Alice Coralie Glyn (1866 - 1928)

Alice Coralie Glyn was born in 1866 to Henry Carr Glyn and Rose (nee Mahoney). Henry was a Captain in the Royal Navy, living at 41 Beaufort Gardens. Alice had 3 siblings, Rose, Henry and Frederick. Her grandfather was George Carr Glyn who was the 1st Lord Baron Wolverton, a title created for him.

In 1881 Alice and her sister Rose were living at 68 Eaton Place, St George Hanover Square, London. Rose was described as the ‘daughter head’ even though she was only 21. Alice was 14 – both women were ‘Gentlewomen’ and the house had 8 servants. Their father, now widowed, lived elsewhere in London. Brother Frederick was at school at Eton, and brother Henry in Liverpool

In April 1889 Alice married Henry Lister Beaumont in Paddington, but she petitioned for a divorce in April 1890 on the grounds of his adultery and cruelty. The decree absolute was not granted however, due to lack of evidence, and a suggestion of connivance between the couple to dissolve the marriage, but they did not live together after that. Henry married again in 1893, but was apprehended and charged with bigamy.

Henry Beaumont died in 1909 in Wimbledon. He left his estate worth £76 to his widow Alice Coralie Beaumont. Probate was re-sworn in 1919 and the money left to a Beaumont relation – one assumes that Alice refused the money.

By 1891 Alice was 24, described herself as single and lived at Iwerne House in Iwerne Minster, Shaftesbury, Dorset. This mansion was owned by her brother Frederick, who was now the 4th Baron Wolverton, his elder brother the 3rd Baron having died childless a few years earlier. There were 11 servants. Iwerne House had been commissioned by George Carr Glyn in 1878. Alice had had the title of ‘Honourable’ conferred on her by Queen Victoria in 1889 on the death of her father.

Alice wrote her first novel "The Idyll of the star flower: an allegory of life" in 1895 and in 1896 wrote “A Woman of Tomorrow: A Tale of the 20th Century”. In this second novel Alice (or Coralie as she became known) imagines a world of 1996 where women have the vote and are able to become barristers.

Alice became a strong supporter of women’s rights and in 1898 she established the Camelot Club in Queen’s Square London. At this time women were barred from men’s clubs so the Camelot Club was specifically for women employed as clerks, typists and shop workers. Since these were working women, the club opened exclusively on Sundays. Alice was also a member of the Pioneer Club and was known as an able debater. This was also a women only club founded in 1892 for discussion, lectures and debates on intellectual issues. She also became involved with the suffragette movement.

By 1901 Alice lived at Belvidere, Stourwood, Pokesdown, Christchurch, Hampshire. She was the head of the household which included Louisa Twemlow as a visitor, and had 3 servants.

The 1911 census shows both Alice and Louisa (now known as Lois) boarding at 83 Mount Ephraim, an apartment house run by Louisa Cole. Both Alice and Lois were single and had private means. Alice is described as an ‘authoress’.

She was still living at 83 Mt Ephraim (now named Stanley House) at the time of her death in 1928.

When Alice died she left £31,052. Almost all was left to her friend Lois for life and then to the trustees of Welwyn Garden City for the purpose of building, founding and endowing free cottages for women of the working classes of 60 years and upwards, to be of British nationality and of the Protestant community and who were in need, hardship or distress. Preference was given to those resident for 5 years or more in Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield, Welwyn and Tunbridge Wells.

The Kent and Sussex Courier said that the Hon Alice was known as a writer with a special interest in social and humanitarian movements.

The legacy that Alice left was used to build 14 bungalows in Welwyn Garden City in 1951 after Lois died. These houses are run by a charity to provide assistance to those who fit the criteria she wished. However the bungalows are now also available for men.

Lois, baptised Louisa Twemlow, was born in 1853 in Cheshire, the daughter of a cabinet maker. She died at Ephraim Lodge, The Common, TW and left £4,596.

Alice and Lois are buried together in grave A3 (General) 263 - 265