The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1876-12-15
THE WHITE LADY.
me Sfos.a or a Picture.

IHc sotOs'0 ~ ~ a stet4t'Ns
. There was on exhibition in the ant
gallery of the centennial the portrait Of
r a woman who lived in the latter part Of
the eighteenth century, and the artist
had made an attempt to commemorate an
actual incident in her life.
The facts of that life have been gath
cred by the arduOus antiquary, William
Beckworth Forse, and it is upon the
basis of his strange but intensely inter
esting narrative that Mr.. Petite made
his picture.
From this narrative We learn that Sir
William Richardson lived in Hereford
shire on an ancestral estate of several
hundred acres, which ran to the base of
the Malvern hills, and were partly over
looked by the remains of an old Roman
fortress, still to be seen, and which Is
known as the "Hereforshire Beacon"
Sir William lost his wife while visiting
the Marpuesas islands in 1874, where be
had been sent as government commits
sioner. %he lady had but just arrived
and was being brought ashore when the
boats containing her party were attacked
BY large body Of naked savages who
were in the water, and who at the time
had successfully disarmed suspicion Of
their intentions by pretending TO exhibit
/ their skill as swimmers.
/ Lady Richardson, who was pregnant
at the time, was saved from violence, and
the savages were repulsed, but the fright
proved too great, and, after giving birth
to female child, she died
Heartbroken, Sir William returned TO
England few months later with his
child, and, retiring from public Service,
settled upon his estate in Herefordshire,
where his daughter grew up. At the age /
of eighteen she was beautiful enough to 1
attract the attention ofall the neigsbJr- :
ing gentry The reader who has seen the /
picture need not be assured of this
But with all her loyeliness She pos
zs@=s1 ss-Ss-s-- s-=-ss- - eI---~e-@s-v ,sl-ie,>
neither education nor association could
eradicate or modify. Accomplished and
refined, she still evinced n curious love /
Of freedom and a strange passion for the 1
water.
Nosne in the country could ascend the /
Malvern hills as she, and often her father !
and his companions found her when still /
a mere child, worn out with fatigue, in
tine almost inaccessible ruins Of the /
Beacon"
At the age of twenty formal suit was
made to her by young lieutenant,
Craddock Hampden, the son OF one Of |
the wealthiest gentleman in II. Albans.
The match was a prosperous one, and !
without impediment; the young people |
were passionatelv attached to each other, /
and the parents favored the alliance.
Archibald Hampden spent much Of his /
time at Sir William Richardson's house.
He appears to have been rather austere /
puritan, and mo doubt connected with |
the Hampden stock of Warwickshire, for
he figured extensively in what were
known as the hop troubles OF that /
wear. taking sides vigorously against the
common people of the country, and him
seIfleading troop of gentry against
riotous gathering OF the hop Pickers.
Although these troubles were speedily |
repressed, great deal of annoyance was
inflicted upon the land owners for long
time after in revenge, and no one suf- /
fered more than the Hampdens At /
this time arose the first stories Of the |
"White Woman of Watford." They |
were regarded as are the superstitious
legends of the common people generally, |
and no special significance attached to
them until sir Williams barn was one |
night burned, and several OF the hop |
pickers insisted that it was set on fire by |
the 'sWhite Woman of Watford," and |
then it was insisted upon by the elder |
Hampden that this was a convenient !
myth upon which these people foisted
their own mischief Others, however,
with love Of mystery, made patient |
inquiries long after concerning the white |
woman, and the results may be found in
Sheldrake's Legends of st. Adams"
Here we come across the ghostly tradition
of beautiful spirit that walked the
banks of the Wye at night. She was
seen by belated travellers returning
through the wood that bordered the
Richardson domain, but she always
vanished into thin air on being dis
covered.
One summer night the elder Hampden, /
while sitting in his library with his son,
who had Just ridden over from Sir VIII
Ham's where he had spent the evening |
with his intended bride, was informed |
by his keeper that he had3 seen the |
"white woman of Watford" and that two |
of the ricks were burning. With his /
usual promptitude the old man mounted |
his horse, and, accompanied by his son
and the keeper, all armed, set out to |
punish the outlaws. They were re-
inforced by Sir William on the way. |
There was a full moon, but it was OBJ
scured at intervals with clouds. They |
pursued the course of the Wye, which is
thickly wooded where it passes the |
Hampden and Richardson parks. On
reaching the valley at the foot Of the
hills the keeper, while in lonesome
place, swore that he saw the white
woman and warned them to go nc fur
ther. The irascible old trooper rated
him soundly for being superstitious
poltroon, but no threats could induce
him to continue the hunt. His words,
as preserved by tradition, were:
You're fightin' agin Heaven, and
the blood viii be on yourselves p