Meredith Towne Worth Lecture
Paul Quincey Worth Lecture
Philip Warren Worth Lecture
Scott Schiavone Worth Lecture
Stephen Clarke Worth Lecture
200 Years of Worth Films - See films explaining the Worth story.
Click on the links below for 5 films produced during the 200 year celebrations of the birth of Charles Frederick Worth.
These are on our YouTube channel.
200 Years of Worth” - Our Project
Our started in June 2023 when first approached the National Lottery Heritage Fund with our plan.
In May 2026 we submitted an application to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for funding to deliver our project. The total value of the project is £ 1,376,450.
Read on..
The Background:
The Heritage
Wake House is a significant historic public building in Bourne’s Conservation Area which contributes to the historic townscape. It has been altered over the years since it was built around 1820, but retains some original joinery, historic plasterwork, early staircase and façade details, making it a valuable survivor of Bourne’s Georgian and Victorian architectural history.
The remarkable story of Charles Frederick Worth began in this building, with the Worth and Quincey families firmly rooted in local villages. Charles Frederick Worth, born in 1825, transformed the fashion industry, becoming known as the father of Haute Couture, he pioneered the fashion label and brand identity, the use of live models and the concept of the catwalk. The House of Worth’s designs sought for the royal and aristocratic courts of the 19th century, with high-profile clients including Queen Victoria and leading European nobility and later, from the USA.
41 North Street, Bourne represents the physical starting point of a story that shaped the fashion industry, cultural innovation and global branding.
Wake House has been part of the town’s civic and social life for nearly 200 years, serving as private homes, law offices, council buildings and –
The Purpose
Since 1999 the building has been an important community venue, supporting social, educational and wellbeing services. Twenty plus rooms are actively used for meetings, support groups, classes, social enterprises and charities, many of which support people experiencing hardship, disability, isolation or health challenges who are traditionally underserved by heritage.
Sadly, the building suffered from many years of neglect (prior to BACT obtaining long term tenure) and it remains in desperate need of considerable expenditure for renovation and adaption to better suit its current use.
The “200years of Worth” Project So Far:
We (BACT) started the project in June 2023 when we submitted an “Expression of Interest” (EOI) to the National Lottery Heritage Fund; an EOI is a very brief description of the project and how it matches the Heritage Fund’s objectives. This followed our Covid19 Recovery project in 2021, which helped us develop our organisation and introduced us to the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Our EOI led to the Heritage Fund inviting us to submit a Development Project Application, which took 12months to prepare, it requires a detailed description of the project with plans and costings. We submitted our Development Application in June 2024 asking for £140, 000 and in September 2024 we were delighted to receive an offer of a Development grant. We also had to raise an additional £25,000 to support the project.
The main purpose of the Development Grant is to pay for professional assistance to prepare a fully developed, detailed and costed plan for the “Delivery” of the project. Our Delivery Grant application was submitted at the end of May 2026.
The Development Grant also allowed us to organise an successful weekend of celebrations attended by over 800 people to mark the 200years anniversary of the birth of Charles Frederick Worth in Wake House.
The Future of the Project:
If we are offered a Delivery Grant by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the project will comprise:
Capital Works
Although some desperately urgent external work was carried out a few years ago (paid for from BACT’s reserves), much remains to be done! Externally, the project will repair roofing, replace gutter and fascias etc., replace the cement render (which traps damp) with traditional lime render, repair or replace the many failing windows and draughty doors. Also improve external ground levels and surfaces which are uneven and in places above the internal floor level – this will improve drainage, address damp walls and allow easier disabled access. Importantly, the building repairs will also safeguard the building from further deterioration and allow for planned routing maintenance instead of continual firefighting of the next most urgent problem.
The interior will also be partly reconfigured and refurbished to improve disabled access etc. and to create additional bookable spaces which will increase income from lettings (at present, some rooms cannot be let because the building’s layout does not meet current fire regulations). The project will include installing compliant fire doors, improving the entrance lobby layout, upgrading WC provision, adding damp proofing where required, and completing associated structural, building services and finishing works. Traditional materials and methods will be used to reinstate some lost character and improve authenticity.
Together, these works will present Wake House as a well-maintained heritage landmark, better able to serve visitors and generate sustainable income.
Activity Plan
Alongside the capital programme, a comprehensive Activity Plan will increase local understanding of Charles Frederick Worth and strengthen Wake House’s role as a hub of community participation, creativity and enterprise.
Regular programming is planned to include sessions to assist business development, young people and families, including intergenerational clubs.
