Upon Lady Parkinson’s death, she left behind three teenage daughters and a very dear and devoted friend, Lady Lestrange, who had also settled in Ottery St. Catchpole. Despite the fact that he was a widower and she, a widow, Sir Walter and Lady Lestrange never married to the eternal befuddlement of their neighbors. However, over a decade had passed since the death of his wife, and the two had become good friends, as well as neighbors. 