462 Wilts Obituary. 



Charles Awdry, died March 28th, 1912, aged 65. Buried at Market 

 Lavington. Sixth son of Sir John Wither Awdry. Born at Notton, 

 February 12th, 1847. Educated at Winchester (scholar) 1861, and 

 New College, Oxford, 1865. B.A., 1870; M.A., 1873; Barrister of 

 Inner Temple, 1874 ; entered the business of W. H. Smith & Son, of 

 the Strand, 1870, in which he became a partner in 1876, and for many 

 years was the senior acting partner. Indeed he only retired from 

 active work in the business in 1911, when, as a token of the great 

 esteem in which he was held, he was publicly presented with a service 

 of plate subscribed for by over 5,000 of the employes of the firm. For 

 a time he lived almost wholly in London, but about 1890 he came to 

 live at Shaw Hill House, Melksham, became J. P. and D.L. for Wilts, 

 and High Sheriif in 1891. He was elected an alderman of the County 

 Council in 1910. In 1902 he bought the Lavington property from the 

 Bouverie trustees, and in 1908 he removed to East Lavington Manor, 

 both house and grounds being greatly altered and improved by him. 

 At Winchester he had played in the eleven 1863 — 65, and his love of 

 cricket was shown in the annual cricket week which he instituted 

 both at Shaw and Lavington, and by his taking a foremost part in the 

 establishment and support of the County Cricket Club, and County 

 Ground at Trowbridge. His great business responsibilities in London 

 prevented him from taking that prominent place in the business of 

 the county that had he been a freer man he would doubtless have 

 filled, but the great gathering at his simple funeral showed the 

 impression that his sterling qualities had made on all who came in 

 contact with him. The Awdrys have long been abundant and 

 characteristic products of North Wiltshire, and many good Wiltshire- 

 men have borne the name, but none have ever borne it more worthily 

 than he. A deeply religious man, his place as a Churchman will be 

 hard to fill. No good cause ever appealed to him in vain ; his generosity 

 was known to all. As a Wykehamist he took in 1885 a leading part in 

 establishing the Winchester College Mission at Portsmouth, and for 

 the last twenty-seven years has been a member of the committee and 

 one of its chief supporters. At Shaw he re-built the Church in its 

 present unique form, but his Churchmanship was not shown only in 

 money gifts, his life was consistent in everyway, and in no small measure 

 he won life-long respect of all who knew him. He married, April 

 20th, 1876, Margaret Helen, fifth daughter of Dr. George Moberly,, 

 Bishop of Salisbury, who survives him with two sons and three 

 daughters. Of these, Charles Selwyn Awdry is one of the present part- 

 ners in his father's firm, whilst Capt. Robert Awdry is aide-de-camp to 

 Sir John Fuller, Governor of Victoria. 



Long obit, notices, in Wiltshire Gazette, April 4th ; Guardian, by 

 W. A. F(earon), April 4th ; Salisbury Journal, March 30th, 1912. 



Sir Eldon Gorst, K.C.B., died July 12th, 1911, at Castle Combe, 

 aged 50. Buried at Castle Combe. Eldest son of Sir John Eldon 

 Gorst, P.C, K.C., who succeeded to the Castle Combe estate on the 

 death of his brother Mr. E. C. Lowndes. Born in New Zealand, 1861, 



