Catherine GOUGH – Plas Power Laundry Maid

IN AFFECTIONATE MEMORY OF CATHERINE GOUGH, WHO DIED FEBRUARY 4^TH, 1884,

AGED 83 YEARS.

THIS CROSS IS PLACED BY T. L. AND M. E. FITZHUGH.

(FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH)

Catherine Gough was born in Staffordshire and judging by her age given in the census records she was born about 1815/16, but according to her age at death it would have been about 1801.

She had moved to Wales about 1846 and was employed as a laundry maid at Plas Power Hall. In 1851 Thomas Lloyd Fitzhugh was her master. By 1881 she had been given the position of housekeeper and was still at the hall, Thomas Lloyd Fitzhugh was still there.

The Fitzhugh’s seemed to have looked after their servants kindly and there were quite a few Chelsea pensioners employed by them over the years. In some cases their servants remained until their deaths and often announcements were made in the papers.

As some of their headstones mention the Fitzhugh`s or Plas Power it`s possible the funerals were arranged by the Fitzhugh family.

Catherine Gough was one of these; she died on 4 February 1884. Her death was announced in the Wrexham Advertiser where she was described as “for 38 years a faithful and attached servant of the family”