DEATH IN A WORKHOUSE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume xxix, Issue 7543, 20 July 1908, Page 1

DEATH IN A WORKHOUSE.

SOCIETY BEAUTY'S END

An interesting figure was laid to rest at Woodchester Church, Stroud in the person of Mrs Alice White formerly Lady Baghott, who died at btroud Union Workhouse on" May 2nd at the age of 92. A girl of extreme loveliness, she was married in 1837 to the late Sir Paul Baghott, of the i^riory, Woodchester, in whose house she had served as maid to his daughters. The marriage caused- a great sensation at the time, but Lady BaghottV beauty won all hearts, and she became a society toast under the name of the Gloucestershire Belle." Sir Paul and his lady had one son, born in 1838, but m the same year the former died at the age of 66 years, and was buried at King Stanley, near Stroud. ' Sir Paul owned several large estates in the county of Gloucester, notably, at one time, the beautiful ' Lypiatt Park, Stroud. : ' ,

A room in the Mansion House at Lypiatt has always been pointed out as tho definite place where the Gunpowder Plot conspirators met to promote their scheme.

The son of Sir Paul and Lady Baghott died at the early age of 28. Following great monetary losses, Lady Baghotfc and her son lived in straightened circumstances, and through the friendly interest of the late Dr John Williams, for 30 years rector of Woodchester, she was appointed to one of the five dame schools mAth.o parish; She retired in 1849, and married Elijah White, carpenter, who predeceased her some years ago. Prior to his death, Dr Williams secured to her for life the cottage in which she was born and lived to within a short time of her death, her removal to the workhouse being necessitated by increasing feebleness and the inability of her daughter, Catherine White, to properly attend to her.

Her funeral was attended by a crowd of friends and villagers, the expenses being borne by a number cf friends, so that the former Lady Baghott was spared the ignominy of a pauper's grave.