We also plan to recognise the birth of Charles Frederick Worth in 41 North Street by working with partners locally, regionally and nationally; the project will consolidate dispersed historic knowledge and use the Wake House website to create a gateway to the wider story of the House of Worth.
Structured evaluation, consultation and partnership development will ensure activities meet community needs, increase confidence and wellbeing, and embed heritage within everyday use of the building.
Interpretation Plan
Visitors to the building will be better able to engage with the history of Wake House and Charles Frederick Worth:
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Externally, new heritage boards will provide interpretation even when the building is closed, supported by a refreshed heritage identity across signage and room naming.
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Internally, new permanent interpretation will include graphic panels, timelines and room-based displays, supported by the rehanging and reorganisation of existing assets. Digital interpretation, including touchscreen content and enhanced website content, will provide deeper layers of information.
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Interpretation will be designed to be accessible and appealing to visitors with varied levels of prior knowledge, ensuring that everyday users, including those visiting for non-heritage purposes, can encounter and learn from the story over time.
Organisational Sustainability
The project’s Delivery Phase will significantly strengthen BACT’s resilience and capacity. The capital investment will reduce ongoing maintenance liabilities and improve energy performance. Income for the Trust will increase as rooms are made more accessible and therefore more hireable, and also as the number of rooms to hire increases.
Also, actions identified in our Governance and Board Development Review Action Plans will be progressed with consultancy support. Consultancy support from a Business Development & Fundraising Consultant and investment in volunteer recruitment will further support sustainable growth.
By the end of the project, Wake House will be well-maintained, more environmentally sustainable, governed with greater clarity and equipped to grow income and audiences in the future.
Project Funding
The total value of the project is £ 1,376,450, made up of approximately £1.1M grant funding for which we have applied from The National Lottery Heritage Fund – the remainder mainly being made up of additional fund raising and volunteer time.
Of course, we are very grateful for the grants and support we have received and are promised – please see Acknowledgements
The Birthplace of
Charles Frederick Worth
1825 - 1895
The House of Worth
Charles Frederick Worth was born in Wake House, the son of Ann Quincy and William Worth, a lawyer. The family’s roots were local – the Worths lived in Claypole and Horbling, whilst the Quincy family came from Stow, near Threekingham. Charles attended Bourne Grammar School with his older brother, until, at the age of 11 Charles’ life was turned upside down.
William Worth struggled with drink and gambling, leading to him deserting his family in 1836. Charles left school and began work as an apprentice of a local printer, William Daniell, who ran a shop on West Street in Bourne. Finding the work distasteful, at the age of 12, Charles contacted an acquaintance in London, who secured him a position a year later at Swan and Edgar, a dry goods firm in Regent Street also dealing with fabrics and textiles.
Taking a chance, in 1845 he then travelled to Paris with £5 to his name. He worked his way up in the fashion industry and created his own brand – the House of Worth. In doing so, he pioneered haute couture which inspired many of the global fashion houses of today.
His creations were sought by royalty and wealthy ladies across Europe, and by the time of his death, his estate was worth millions of pounds. Charles’ mother did not live to see his success. It appears Charles rarely talked about his life in Bourne, yet evidence suggests he still travelled to the area to visit old school friends from Bourne and even donated gowns to raise funds for the Baptist Tabernacle in Billingborough.
Images
Left: Charles Frederick Worth
Bottom: An original Victorian Worth gown
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The House of Worth
Haute Couture
Charles was born at and spent his early childhood living in Wake House. After a change in family circumstances, he entered the working world, finally moving to London and then Paris to head one of the most celebrated Fashion Houses of the day. Today he is known as the ‘Father of Haute Couture’.
Here you can see some of his gorgeous designs.
1878
Charles Frederick’s wife, Marie, was a constant source of support and played a major role in the business.
The business liaison between Charles Frederick Worth and the, now much more famous, jeweller Cartier led to the families meeting and to two marriages between their children in 1898 & 1910.
Charles F died in 1895 and his wife Marie in 1898. Afterwards, as the generations progressed, The House of Worth was always managed by a team of their descendants.
The Sons: Charles F and Marie’s two sons (Jean-Phillipe & Gaston) had joined the business in 1874. In 1895 they fully took over management of the House of Worth. This was a period of great success - Jean Philippe was an imaginative, artistic designer and Gaston a great business manager. In 1902 a London branch was opened.
It was Jean-Phillipe who was responsible for the 1903 “Peacock dress” - probably the most famous House of Worth creation - it was worn by Lady Curzon in Delhi to celebrate the coronation of Edward VII; it is now in the care of the National Trust (Kedleston Hall).
