Charles Hext

Alice Hext (2 March 1865 - 14 September 1939) was a Cornish philanthropist, garden developer and magistrate. She was the owner of the Trebah Estate and leisure garden, near Falmouth in Cornwall from 1907 to her death in 1939, and generously supported the development of sports and social activities in the parishes of Constantine and Mawnan.

Alice Petherick was born in St. Austell, on 2 March 1865, the daughter of George Petherick, a bank manager and his wife, Emily (born Barratt).

She married Charles Hawkins Hext, a banker, on 16 April 1891 in Kensington. Both her father and her husband bore names "well-known among West Country gentry".

Charles and Alice Hext are shown in the 1901 census as resident at Polgwin in the civil parish of Bodmin, Cornwall. Charles is described as "Retired Banker" aged 49. Alice is shown as age 36. In 1907, they moved to Trebah. Charles Hext served as Mayor of Bodmin in 1895 and as High Sheriff of Cornwall in 1915. He died on 3 January 1917.

She developed Trebah Garden, the beautiful garden created by the Fox family of Falmouth, on the northern side of the Helford River at Trebahwortha, near Mawnan Smith.

“Mrs. Hext was a keen horticulturist and a frequent exhibitor at county and local garden shows and in her support of these she did much to help allotment holders and small gardeners. Her grounds were always open to the public and were often used for fetes and garden parties.”

After her death, the estate was split up and the garden passed between several owners and decayed. The "lost garden" at Trebah was rescued by the Hibbert family, who established a charitable trust to enable the garden to be open to the public again. A cob and thatch arbour in the garden was restored and given the name "Alice's Seat".

She was a noted benefactor, to the County and in the Parishes of Constantine and Mawnan. In particular, she gave the playing field and sports pavilion to the village of Constantine in 1921, in memory of her husband, Charles Hawkins Hext. There is a commemorative plaque at Constantine Social Club, recalling her generosity to the village.

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