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Charlotte Isabella Margaret Swann

1964 - 2022

Charlotte Isabella Margaret (née Jaggard) of Charminster, Dorset. Died peacefully on 26 February 2022 at the Weldmar Hospice, after a 19 month fight with Motor Neurone Disease, borne with immense fortitude and grace. Dearly beloved wife of David; mother of Kit, Archie and Alicia; daughter of Janie and sister to Victoria, Sarah and Simon; loyal friend to many.

To view a recording of the Requiem Mass, please scroll to the bottom of this page.


Messages of condolence

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  1. Love from Tana and Paul

    Paul and Tana Focke
  2. What tragic news! My deepest condolences to the whole family, Charlotte was such a lovely lady , I will remember her with great fondness. With much love Katherine

    Katherine Wilford
  3. Our thoughts are with you on the loss of Charlotte, beloved wife and mother, and to us, a dear friend. I have so many happy memories of working with her, and even more of jolly social times….. She was one of a kind, and such a kind one, as We will all miss her.

    Angela & Nic

    Nic & Angela Nicholson
  4. A true friend with the kindest soul, she truely did not deserve to suffer the cruellest of diseases. Endured with grace and dignity and nursed beautifully by David and their three children, Kit, Archie and Alicia. A wonderful Mother, who left this world too soon, but I know they will make you proud Charlotte. You loved entertaining and did it with immense style and created a beautiful home, as well as working latterly for Dukes, which you loved. You will be missed every day by so many. May you rest in peace x

    Charlotte Drew
  5. My darling friend Charlotte
    (who I have always called “Shaggy” to abbreviate Charlotte Jaggard).
    How can I ever sum up 40 years of friendship, for nine of which we lived together?
    We worked together in four different jobs over those years too and have shared so much fun, laughter and joy across the decades.
    I pledge to continue to reminisce and retell stories of those times – irreverent and otherwise – to your wonderful children and grandchildren for years to come.
    I will miss you terribly. We all will.
    But your legacy knows no bounds and your courage, dignity and grace have humbled us all.
    God bless you Shaggy, my angel friend,
    from Caroline Jopp (aka “Callyline”!) x

    XC
  6. Dear Charlotte, a loving wife and Mum and a beautiful lady. You are greatly missed. May you rest peacefully.
    All our love
    Susie and John

    Susie and John Connell
  7. With happy memories.
    Richard and Judy Wake

    Richard Wake
  8. Charlotte commentsy please photos photographs

    Charlotte swann
  9. Oh dearest Charlotte – one of us ‘Alfresco Girls’. We had fun working together in the early 90s and even more fun in our friendship that continued outside of the office over many years.
    Taken far too early, you put up such a brave fight – but that was you all over, our caring, graceful, loyal and fun friend.

    My thoughts and deepest condolences to David, Kit, Archie, and the whole family.

    Jane Preston
  10. With our deepest sympathy, love and prayers.

    Ann & Peter and Family

    Ann and Peter Povey
  11. Eulogy

    Charlotte was an extraordinary woman; but I know that you all know that too. Our married life started out in this same place 28 years ago; and it’s very pleasing to see many friendly faces here today, who were with us then. Our children were baptised here too; so it is only right that we gather here, again, to celebrate a rich and wonderful life.

    Charlotte was born in London on the 27th of January 1964 and lived with her parents, Anthony and Janie, and elder sister Victoria at 39 Gloucester Crescent – as it turned out a few doors down from where Maggie Smith’s character in The Lady in a Van would reside. The family soon moved to Dorset – Northamptonshire having lost out after a flip of a coin; where the foundations of a strong and settled family life were established at Winfrith Court. Sarah and Simon soon joined the family. Charlotte’s first school in 1970 was St Genevieve’s convent in Dorchester; where she started not long after having appeared in The News of The World and other national newspapers after an incident out with her father and the Otter Hounds. She joined Victoria at St Mary’s, Ascot, in 1974. I believe that at Ascot she rubbed shoulders with the daughters of President Marcos of the Philippines; which perhaps sowed a seed that would later grow and blossom into a wardrobe collection to rival that of Mrs Marcos – and which proved quite a challenge as we moved from quarter to quarter.

    Charlotte left Ascot after her O-Levels to study at Dordogne College, in Mussidan. The defunct college’s prospectus describes it as providing “an academic alternative to sixth form studies; it is neither a finishing school nor a crammer” aiming “to enable students to continue their studies towards A-Levels under the best possible conditions … living as part of the community of a small French town”. I am told by her lifelong friend Charlotte, that they learnt about smoking and drinking wine, but little else; and that being part of the community meant head banging to heavy rock in the village hall, riding French boys’ mopeds and … drinking wine. Anthony and Janie realised the College was not providing their daughter with the desired education, so she was relocated to Oxford to complete her A Levels with Cherwell Tutors in the autumn of 1981. A-Levels were followed by a secretarial course at The Ox and Cow and she then set sail for London, without a job but to a basement flat on the Warwick Road sharing a room with her friend Charlotte. She never looked back – until I was lucky enough to catch her in 1993.

