Early Life
Mildred Mary Petre was born at Coptfold Hall, Chelmsford, Essex, England on 10 November 1895, the daughter of Jennie Williams, an American actress, and Lawrence Petre, a descendant of Sir William Petre. She was educated at the Convent of Notre Dame de Sion, in Bayswater, London. In 1911, aged 15, she began her passion for motor vehicles by riding her brother’s Matchless motorcycle, travelling around Osterley, west London, with her collie dog in the sidecar. At Hounslow court, she became the first woman to be convicted of a motoring offence in the UK. In 1920, she purchased her first car, an Enfield-Allday, and was prosecuted many times for speeding, including three days running at Bow Street Magistrates' Court.
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