Person    | Female  Born 7/2/1888  Died 9/4/1951

Lady Winifred Fortescue

Categories: Benefactor, Literature, Theatre

Countries: France

Writer and actress. Born as Winifred Beech in a Suffolk rectory. Died France.

1914 she married John Fortescue (1859-1933, librarian, archivist at Windsor Castle and British Army historian), despite being 28 years younger than him. She gave up her stage career and took up an interior decorating and dress designing business until illness forced her to give it up. She then began writing for Punch, the Daily Chronicle and The Evening News, and then started a Women's Page for the Morning Post. In the 1930s Sir John and Lady Fortescue moved to Provence in France, where she began her book writing career with 'Perfume from Provence'. She wrote a number of other books there. The marriage produced no children and her husband died within 2 years of them moving to France, but she stayed on until forced to move out by the German invasion during WW2. She returned at the end of the war and died in Opio, Provence.

Peter Riley, curator of Perfume from Provence, drew our attention to the photo of a miniature version of the Elfin Oak, also by Ivor Innes, which Fortescue wrote about in 'Perfume from Provence’. Peter confirms that (2023) it still  hangs in the porch of the Fortescue's former home in Provence.

Sister-in-law to Emily Fortescue for whom we have a good case as the donor of the nearby clock tower.

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This section lists the memorials created by the subject on this page:
Lady Winifred Fortescue

Creations i

Elfin Oak

For hundreds of years, no one knows for how many, this tree lived its life qu...

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Other Subjects

John Cornelius Park

John Cornelius Park

From The Teddington Society: "a prominent builder and land owner. He was born in Wootton-under Edge, Gloucestershire but by the 1851 Census was living in Teddington. He bought the Lordship of the M...

Person, Benefactor, Property

1 memorial
Mrs Robinson

Mrs Robinson

Of St Georges' Place, Hyde Park Corner.

Person, Benefactor

1 memorial
Queen Victoria's Kensington subjects

Queen Victoria's Kensington subjects

"... her loyal Kensington subjects" which probably means some of the wealthy people who lived in Kensington.

Group, Benefactor

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Hillier Nurseries

Hillier Nurseries

A family owned company with a tradition in professional horticulture. The largest grower of trees (both field and container grown), in the UK and one of the largest in Europe.

Group, Commerce

1 memorial
Brixton Independent Church - foundation stone

Brixton Independent Church - foundation stone

SW9, Brixton Road, Our Lady of the Rosary

We think it likely that Kemp-Welch, a local worthy, attended the church and made a contribution to the costs of this building.

5 subjects commemorated
Road Research Laboratory

Road Research Laboratory

Established by the British government. During World War II it contributed to the war effort with research that aided the development of plastic armour and the bouncing bomb used in the Dambusters R...

Group, Engineering

1 memorial
G. Mayes

G. Mayes

Hammersmith and Fulham International Brigade volunteer.

Person, Spain

War dead, Other war
1 memorial
Ivy Molly Bolton

Ivy Molly Bolton

Known as Molly. Bolton joined the Fabian Society in 1916, and became private secretary to Beatrice and Sidney Webb. She then became secretary of the Fabian Local Government and Research Bureau, an...

Person, Politics & Administration

1 memorial