Alice Hext
Encyclopedia
Alice Hext was a Cornish philanthropist
, garden developer and magistrate. She was the owner of the Trebah
Estate and leisure garden, near Falmouth
in Cornwall
from 1907 to her death in 1939,
and generously supported the development of sports and social activities in the Parishes of Constantine
and Mawnan
.
She married Charles Hawkins Hext, a banker, on 16 April 1891 in Kensington
. Both her father and her husband bore names "well-known among West Country gentry
".
Charles and Alice Hext are shown in the 1901 census as resident at Polgwin in the civil parish of Bodmin
, Cornwall. Charles is described as "Retired Banker" aged 49. Alice is shown as age 36. In 1907, they moved to Trebah. Charles Hext served as Mayor
of Bodmin in 1895 and as High Sheriff of Cornwall
in 1915. He died on 3 January 1917.
She developed Trebah Garden, the beautiful garden created by the Fox family of Falmouth
, on the northern side of the Helford River
at Trebahwortha, near Mawnan
Smith.
After her death, the estate was split up and the garden passed between several owners and decayed. The "lost garden" at Trebah was rescued by the Hibbert family, who established a charitable trust to enable the garden to be open to the public again. A cob and thatch arbour in the garden was restored and given the name "Alice's Seat" ,.
In 1928, she acquired Goongillings Farm and rebuilt the old quay as a decorative feature. She created a public right of way, from the village of Constantine to the river, through her land and covenanted its future use against inappropriate development.
from June 1921 until 1939.
Her obituary in the West Briton says:
She died on 14 September 1939, and was buried in the churchyard of Saint Constantine's church.
Also present were a number of her nieces and nephews, including the MP for Penryn and Falmouth, Maurice Petherick
.
The Girls Friendly Society no longer functions in Falmouth but is a global organisation. The Constantine Sports and Social Club, that she endowed, still functions and the land she protected from development by covenant is still green. The garden that she and Charles Hext developed gives much pleasure to many people.
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
, garden developer and magistrate. She was the owner of the Trebah
Trebah
Trebah is a sub-tropical garden situated in Cornwall near Glendurgan Garden and above the Helford River .-History of Trebah:In 1831 Trebah was acquired by the Fox family who built Glendurgan Garden. Trebah was first laid out as a pleasure garden by Charles Fox, a Quaker polymath of enormous...
Estate and leisure garden, near Falmouth
Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
from 1907 to her death in 1939,
and generously supported the development of sports and social activities in the Parishes of Constantine
Constantine, Kerrier
Constantine is a village and civil parish in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately five miles west-southwest of Falmouth....
and Mawnan
Mawnan
Mawnan is a civil parish in south Cornwall, United Kingdom . It is situated in the former administrative district of Kerrier and is bounded to the south by the Helford River, to the east by the sea, and to the west by Constantine parish...
.
Birth & Marriage
Alice Petherick was born in St. Austell, on 2 March 1865, the daughter of George Petherick, a Bank Manager and his wife, Emily (born Barratt).She married Charles Hawkins Hext, a banker, on 16 April 1891 in Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
. Both her father and her husband bore names "well-known among West Country gentry
Landed gentry
Landed gentry is a traditional British social class, consisting of land owners who could live entirely off rental income. Often they worked only in an administrative capacity looking after the management of their own lands....
".
Charles and Alice Hext are shown in the 1901 census as resident at Polgwin in the civil parish of Bodmin
Bodmin
Bodmin is a civil parish and major town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated in the centre of the county southwest of Bodmin Moor.The extent of the civil parish corresponds fairly closely to that of the town so is mostly urban in character...
, Cornwall. Charles is described as "Retired Banker" aged 49. Alice is shown as age 36. In 1907, they moved to Trebah. Charles Hext served as Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Bodmin in 1895 and as High Sheriff of Cornwall
High Sheriff of Cornwall
High Sheriffs of Cornwall: a chronological list:Note: The right to choose High Sheriffs each year is vested in the Duchy of Cornwall, rather than the Privy Council, chaired by the Sovereign, which chooses the Sheriffs of all other English counties, other than those in the Duchy of...
in 1915. He died on 3 January 1917.
