AN energetic Presteigne author and painter whose name will be remembered for her dedicated efforts to tell the stories of two eminent figures associated with the Welsh border has died aged 94.

Margaret Newman Turner was a much travelled art critic and social historian, who not only brought to light the 19th century painter, Joseph Murray Ince in her book, The Painter of Presteigne, she also traced strong links between Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and long-held claims that a Kington legend provided inspiration for his book, The Hound of the Baskervilles.

Margaret was aware that her father, a Kington solicitor, had gathered testimonials from clients claiming to have seen the spectral Black Dog of Hergest, a much-told story associated with Hergest Court near Kington.

Library officially opens at site THE Radnorshire Society Archive and Library is on the move.

It is being relocated from its former home inside the Coleg Powys building in Llandrindod Wells to Dolmynach House which is found on Bridge Street in Rhayader.

The official opening by the High Sheriff of Powys, Phillip Bowen, was performed on Sunday.

12 THE HEREFORD TIMES Thursday, March 5, 2015 herefordtimes.com As Margaret researched her book, Arthur, Louise and the True Hound of the Baskervilles, she became convinced that through his wife’s family connections, Conan Doyle had been inspired by Kington’s legendary Black Dog, countering claims that the Sherlock Holmes mystery was prompted by hound legends in Devon.

Margaret grew up in Surrey, and went to a local dames’ school where she was taught to read, write, sew and play cricket. Her great friend at that time was Mary, youngest of Sir Winston Churchill’s children, later Baroness Soames, who died last year.

Margaret remembered meeting Sir Winston while she and Mary played in the gardens at Chartwell, the Churchill’s family home.

In 1939, Margaret volunteered for the Auxiliary Territorial Service, serving with the Fifth AA Division in Portsmouth before being moved to Edinburgh.

While bringing up her family in rural Hampshire, she pursued a lifelong interest in horses and horse-breeding.

At the same time she devoted herself to painting and writing.

The Arts Review invited her to become a critic, and she went on to become the first art lecturer on board P&O’s prestigious round the world voyages. During this 25-year contract, her home was in Majorca, though she retired to live in Presteigne, the land of her ancestors.

She is survived by her two sons, Robert and Anthony.