    I could spend several hours on the London years, but must be brief. She started working at Harvey Nichols, then moved on to a design agency in Covent Garden and variously: Michael Peters Design, Kanga, Alfresco and the Egon Ronay Guides and the Communications Group. Life was lived to the full and many long-lasting friendships made. Central amongst which, was what became the Gang of Four – Charlotte, Charlotte, Caroline and Penny. A more devoted, loving group, with over 40 years of friendship, you could not find. They supported her to the very end; and continue to support me and our children.

    Charlotte’s sister Victoria had married Nigel, an officer of The, then, Queen’s Royal Irish Hussars, in 1983 and Charlotte enjoyed many visits to their homes as they were posted around the country and abroad. As fun as that was, she was known to have said she couldn’t marry anyone in the Army. How rash it is to tempt fate! We have different recollections of when we first met, but she generously accepted my proposal on 2nd June 1993; Janie organising a fantastic wedding just six months later.

    Charlotte then embarked on a second, full time career as an Army wife for the next 21 years. Despite her earlier concerns, she embraced it and was hugely successful. She loved regimental life and made friends easily, at all levels. The subalterns of A
    Squadron, The Queen’s Royal Hussars, became wary of supper at the Squadron Leader’s for fear of a forfeit if they lost in an after dinner game – which consisted of a shot of some colourful, sickly, often sweet potion from the drinks collection she had brought into our married life; from that she and Caroline had built up over nine years of flat sharing.

    We lived in 11 Army quarters over the 21 years (which is actually far less than many) and she made each a warm, welcoming and stylish home – including making or refitting the curtains on every move. She was a fantastic cook and hostess. As you have seen, we have been blessed with three wonderful children, to whom she was a devoted and loving mother. As well, she always managed to find work of some kind: helping in the Thrift Shop, selling Polish pottery, at Bovington First School and – when I was away in Kabul – helping to set up the Bovington Military Wives Choir. She particularly embraced the unpaid, but expected role of a Commanding Officer’s wife in supporting the Families Office and running the Wives Club, with the added challenge of the Regiment and I departing on a six month operational tour. I did not appreciate just how much responsibility fell on her shoulders at that time, but she devoted herself to it and kept the home fires burning. Indeed, talk of the Mr Hussar Competition arranged for the Wives Club, made their way to me in Kosovo, as well as the pages of Sixth Sense.

    As my Army career came to an end, Charlotte had the opportunity to find and make the longed for forever home, which she did superbly in Charminster. She also then had what she said were the two most enjoyable jobs of her working life: first as a ‘show over’ for Knight Frank in Sherborne and latterly with Dukes, the auctioneers in Dorchester, where she worked on into the early months of her diagnosis.

    That is a necessarily short factual record of this extraordinary woman, but what of her character and personality? We have been blown away by the, literally, hundreds of letters, cards and emails received since her passing. They highlight many qualities of which I will give you a flavour: a beaming smile; lovely, funny, warm and gracious; the life and soul of a party; generous; a wicked and mischievous sense of humour; full of life; kind; nothing too much trouble; impressively organised; would drop everything for a friend in need. What else? Book Clubs. Canasta. She didn’t enjoy an argument. She was a peace maker and builder. She was a great shopper. She was a true and steadfast friend. We will miss her dreadfully, but I am sure each of us will be sustained by some special memories.

    There is so much more to say, but I must draw this to a close. Charlotte told me of two things she would like to have at her funeral; the rest was up to us. Thankfully they do not include a biographical slide show to the music of the Bay City Rollers, as seen in the opening sequence of the film Notting Hill – although she was a great fan of that group in her early years. The first is the song you are about to hear; the second was to have the Regimental Pipes and Drums play High Cathedral, which will happen when she leaves the Chapel. Thank you.

    David Swann
  12. I am so so sorry to hear of Charlottes death. Such tragic news and my deepest sympathies to the whole family. My thoughts are with you all at this very sad time. sending you all much love, Liney Weighill

    Caroline Weighill
  13. Hi David ,

    I’m very sorry to hear of Charlottes passing .I remember her well from when you both first met in London.She had a lovely warm personality.

    Michael Caplis

Video of service

Service Details

Monday, March 14th 2022 - 14:00
FUNERAL LOCATION
St Mary's Chapel Weld Estate, The Estate Office, Lulworth Castle, East Lulworth, Dorset, BH20 5QS
BRANCH
Albert Marsh Funeral Directors
Wareham

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