Berkshire History for Kids: The Berkshire Lady

Fight Her or Marry Her!

Benjamin Child of Abingdon was a handsome young man-about-town in Georgian Times.
He was spotted attending a wedding in Reading by a young girl called Frances Kendrick. She fell in love with him immediately but Benjamin took no notice of her, even though she was good looking and rich.
So she anonymously sent him a challenge to fight her in a duel. This was a sword-fight to the death which took place when one person had insulted another.
Benjamin turned up at Calcot Woods (now Prospect Park) to find his challenger was a masked woman. This was unheard of. Then she told him that he must fight or marry her!
Benjamin decided he could not take the chance of hurting the lady in a fight. So he agreed to marry her.
He was whisked away in her coach and the two were married at Wargrave Church, but the lady did not take off her mask. Then Benjamin was taken to the big mansion at Calcot Park and left alone in the drawing room.
Servants and then the lady owner of the house appeared and wanted to know what he was doing there.
Eventually however, the same lady admitted she was Frances Kendrick, his new wife. She was extremely beautiful and Benjamin was very pleased.
They were very happy together. Frances became famous and was known as the ‘Berkshire Lady’.