The Friends of Lydiard Park are indebted to Nicholas St.John, great-grandson of Henry 5th Viscount Bolingbroke, for sharing his unique collection of family memorabilia, much of which originally belonged to the viscount's eldest sons Henry Mildmay St.John (d1957) and Charles Reginald St. John (d1971) by Mary Howard, later Viscountess Bolingbroke.
The collection sheds light on the early life of the two brothers about whom so little was previously known. We see for the first time what the boys looked like as children; discover how they felt about their younger brother Vernon being heir to the family titles and learn about their World War I soldiering.
A large part of the collection concerns Vernon Henry St.John's struggle to be accepted as a Peer of the Realm due to his father's attempt to falsify records, a scandal that afflicted the whole family. Viscountess Bolingbroke's testimony to The House of Lords, first published here, reveals the extent to which she too had been duped.
The families final departure from Lydiard Park during World War II is represented by a 1943 sale prospectus and plan for the Lydiard Park Estate, a sale by auction that took place at the Corn Hall in Swindon's cattle market.
