Fairy Godmother

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LXII, Issue 16, 28 February 1941, Page 3

Fairy Godmother

WOMAN'S GREAT HELP TO

AIR FORCE

GAVE BRITAIN SPITFIRE

FIGHTER

A woman gave Britain the Spitfire fighter 'plane. Yet today, the late Lady Houston, "mother" of the Spitfire, is almost a forgotten woman, states the Sunday Chronicle, London. Lady Houston's amazing gift of £200,000 to enable Britain to compete in the Schneider Trophy Race of 1931 resulted in the evolution of the Spitfire. No incident in her colourful life fired the public imagination more than this great gift to buy aeroplanes for the prestige of Britain. The Government of that day had refused to grant the money from public funds.

Great Speed Record The Schneider Trophy Race had been won by Britain in 1927 and 1929. One more win was needed to | make the trophy ours for all time. Not only did we v/in the race, in 1931, but a British racing seaplane achieved a speed of more than 400 m.p.h.

Mr Mitchell, of Stoke-on-trent, famous designer to Vickers' Supermarine, secured the data needed to build the Spitfire; and the Spitfire became the world's finest and fast* est fighter solely because Lucy Houston made it possible for us to acquire the performance data.

"Mystified" Lucy Houston was a brave woman. She fought prejudice—often ungraciousness—but she never faltered in her love for her country. In April, 1932, Lady Houston offered £200,000 to the Government "to supplement national defence," but Mr Ramsay Mac Donald, then j Premier, turned down the offer.

The reason given was that "money could be. given only to supplement general revenue and not for expenditure upon particular es-

sential services." Lady Houston replied that she "was mystified*" and withdrew the offer two years later.

Britain's "fairy godmother," as she was known, won fame before she staggered the country with her wonderful generosity.

Born in London,. the daughter of a Sussex farmer, her golden-haired beauty made her one of the toasts of the city as the wife of Sir Theodore Rririehman.

Gn the death of her third husband, Sir Richard Houston, she became one of the richest womW in the world, inheriting a fortune of £6,000,000.

Because Sir Richard had died outside England and was domiciled in the Channel Islands it was claimed that his estate was free of death duties. With a characteristic gesture Lady Houston made a gift of £2,4oG,ooo—the equivalent of the duty due—to the Government. ■':'.'.

Wonderful Jewels She was a woman of eccentric habits. She lived in London in a Hampstead house where the ceilings were blaclz" "}d the walls were saffron yellow.I **^ ■'>''-■ In her luxury yacht she had an expensive gymnasium installed. She did not use it and allowed no one else to use it. Once she hired a large choir of male singers, who, black-faced; she sent to serenade Sir Samuel Hoare outside his house with anti-Hoare songs during his Chelsea election. On her death in 1935 she left £4,ooo,ooo—but for some time her will could not be found. The sale of iher jewels was another sensation. Her black pearls were sold for £50,000, and a single emerald fetched £9500. But the greatest sensation and her greatest memorial is the Spitfire fighter. Every time one soars to the defence of the Britain she loved, Lady Houston earns once more our gratitude.