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Susan Cunliffe-Lister, Baroness Masham of Ilton

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British politician and life peer (1935–2023) "Susan Cunliffe-Lister" redirects here. For her former sister-in-law and Lord Lieutenant of the East Riding of Yorkshire, see Susan Cunliffe-Lister (Lord Lieutenant).
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The Right HonourableThe Countess of SwintonDL
Official portrait, 2019
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
In office
25 February 1970 – 12 March 2023
Life peerage
Personal details
BornSusan Lilian Primrose Sinclair
(1935-04-14)14 April 1935
Died12 March 2023(2023-03-12) (aged 87)
Northallerton, North Yorkshire, England
NationalityBritish
Political partyCrossbench
Spouse David Cunliffe-Lister, 2nd Earl of Swinton ​ ​(m. 1959; died 2006)​
Alma materRoyal Polytechnic Institution (now University of Westminster)
Sports career
Medal record
Representing  Great Britain
Paralympic Games
Para-swimming
Gold medal – first place 1960 Rome 25m breaststroke complete class 2
Silver medal – second place 1960 Rome 25m backstroke complete class 2
Silver medal – second place 1964 Tokyo 25m freestyle prone complete C2
Silver medal – second place 1964 Tokyo 25m freestyle supine complete C2
Silver medal – second place 1964 Tokyo 25m breaststroke complete C2
Table tennis
Gold medal – first place 1964 Tokyo Women's doubles B
Silver medal – second place 1964 Tokyo Women's singles B
Silver medal – second place 1968 Tel Aviv Women's doubles B
Bronze medal – third place 1960 Rome Women's doubles B
Bronze medal – third place 1968 Tel Aviv Women's singles B

Susan Lilian Primrose Cunliffe-Lister, Countess of Swinton, Baroness Masham of Ilton, DL (née Sinclair; 14 April 1935 – 12 March 2023) was a British crossbench member of the House of Lords, disability campaigner and Paralympic athlete. She was the founder and life-long president of the Spinal Injuries Association. She was Vice President of the Snowdon Trust, founded by the Earl of Snowdon, which provides grants and scholarships for students with disabilities. Her 53 years' membership of the House of Lords was the longest of any female peer.

Personal life

Susan Sinclair was born on 14 April 1935, as the daughter of Major Sir Ronald Sinclair, 8th Baronet. She was educated at Heathfield School and London Polytechnic (the Royal Polytechnic Institution).

In 1959 she married David Cunliffe-Lister, Lord Masham (1937–2006), who became Earl of Swinton in 1972. By this marriage, she became entitled to the honorifics Lady Masham, and, later, Countess of Swinton. She was created a life peer in the House of Lords in 1970 as the Baroness Masham of Ilton, of Masham in the North Riding of the County of York.

She was a prominent Roman Catholic convert and a patron of the Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology.

She and her husband (who died in 2006) adopted two children, Clare and Jessie.

She died on 12 March 2023 at Friarage Hospital, Northallerton. She was 87. A memorial service was held at Westminster Cathedral.

Disability campaigner

Cunliffe-Lister sustained spinal cord injuries in 1958 in a riding accident, becoming paraplegic when she was 22 years old. Her rehabilitation took place at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, where she met Sir Ludwig Guttmann, the founder of the Paralympic movement.

In 1974 she founded the Spinal Injuries Association an organisation which supports and advocates for spinal cord injured people. She was the life-long President.

She was the subject of This Is Your Life in February 1976 when she was surprised by Eamonn Andrews in the foyer of the De Vere hotel in Kensington, London.

Cunliffe-Lister was an active member of the House of Lords, where she continued to be known as the Baroness Masham of Ilton, a title she held in her own right. In 1970 she was the youngest Life peer and became the longest running female peer with 53 years of service. She took a particular interest in disability rights, accessible public transport and accommodation, the added cost of living, rehabilitation, health including HIV/AIDs and Long Covid, and penal reform.

She opened the factory for Nordis Signs, part of the Kier Group, in Northampton, which employs a majority-disabled workforce. She continued to run the Masham Riding Centre in Masham, North Yorkshire until her death. Cunliffe-Lister was a longtime supporter of the charity Disability Action Yorkshire, becoming Patron in 2011.

Baroness Masham was President of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy from 1975 to 1982. In 2011, she was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the Royal College of Nursing.

Paralympic career

Cunliffe-Lister competed in several Paralympic Games. At the inaugural Games in Rome in 1960, she won swimming gold and silver in the 25m breaststroke complete class 2 and 25m backstroke complete class 2 respectively, as well as bronze in the table tennis, women's doubles class B.

Four years later, at the 1964 Tokyo Paralympics, she won gold in the table tennis women's doubles B alongside Gwen Buck, and silver in the women's singles B. In the pool, Masham won three silver medals, in the 25m freestyle prone complete C2, 25m freestyle supine complete C2, and 25m breaststroke complete C2.

At the 1968 Tel Aviv Paralympics, Masham added table tennis silver in the women's doubles B with Buck, and bronze in the women's singles B.

References

  1. ^ Cooney, Christy (14 March 2023). "Baroness Masham, Paralympian and longest-serving female peer, dies aged 87". BBC News. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  2. ^ "In memory of Baroness Masham". SIA. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  3. "Our board". The Snowdon Trust. Archived from the original on 1 March 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  4. Mosley, Charles, ed. (2003). Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage. Burke's Peerage. doi:10.5118/bpbk.2003. ISBN 9780971196629.
  5. Carr, Vicky (31 March 2023). "Inquest hears Lady Masham died from sepsis". The Stray Ferret. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  6. "Baroness Masham of Ilton". MPs and Lords. UK Parliament. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  7. "Memorial Service for Baroness Masham held at Westminster Cathedral". Independent Catholic News. 21 October 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  8. ^ "Reflections on two unique and great women who served as presidents of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy". HISTORY.PHYSIO. 30 March 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  9. "Spoken contributions of Baroness Masham of Ilton in the House of Lords". Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  10. Ames, Chris (24 October 2022). "Nordis points the way to supported employment". Highways Magazine. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  11. Rolls of Honour Archived 13 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Royal College of Nursing, 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  12. "Medallists Rome 1960 Paralympic Games Swimming". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  13. "Medallists Rome 1960 Paralympic Games Table Tennis". IPC. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  14. "Medallists Tokyo 1964 Paralympic Games Table Tennis". IPC. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  15. "Results Archive Tokyo 1964 Swimming". IPC. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  16. "Medallists Tel Aviv 1968 Paralympic Games Table Tennis". IPC. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2022.

Sources

External links

Honorary titles
Preceded byThe Lord Chalfont Senior life peer
2020–2023 		Succeeded byThe Lord Tanlaw
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