Elizabeth I it has been the possession of a feudal chief known as the Seigneur—or, in the case of a woman, the Dame.

Dame Sibyl’s tenure saw the German occupation of the Channel Islands in the Second World War, during which she refused to evacuate and convinced the islanders to stay as well. Her eldest son and heir apparent, Francis William Beaumont, was killed in 1941, while her husband was deported to an internment camp in 1943.

The Dame remains best known for her indomitable conduct during the occupation. After the war, she continued her publicity campaign, strengthening the island’s tourism industry. She was described by a British government official as a “lady of unusual personality”, and is often referred to as a benevolent dictator. Dame Sibyl died at the age of 90, and was succeeded by her grandson, Michael Beaumont.

The Dame of Sark is an unparalleled figure in the modern scene, and her beloved non-conforming island is like nowhere else in the world. She tells the story of her life and of her unique domain with characteristic forthrightness and a mischievous sense of humour.

Genres: History, Memoir, World War II, Biography, Nonfiction

211 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I normally despise the random ads and "suggested for you" items that litter my facebook news feed, but just this once, I am delighted to have stumbled upon a bit of history trivia that I never would have gone searching for on my own because it led me to this book.

Dame of Sark is the autobiography of Sibyl Hathaway, the woman who governed one the last (perhaps the last?) feudal societies in the world. She ruled Sark, one of the Channel Islands (close to Guernsey) from 1927 to 1974. It would not, I think, be much of an exaggeration to say that she is the entire reason that the people of Sark survived the German occupation of the Channel Islands during WWII. Her life story is a remarkable one, marked by tragedy and a tremendous resilience. Her voice comes through clearly in this book--you can picture her narrating it to you, dignified and unbending, relating astonishing acts of bravery and determination as if they were commonplace.

For those of you who loved The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, it would be worth seeing if you can get your hands on a copy of this book to get a look at a true account of the occupation of the Channel Islands.

And now, Sark is on my list of places I desperately want to visit.

[Ginger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very interesting biography set mostly during WWII on the Island of Sark. The Dame of Sark was a remarkable woman, who knew the value of home, family, duty, and loyalty. She set a wonderful example of strength in the face of extremely trying circumstances and how to maintain dignity during deprivation. She was no victim, even though she could have chosen that route many times. I read it online here. http://www.archive.org/details/dameof...

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Should be required reading for any world history course.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! What a woman! Born the daughter of the eccentric Seigneur of Sark, William Frederick Collings, Sibyl became the feudal lady of Sark, which she lovingly called “the last bastion of feudalism”. Faced with revitalizing the island of Sark while taking control of her feudal rights to bring Sark into the 20th century, Sybil became a force to be reckoned with. And then the Nazis arrived…

[Panda Incognito · Rating 5 out of 5]

This scarce, out-of-print autobiography is fascinating and hilarious, and I'm glad that I finally got a copy from inter-library loan. I would definitely recommend this to other World War II history buffs, since the second half of the book focuses on little-known stories about the Channel Islands under German occupation, but the whole book is great. The author did an amazing job sharing her everyday and history-making experiences in an engaging way.