Alice Lucy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alice Lucy
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Alice with her husband and children
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| Born |
Alice Spencer
1594 |
| Died | August 1648 |
| Nationality | British |
| Known for | piety and charity |
| Spouse(s) | Sir Thomas Lucy |
Alice Lucy or Lady Lucy (around 1594 – August 1648) was a kind and religious British gentlewoman. She was known for her generosity and strong faith. After her husband passed away in 1640, she took charge of their family home, Charlecote Park.
Who Was Alice Lucy?
Alice Lucy was born Alice Spencer around the year 1594. She was the only child of Thomas Spencer from Claverdon in Warwickshire, England. This meant she would inherit all of her father's property. She first met Thomas Lucy, who would become her husband, when she was about eleven years old.
Her Family Life
People said that Alice and Thomas Lucy had a very happy marriage. They had many children together. First, they had three sons: Spencer, Robert, and Richard. These sons would later inherit their father's important title. They also had three other sons named Thomas, William, and Foulk. Foulk's oldest son, Davenport Lucy, would eventually take over the Charlecote house. Alice and Thomas also had six daughters: Constance, Margaret, Bridget, Alice, Mary, and Elizabeth.
Her Husband's Story
Alice's husband became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Warwickshire in 1615. An MP is a person elected to represent an area in the country's government. He held this position until 1629. That year, the King stopped Parliament from meeting for over ten years.
Her husband returned to Parliament in 1640 as part of the Short Parliament. Later that year, he was elected again to represent Warwick. However, he sadly died in December 1640 after falling from his horse.
After he was buried, Alice arranged for a large marble memorial to be built for them both inside St Leonard's Church in Charlecote. She always spoke highly of her husband. The memorial says that his home was "ever open to the learned and his gates never fast to the poor." This means he welcomed educated people and always helped those in need.
A Life of Giving
After her husband died, her oldest son Spencer inherited his father's title. But Alice was the real head of the household after 1640. She was a Puritan, which meant she had very strong religious beliefs and lived a simple, strict life.
Every Christmas, she would travel around her area. She gave out meat and bread to people in nearby towns. She was known for her deep faith and kindness. When Alice became unwell, she hired a local schoolmaster, Thomas Dugard, to be her preacher. Her children would read from the Bible every day. Each night, they had a sermon, sang a psalm, and received their mother's blessing. Dugard said that she "made a church of her house," meaning her home was a place of strong religious practice.
In 1647 and 1648, there was not enough food in Warwickshire. Alice made sure that poor people still had food. She also made sure that corn was sold in small amounts. This way, even those who could only afford a little bit could buy some.
In 1648, both Alice and her oldest son died. Her second son, Robert, then inherited the family title.