Trebah Garden
Fox family of Falmouth
The Fox family of Falmouth, Cornwall, UK were very influential in the development of the town of Falmouth in the 19th century and of the Cornish Industrial Revolution...
, on the northern side of the Helford River
Helford River
The Helford River is a ria located in Cornwall, England, UK, and not a true river. It is fed by a number of small streams into its numerous creeks...
at Trebahwortha, near Mawnan
Mawnan
Mawnan is a civil parish in south Cornwall, United Kingdom . It is situated in the former administrative district of Kerrier and is bounded to the south by the Helford River, to the east by the sea, and to the west by Constantine parish...
Smith.
“Mrs. Hext was a keen horticulturist and a frequent exhibitor at county and local garden shows and in her support of these she did much to help allotment holders and small gardeners. Her grounds were always open to the public and were often used for fetes and garden parties.”
After her death, the estate was split up and the garden passed between several owners and decayed. The "lost garden" at Trebah was rescued by the Hibbert family, who established a charitable trust to enable the garden to be open to the public again. A cob and thatch arbour in the garden was restored and given the name "Alice's Seat" ,.
Philanthropy
She was a noted benefactor, to the County and in the Parishes of Constantine and Mawnan. In particular, she gave the playing field and sports pavilion to the village of Constantine in 1921, in memory of her husband, Charles Hawkins Hext. There is a commemorative plaque at Constantine Social Club, recalling her generosity to the village.Protective Covenant
Public service
She served as Justice of the PeaceJustice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
from June 1921 until 1939.
Her obituary in the West Briton says:
“A Justice of the Peace for the East Kerrier District, Mrs. Hext regularly attended the monthly meetings of the court at Penryn and she took a particular interest in the welfare of young people unfortunate enough to come before the magistrates.
One of her greatest interests was the Girls' Friendly Society. She was president of the county the branch, and she was constantly active in furthering the good causes of that organisation in Cornwall and beyond it.
Some years ago, she presented a fine house, Miramar, at Grove-place, Falmouth, as a G.F.S. lodge for the Truro Diocese, enabling girls to be trained there for domestic service and affording hundreds of young women from other parts of the country and from abroad to enjoy holidays under the auspices of the movement at Falmouth.
A keen advocate of every possible facility for children in both elementary and secondary schools, Mrs. Hext was a valued education worker in the county and in the Falmouth area, being associated with both the Mawnan and Constantine elementary schools, a governor of Falmouth County High School for Girls, and a frequent benefactor to the Falmouth Grammar School. When village or secondary schools were in need of some improvements, Mrs. Hext not infrequently made herself responsible for them, and she often provided prizes as an inducement to scholars in some particularly commendable direction.
In the Constantine-Mawnan area she was interested in and almost invariably a helper in, anything for the betterment of village life. She gave to Constantine its present recreation ground and pavilion, and in both villages she supported sporting and social organisations, almost without exception.”
Death and legacy
"Among the wreaths were tributes from the presidents, vice-presidents and members of the Truro Diocesan Council of the G.F.S.; Constantine Parochial Church Council, Constantine Nursing Association, Constantine Recreation Committee, Constantine Garden Society, the teachers and pupils of Ponjeravah Day Schools, Constantine Branch of the G.F.S.; the indoor staff; the outdoor staff; and “the garden she loved”.
Also present were a number of her nieces and nephews, including the MP for Penryn and Falmouth, Maurice Petherick
Maurice Petherick
Maurice Petherick was a British Conservative Party politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Penryn & Falmouth from 1931 to 1945, and as Financial Secretary to the War Office, briefly, in 1945.-Early life:...
.
The Girls Friendly Society no longer functions in Falmouth but is a global organisation. The Constantine Sports and Social Club, that she endowed, still functions and the land she protected from development by covenant is still green. The garden that she and Charles Hext developed gives much pleasure to many people.