Lydiard Estate Letting catalogues (2), 1931 & 1940

The two documents relate to auctions held in April 1931 and April 1940 on the instruction of Viscountess Bolingbroke (d1940).

The 1931 catalogue offers 406 acres of rich pasture and meadow lands 'to be fed or mown' at Lydiard Park, Wick and Eastleaze Farm, Shaw. It includes the individual field names and Conditions of Sale. The lots are annotated in pencil by Frank Rumming of Park Farm, Lydiard Tregoze, with the successful buyers and the prices they paid. Frank (FWR) successfully bids for Little Ham and Green Down in Lydiard Park and Wick.

The more modest notice of 1940 refers to an annual letting of 71 acres of 'Rich Grass Keep to be Fed or Mown' on the Lydiard Park Estate. Once again the names or initials of buyers, including Frank Rumming, are annotated together with the prices they paid for individual parcels of land.

The decline in St.John family fortunes is evident in the quality of the two notices of sale and the choice of auctioneer. In 1931 Viscountess Bolingbroke retains the services of London auctioneers Armstrong and Son who had offices in Wotton Bassett. By 1940 local agents Fielder and Jones are handling the sale.