In 1914 war affected the business again – the Rue del La Paix premises was turned into a hospital and Gaston’s sons were called up (one son, Jean Charles, was wounded).
1896
1903
1936
There was peace and it was the “Jazz Age”!
Despite the many new competing fashion houses, Jean Charles’ creativity sustained the development of the House of Worth and his brother Jacques was a hard-working manager. Jacques was particularly concerned for the health & welfare of employees, after his work in the medical corps during WW1 (he was awarded the Croix de Guerre & Legion D’honneur).
The Great Grandsons: in 1941 Jaque’s sons Roger and Maurice took over, later joined by brother Gerard who managed the perfume part of the business. Roger was the designer and Maurice the manager. Maurice served in WW2 in reconnaissance units, he was a conscientious, organised and precise manager, becoming the sole head of the House of Worth. By now competitors were numerous and stronger and the House of Worth was taken over by a UK based company, Paquin, in 1954. Paquin closed in 1956.
After The House of Worth:
The House of Worth in Paris, set the model for the global fashion industry that has followed. His legacy influenced many of the great fashion houses of the 20th and 21st centuries, and as such international museums such as the UK’s V&A and the New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art also preserve major works by Worth.
Marking his “200th birthday”, a celebration weekend in Wake House was attended by CFW’s descendants, fashion history experts and 800 other visitors to Wake house. Also, major retrospective was hosted by the Petit Palais in Paris in 2025 which attracted a record attendance of 178,000. Naturally, the road in a Paris suburb where he lived is named “Rue Worth” and a current exhibition there celebrates his life, including an image of his birthplace in Bourne.
Worth’s business connected Bourne with global trade, luxury fashion, international suppliers, and transnational high society, making Wake House the birthplace of a story that shaped cultural and commercial design worldwide. This heritage of Wake House has meaning stretching far beyond Bourne: it connects a small Lincolnshire market town to the global history of fashion and design.
Recognising the birth of Charles Frederick Worth in Bourne and the significance of the House of Worth is a focus of the “200 years of Worth” project.
200 Years of Worth – The Films
BACT organised a weekend of events coinciding with 200 years since the birth of Charles Frederick Worth (CFW) in 41 North Street.
The weekend included talks by experts on CFW, his life and times and his lasting influence.
Films:
Paul Quincey (Worth family descendant) – “Charles Frederick Worth - His English Background”
Stephen Clarke (Author) – “Charles and Marie Worth - Rag Trade to Riches in France”
Scott Schiavone (Curator & Fashion Historian) – “Worth & Winterhalter – Masters of Design & Draughtsmanship”
Philip Warren (Curator & Fashion Historian) – “Fashioning the Victorian Woman”
Meredith Towne – (Fashion Historian) – “The making of Historic Clothing”
These films will be available shortly via our YouTube channel.
His Youth in England
Charles’ parents, William Worth and his wife Ann moved into 41 North Street, Bourne (Wake House), after marrying in 1816.
Charles Frederick Worth was born in 41 North Street on 13th October, 1825. The couple had five children between 1819 and 1825, but Charles Frederick was one of only two of his parent’s children who survived to maturity (an earlier child who died was also named Charles).
William Worth, Charles’ father used the ground floor as the offices for his solicitor’s practice; however, he was a heavy drinker who ruined the family finances and in 1836 he abandoned Bourne, leaving his wife and children behind. The family was forced to leave the North St house to live with well-off relatives in Billingborough where Charles’ mother became housekeeper to support the family.
Aged 11, Charles became an apprentice in a printer’s works. He disliked the printing job and was delighted when a London Solicitor (presumably known through his father’s business) helped him get work a year later in London with Swan & Edgar’s department store on Piccadilly Circus [S&E later became part of Harrods]. Here he learned about textiles because the company supplied ladies with fabric that would be taken to a dressmaker to make gowns and other garments. Charles Frederick also saw the dresses and bonnets etc. brought from Paris for show in the shop.
He moved on to Lewis and Allenby, prominent London silk merchants, where he learned more about textiles and fashions (French silk from Lyon dominated European silk manufacture).
In his spare time, his creative mind drew him to London art galleries where he studied the clothing of past eras. He also studied French in the evenings and sought out French clients to practice his French on.
His Start in Paris
In 1845 Charles Frederick moved to Paris and obtained work with Gagelin and Opigez (G&O) which sold fabric to the French royal court dressmakers.
