Bapsybanoo Pavry
Encyclopedia
Bapsybanoo Pavry was born Miss Bapsy Pavry of Bombay, the daughter of a Parsi Head Priest, the Most Rev. Khursheedjee Pavry.
Bapsy was in England from a young age and the Bombay beauty was considered to be quite a socialite. So much so that in 1952 Bapsy married the 16th Marquess of Winchester
and became the Marchioness of Winchester - thought to be the only Indian Marchioness in history. Her husband, the widower Marquess was 90 years old at the time and had already been married twice before but had no children. It is said that the Marquess left Pavry within weeks of the marriage for the charms of Eve Fleming, the mother of James Bond
and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang author Ian Fleming
. Following this, the Marchioness left the Hampshire city for London and never returned. The Marquess lived out the remainder of his life with Eve Fleming, dying four months prior to his centenary in 1962.
The Marquessate of Winchester was held in very high regard. It had been created in 1561 for a William Paulet
, who lived through the reign of monarchs including Henry VIII
and Elizabeth
. William Paulet had served as Keeper of the King's Widows and Idiots and sat on the courts that tried Queen Anne Boleyn
and Sir Thomas More
. It is said that when asked how he survived through those tumultuous times, he answered "I was born of the willow and not of the oak" (the willow being a flexible wood while the oak is not). Pavry's husband, the Marquess Henry William Montagu Paulet, was born in 1862 as the second son of the 14th Marquess and succeeded his brother on his brother's death.
The Marchioness is said to have lived in the medieval surroundings of the home of Winchester in Southampton
. Despite living in England for most of her adult life, she is said to have retained much of her Indian ways, some might say in the form of ego for which high society
India would have been known at the time she left. She only went to Winchester
once, immediately after her marriage in 1952. However, she felt snubbed because few people came out to greet her and never went back. Consequently, on her death it became known that she had bequeathed GBP 500,000 to Winchester to be used to build a community centre
in the grounds of Guildhall in her name. Winchester City Council struggled to carry out the bequest for 14 years by which time the sum had grown to GBP 1.4 million. Finally in June 2009, a room in the Guildhall was refurbished and renamed after her with a huge portrait of her taking pride of place.
At some point the Marchioness established the Dasturdaza Doctor Jal Pavry Award for International Peace and Understanding at Columbia University
's School of International and Public Affairs
in memory of her brother, Dr. Jal Pavry, the fund provides an award to students at SIPA. The candidate must submit a paper on the topic of international peace and understanding.
The Marchioness returned to India
in 1985 and lived out the rest of her life there, dying in 1995.
Few details are known of her life.
Bapsy was in England from a young age and the Bombay beauty was considered to be quite a socialite. So much so that in 1952 Bapsy married the 16th Marquess of Winchester
Marquess of Winchester
Marquess of Winchester is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1551 for the prominent statesman William Paulet, 1st Earl of Wiltshire. He had already been created Baron St John in 1539 and Earl of Wiltshire in 1550, also in the Peerage of England...
and became the Marchioness of Winchester - thought to be the only Indian Marchioness in history. Her husband, the widower Marquess was 90 years old at the time and had already been married twice before but had no children. It is said that the Marquess left Pavry within weeks of the marriage for the charms of Eve Fleming, the mother of James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang author Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming
Ian Lancaster Fleming was a British author, journalist and Naval Intelligence Officer.Fleming is best known for creating the fictional British spy James Bond and for a series of twelve novels and nine short stories about the character, one of the biggest-selling series of fictional books of...
. Following this, the Marchioness left the Hampshire city for London and never returned. The Marquess lived out the remainder of his life with Eve Fleming, dying four months prior to his centenary in 1962.
The Marquessate of Winchester was held in very high regard. It had been created in 1561 for a William Paulet
William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester
Sir William Paulet was an English Secretary of State and statesman who attained several peerages throughout his lifetime: Baron St John , Earl of Wiltshire , and Marquess of Winchester .-Family origins and early career in Hampshire:William Paulet was eldest son of Sir John Paulet of...
, who lived through the reign of monarchs including Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
and Elizabeth
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
. William Paulet had served as Keeper of the King's Widows and Idiots and sat on the courts that tried Queen Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
and Sir Thomas More
Thomas More
Sir Thomas More , also known by Catholics as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman and noted Renaissance humanist. He was an important councillor to Henry VIII of England and, for three years toward the end of his life, Lord Chancellor...
. It is said that when asked how he survived through those tumultuous times, he answered "I was born of the willow and not of the oak" (the willow being a flexible wood while the oak is not). Pavry's husband, the Marquess Henry William Montagu Paulet, was born in 1862 as the second son of the 14th Marquess and succeeded his brother on his brother's death.
The Marchioness is said to have lived in the medieval surroundings of the home of Winchester in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
. Despite living in England for most of her adult life, she is said to have retained much of her Indian ways, some might say in the form of ego for which high society
High society (group)
High society refers to a category of people deemed to have greater social status or prestige, and their related affiliations, social events and practices which together define a group variously referred to as "Society" or high society. Such groups are defined by certain key events and cultural...
India would have been known at the time she left. She only went to Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
once, immediately after her marriage in 1952. However, she felt snubbed because few people came out to greet her and never went back. Consequently, on her death it became known that she had bequeathed GBP 500,000 to Winchester to be used to build a community centre
Community centre
Community centres or community centers or jumping recreation centers are public locations where members of a community tend to gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may sometimes be open for the whole community or for a specialised group within...
in the grounds of Guildhall in her name. Winchester City Council struggled to carry out the bequest for 14 years by which time the sum had grown to GBP 1.4 million. Finally in June 2009, a room in the Guildhall was refurbished and renamed after her with a huge portrait of her taking pride of place.
At some point the Marchioness established the Dasturdaza Doctor Jal Pavry Award for International Peace and Understanding at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
's School of International and Public Affairs
School of International and Public Affairs
The School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University is one of the most prestigious graduate schools of public policy in the world. Located on Columbia's Morningside Heights campus in the Borough of Manhattan, in New York City, the School has 15,000 graduates in more than 150...
in memory of her brother, Dr. Jal Pavry, the fund provides an award to students at SIPA. The candidate must submit a paper on the topic of international peace and understanding.
The Marchioness returned to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1985 and lived out the rest of her life there, dying in 1995.
Few details are known of her life.