Obituary: Marcia Wakeham, equestrian

Marcia Wakeham, who has died at 79, was a descendant of the Lane Fox family, whose seat is the 18th century country house at Bramham Park, Wetherby.
Marcia WakehamMarcia Wakeham
Marcia Wakeham

Marcia Wakeham, who has died at 79, was a descendant of the Lane Fox family, whose seat is the 18th century country house at Bramham Park, Wetherby.

Born Marcia Elizabeth Lane Fox in September 1940, Mrs Wakeham was the daughter of Lt Col Francis Lane Fox and Marcia Agnes Mary Lane Fox. Her maternal grandfather, George Lane-Fox, the first and last Baron Bingley, was Conservative MP for the old West Riding constituency of Barkston Ash for 25 years from 1906 and served as Secretary for Mines in the 1920s. Mrs Wakeham’s mother succeeded to the Bramham estate on Baron Bingley’s death in 1947, and it then passed to her elder brother, Major George Francis Lane Fox.

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Growing up at Bramham, Marcia developed a deep appreciation of its gardens, ornamental ponds and woods, which helped foster a lifelong interest in the countryside – especially in horse racing and hunting.

Throughout her life she owned dogs and horses, including a Shetland pony called Sammy.

She married Antony Charles Wakeham, an equestrian industry executive who was chairman of the Bramham Conservative Association from 1985 and the Bramham Moor Point to Point from 1975. Since 1981 he has organised of the British Equestrian Trade Association international event at Bramham.

A music and cricket lover whose home was at Wothersome near Wetherby, Mrs Wakeham was guided by her deep Christian faith, determination and courage, particularly in the face of increasing ill health.

She and her husband had three children, William, Charlotte and Richard.

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