Biography:
Alice Elizabeth Cooper
18/04/1879 –12/01/1963
Alice Elizabeth Cooper
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Alice Elizabeth Cooper (nee Priestland)
Alice Elizabeth PRIESTLAND was born on 18th April 1879. Her parents were Edward and his wife, Lucy Mary (nee Gascoyne). Edward was a clergyman, who married the daughter of Revd. Thomas Gascoigne, who founded a prep school called Spondon House School for the sons of Gentlemen’, that Edward had arrived at in 1874. Later, Edward took over as proprietor and headmaster of the school and built it up to be one of the best schools of its type in the area.
Alice was the oldest of 5 children, having 2 sisters and 2 brothers. On the 18th April 1900 (Alice’s 21st birthday), she married Richard Ashmole Cooper (aged 25), whose occupation is listed as Chemical Manufacturer, in her home village of Spondon. It is unclear how Alice met Richard, although he was brought up in Shenstone Court, Shenstone, Staffordshire that is 30 miles of so from Alice’s home town of Spondon. Alice moved with her husband to Berkhamsted where he worked within the Cooper family business (William Cooper & Nephews).
A son, William Herbert, was born in 1901, when the family lived at a large house, Whitehill, on Rectory Lane, Berkhamsted. By 1911 the family was letting a large family house, Ashlyns Hall, just on the fringe of Berkhamsted. Alice had given birth to a further 2 children, Richard Philip (1902) and Francis Ashmole (1905).
In 1921 the family lived at The Krael, Whitehill, Berkhamsted. Further family homes in London and Berkamsted, were lived in over the next 25 years by Alice as husband, Richard, combined his career as an MP, with running the family business that he took over in 1913, on the death of his father. The addresses that they lived at included the exclusive address of 6 Carlton Gardens SW1, where neighbours included the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and Arthur Balfour (ex-Prime Minister) and the large family house, Felden Lodge that eventually passed in the hands of the Boys Brigade and became its UK headquarters.
In 1937 the family acquired Shenstone Court (named after Richard’s original family home) on Berkhamsted Hill. Lady Alice was responsible for the lay out of a Japanese garden in the grounds that was almost identical in design to one that she had laid out at Felden Lodge. This property later passed into the ownership of the family company and ultimately was developed into Castle Village Retirement Village.
Upon the death of her husband in 1946, his estate was valued at £460,204, equivalent to £24.6m today. Alice would have moved out of Shenstone Court when this property was transferred to the family company, moving to Thorn Cottage, Gravel Path, Berkhamsted, where she died on 12th January 1963. Her estate was valued at £77,928 (£2m today).
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Alice Elizabeth Cooper (nee Priestland)
Alice Elizabeth PRIESTLAND was born on 18th April 1879. Her parents were Edward and his wife, Lucy Mary (nee Gascoyne). Edward was a clergyman, who married the daughter of Revd. Thomas Gascoigne, who founded a prep school called Spondon House School for the sons of Gentlemen’, that Edward had arrived at in 1874. Later, Edward took over as proprietor and headmaster of the school and built it up to be one of the best schools of its type in the area.
Alice was the oldest of 5 children, having 2 sisters and 2 brothers. On the 18th April 1900 (Alice’s 21st birthday), she married Richard Ashmole Cooper (aged 25), whose occupation is listed as Chemical Manufacturer, in her home village of Spondon. It is unclear how Alice met Richard, although he was brought up in Shenstone Court, Shenstone, Staffordshire that is 30 miles of so from Alice’s home town of Spondon. Alice moved with her husband to Berkhamsted where he worked within the Cooper family business (William Cooper & Nephews).
A son, William Herbert, was born in 1901, when the family lived at a large house, Whitehill, on Rectory Lane, Berkhamsted. By 1911 the family was letting a large family house, Ashlyns Hall, just on the fringe of Berkhamsted. Alice had given birth to a further 2 children, Richard Philip (1902) and Francis Ashmole (1905).
In 1921 the family lived at The Krael, Whitehill, Berkhamsted. Further family homes in London and Berkamsted, were lived in over the next 25 years by Alice as husband, Richard, combined his career as an MP, with running the family business that he took over in 1913, on the death of his father. The addresses that they lived at included the exclusive address of 6 Carlton Gardens SW1, where neighbours included the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and Arthur Balfour (ex-Prime Minister) and the large family house, Felden Lodge that eventually passed in the hands of the Boys Brigade and became its UK headquarters.
In 1937 the family acquired Shenstone Court (named after Richard’s original family home) on Berkhamsted Hill. Lady Alice was responsible for the lay out of a Japanese garden in the grounds that was almost identical in design to one that she had laid out at Felden Lodge. This property later passed into the ownership of the family company and ultimately was developed into Castle Village Retirement Village.
Upon the death of her husband in 1946, his estate was valued at £460,204, equivalent to £24.6m today. Alice would have moved out of Shenstone Court when this property was transferred to the family company, moving to Thorn Cottage, Gravel Path, Berkhamsted, where she died on 12th January 1963. Her estate was valued at £77,928 (£2m today).
Relatives
Historical Connections
The following local places of interest are linked to Alice Elizabeth Cooper:
Coopers Chemical Works
Berkhamsted Castle
Ashlyns Hall
Sunnyside Church
White Hill
Military graves