Sophie Radford de Meissner
| Sophie Radford de Meissner | |
|---|---|
Circa 1910–15
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| Born | Sophie Adelaide Radford November 17, 1854 Morristown, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | April 17, 1957 (aged 102) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Resting place | Oak Hill Cemetery (Washington, D.C.) |
| Occupation |
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| Language | English |
| Relatives | William Radford (father) |
Sophie Adelaide Radford de Meissner (November 17, 1854 – April 17, 1957) was an author, playwright, diplomat's wife, spiritualist and socialite.
Sophie was born third of seven children to William Radford (September 9, 1809 – January 8, 1890), an officer in the United States Navy, and Mary "Minnie" Elizabeth Lovell (April 12, 1829 – October 27, 1903). All the Radford children were born in Morristown, New Jersey except Henry, who was born in Washington, D.C.
The Radfords resided with their in-laws, the Lovells, on Mount Kemble Avenue in a house previously owned by General John Doughty. At the close of the American Civil War, the Radfords moved to Washington, D.C. Sophie attended Madam Burr's School near Fourteenth Street and New York Avenue where the language was French only, regardless of the subject. She took her grand tour when her father received command of the European Squadron in early 1869 and took his wife and six children to accompany him to Europe.
As Radford performed his naval duties in the Mediterranean Sea and European west coast, his family sailed with him to Spain, Portugal, Algiers, France, the Netherlands, and Italy. During 1870, Sophie and siblings attended school at Lausanne, Switzerland. A month after the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War, her father relinquished his command and went to Lausanne to retrieve his children believing any battles would be distant. After arrival in Paris, the surrender of the French Army on Sep 2, 1870, caused the Radford family to flee the advancing Prussian Army. At Le Havre they negotiated commercial passage to the United States.
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