While at G & O he began sewing dresses and his elegant designs caught the attention of the store’s clients. His employers let him open a dress department in the store which became very popular and his creations helped to expand G & O’s business.
Worth designed garments were displayed at both The Great Exhibition of 1851 in London and the Exposition Universelle in Paris four years later, which helped to build Gagelin and Opigez’s international reputation. Worth requested a partnership in G & O, but was refused.
Marie Vernet was a fellow employee. Charles Frederick and Marie married in 1851 and had two sons (Gaston born in 1853 and Jean Philippe born in 1856).
In 1858, Worth began a partnership with Otto Bobergh (a Swede who helped with the money required). They opened their store at 7 rue de la Paix in the most fashionable district of Paris. Worth became one of the first to have his own dedicated fashion store
which designed and manufactured women’s dresses exclusively. Worth had a keen eye for design and created very much-admired dresses out of expensive materials with intricate trimmings.
International Success, Very Rich Ladies and Lots of Posh Frocks
The business was successful from the beginning, but a key client was the wife of the Austrian Ambassador to France. Very importantly, the Empress of France, Eugenie saw the Austrian Ambassador’s wife’s dress at a ball which they both attended and Eugenie was so impressed she made Worth the French court designer and her official dressmaker.
In addition to the Empress of France, he gained numerous other royal clients, including Queen Victoria of the UK, Empress Elisabeth of Austria, Czarina Maria Feodorovna of Russia. This royal patronage drew more attention and he attracted wealthy female clients from not just Europe, but also from the USA. Rich clients from the USA included the Astors, Carnegies, Rockefellers, and Vanderbilts. Some American women had their entire wardrobe made by Worth as part of a trip to Paris - and many made arrangements so they could order more without recrossing the Atlantic Ocean. His dresses were also popular with the leading performers of the day like Sarah Bernhardt and Lillie Langtry.
His business became very successful partly because of his outstanding creations, but also because he provided his clients with an innovative service including live models and body doubles. He hosted clients in his rue de la Paix salons – which included silk, velvet, and brocade rooms in addition to ground breaking sportswear and maternity departments - and a special salon with closed shutters and gas lighting for clients to try on ball gowns in lighting conditions precisely matched to those of the event at which they would be worn.
In 1861 the jeweller Francois Cartier visited Worth’s premises in Paris (No 7 rue de la Paix) and later opened a jewellery shop in No 13 rue de la Paix; from then on Worth and Cartier shared many customers and many Worth dresses were decorated with Cartier jewellery. More recently, of course, Cartier has been used by the UK’s Royal Family. The Cartier business still has premises in No 13 rue de la Paix.
Family involvement – almost to the end
Worth ended his partnership with Bobergh in 1871 [coinciding with the Franco-Prussian war - part of which was the Siege of Paris]. The business was then renamed the “House of Worth”.
The Grandsons: in 1922 Gaston’s sons, Jean-Charles and Jacques, took over the business when Charles F’s two sons retired.
Charles Frederick Worth
Online Series
Explore our online series of recorded talks, available to stream now.
Charles Frederick Worth: An International Fashion Brand Talk is a series which was created in partnership with Wake House, Bourne; the birthhome of Charles Frederick Worth, Heritage Lincolnshire and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Are you interested in fashion or fashion history? Did you know that one of Europe’s and North America’s most influential 19th Century fashion designers was born in Lincolnshire? Or that our modern understanding of brand and ‘brand identity’ began with the ‘House of Worth’ fashion brand that he established?
Discover more with this series of online talks which aired in September 2022 and is now available for you to stream from the comfort of your own home.
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This is the first talk in a series discovering the life of the 'Father of Haute Coutre' Charles Frederick Worth which aired live online in September 2022. In this talk, Lydia Hendry, Heritage Lincolnshire, sets the scene of Bourne and the fashion world in the 19th Century.
This is the second talk in a the talk series discovering the life of the 'Father of Haute Coutre' Charles Frederick Worth. In this talk, Jenny Lister from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, talks about Lincolnshire and London, shopping for clothes (1825-1845).
This is the third talk in the series discovering the life of the 'Father of Haute Coutre' Charles Frederick Worth. In this talk, Claire Allen-Johnstone from the Victoria and Albert Museum, talks Paris, London, New York: C F Worth and the Birth of Couture (1845-1896).
This is the fourth and final talk in a new talk series discovering the life of the 'Father of Haute Coutre' Charles Frederick Worth. In this talk, Jenny Lister from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, talks The House of Worth in a connected world (1896 to now).