"sir (alexander) beaumont (churchill dixie, 11th baronet)'s temperament was neither rationalistic nor tolerant. described as "a spendthrift, a hopeless gambler, a heavy drinker" he found it increasingly difficult to face up to his responsibilities as squire of bosworth. lady florence wrote "for some time past i have been fighting against the terrible consequences of my husband's immense losses on the turf and at gambling . . it was a great blow to me to find that the last remnant of a once splendid fortune must at once go to pay this debt. ruin ... beau ... has been so accustomed to have heaps of money at his command that he cannot understand that it is all gone ... by selling bosworth and the property these (debts) could be met"