Housekeeper who left in disgrace

Mr Robers, 82, has been visiting Guy’s Cliffe since he became a Freemason in 1982.

His third book on the site, Further Recollections of a Country Mansion, includes some intriguing stories, including that of former housekeeper, Eliza Wedgbury.

Terry says in the book: “After publication of the first edition I received a letter from a complete stranger leading to a meeting with the sender and a very interesting family story closely associated with Guy’s Cliffe.”

It said: ‘ Guy’s Cliffe is part of my heritage as Algernon Heber Percy was my great grandfather.’

Terry added: “Could there possible be a semblance of truth in her story?

“Over the next few weeks I received more details of the lady’s family, going back to the 1870s when Eliza Wedgbury (her great great grandmother) had given birth to an illegitimate daughter, Nelley; Nelley’s tragic death in 1913, the remarkable story of the lady’s family and her life in occupied Holland during World War II; and finally the death of her mother (Elsie June) in 1985 when, from her deathbed, she had told her children the story of their grandmother’s birth.

“Eliza Wedgbury, born in Kenilworth around 1854, was in service to the Heber Percy family of Hodnet, Shropshire, in the late 1860s-early 70s before moving to service at Guy’s Cliffe.

“Eliza became pregant and left Guy’s Cliffe in disgrace, giving birth to a daughter Nelley on October 3 1884 (the name of the father is not disclosed on the birth certificate).

“Eliza married Henry Soden, a gardener and former colleague at Guy’s Cliffe, opening and living at a hardware/toy store in Warwick Street, Kenilworth and having two other children.”

The full version of this story is in the book, Further Recollections of a Country Mansion, which is available at Warwick Books and Kenilworth Books (£12.50).