Augusta North was a local artist who regularly exhibited in Amersham during the s and had a picture in the Royal Academy in In she moved to a farm at Wendover Dean on the outskirts of the Amersham district and lived here until her death at the age of During WWII she invited the Czech refugee, and distinguished sculptor, Mary Duras, to live with her when she could not find anywhere affordable to lodge in Amersham.
In , at the barn, Mary created a self-portrait, a plaster bust titled Self-portrait with Cat. From her estate, it is clear she had a positive relationship with animals.
We know from period photographs that she owned a Doberman called Hassan in the s, and later she liked cats. Despite her fondness of animals, representations of cats in her work are rare.
The identity of the dog is unknown, but the family suspects it was a farm dog. Augusta was particularly fond of cats. Her last cat was an overweight black cat called Glamour that could barely fit through the cat flap! Her home, Rougham Hall, near Swaffham in rural Norfolk, has been the ancestral home of the North family, the descendants of the politician Dudley North, 4th Baron North β , for many generations. Augusta was one of a long line of formidable women. The Honourable Dudleya North β was a classical scholar, orientalist and linguist who was proficient in Latin, Ancient Greek, Hebrew, and several Eastern languages.
This is still believed to be the only permanent solo exhibition by a female artist in Britain. Her scientific discoveries are also recorded in the many plant species named in her honour. Her last governess resigned in tears when she was When her mother was moaning about the money she would have to find for a replacement, Augusta said that she would much rather have a new pony and her wish was granted.
