Bapsybanoo Pavry

Who is Bapsybanoo Pavry?

Bapsybanoo Pavry, also known as Bapsy, Marchioness of Winchester, was born Bapsy Pavry of Bombay, the daughter of a Parsi Head Priest, the Most Rev. Khursheedjee Pavry.

Pavry lived in England from a young age and the Bombay beauty was considered to be quite a socialite. So much so that in 1952 she married Henry Paulet, 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 ninety years old at the time. Although he had been married twice before he 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 Ian Fleming, the James Bond author Following this, the Bapsy Pavry left her husband's home in Hampshire 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 Marchioness is said to have lived in the medieval surroundings of the Winchester house near Southampton. Despite living in England for most of her adult life, she is said to have retained much of her Indian ways. She only went to Winchester once, immediately after her marriage in 1952. However, she felt snubbed because few people welcomed her and never went back. Nevertheless, on her death she bequeathed £500,000 to the town of Winchester to be used to build a community centre in the grounds of the Winchester 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.