Forget Bridgerton - walk in the footsteps of Lady Garvagh with special talk and afternoon tea

Step back in time and walk in the footsteps of Lady Garvagh who arrived in the town as a young bride in 1824 and remained there until her death in 1891.

For over 50 years she was a guiding presence on the Garvagh Estate, managing its affairs with determination and compassion. She became known as a benevolent landowner, remembered for her generosity and kindness to the poor of the district.

But the family story does not end there…

Hear the remarkable and troubling tale of her grandson who in later life was declared ‘a lunatic’, and of his wife whose final wish was that, after her death, her throat should be cut from ear to ear – a strange request meant to ensure she was truly gone.

It is a story of power, tragedy, kindness and mystery - a story rooted in the history of the area that deserves to be told.

The North Coast Association will hold a talk ‘Walk in the Footsteps of Lady Garvagh’ by Pearl Hutchinson BEM on Thursday, April 16, at 2.30pm in Garvagh Museum.

Garvagh Museum endeavours to deliver a snapshot of past life in the Bann valley, with as its centre the local area of Aghadowey, Garvagh and Kilrea. Some 3,500 artefacts are on display and there is a particular emphasis on the Canning family who started out as land agents for the London Ironmongers Guild as part of the "The Honourable Irish Society" management of Co. Londonderry.

The museum has recently featured the Lady Garvagh of the Canning estate and with much help from the book of the late James McIlfatrick, the story of the Derry Central Railway.

This will be followed by a Lady Garvagh tea in St. Paul’s Church Hall with a visit to the church. The event costs £20 to North Coast Association members and £25 to everyone else.

Anyone who is interested in booking a place on this trip, is asked to please contact Stephanie Craig on 07771 930211