THIS IS FINDON - The Lord of the Manor's Rolls Royce

When the Colonel William George Margesson died in 1911, his son, Lieutenant Colonel Evelyn W. Margesson (1865-1944) inherited Findon Place and became the Lord of the Manor. He later moved to 34 Mill Road in Worthing and rented the manor to Edwin John Spencer and his wife. The Colonel's brother, Captain Wentworth H. D. Margesson (1869-1950) eventually sold Findon Place to Charles E. Hartridge.

At the beginning of 2003, I heard from the gentleman who now owns Lieutenant Colonel Evelyn Margesson's oldtimer Rolls Royce driven by his chauffeur, George William Mann —

11th February 2003.

Dear Madam,

Colonel Evelyn Margesson, Lord of the Manor of Findon

I wonder if you might have any photos of the colonel, preferably with
his car.

I have just bought his 1936 Rolls-Royce, and would love to see any such photos.

Regards,

S. Chowdhury.

Sanjeev Chowdhury, Munich, Germany.

11th February 2003.

Colonel Evelyn Margesson, Lord of the Manor of Findon

Hi, nice to hear from you, herewith some pics of the motor.

The car is still in London, and I am in Germany and hope to get it sometime in the Spring, we are snowed under here (Munich) so its no good to me now anyway.

The log book should tell me the history of the car and when I get it I'll get in touch again. Meanwhile, I saw in a book about the RR 20/25 model that col. Margesson was its first owner, so I thought I'd look in the internet to find out about him, and that's how I found your lovely
web site.

Regards

Sanjeev Chowdhury

Sanjeev Chowdhury, Munich, Germany.

Sanjeev tells me that he paid £27,000 for the limousine originally owned by the Lord of the Manor and was once driven around the leafy Findon lanes with VIP stylish aplomb. It is the 20/25 model built from the late 1920s until 1936. At the time I have to admit it was the poor man's "small" Rolls as other models of that period (e.g. Phantoms and Wraiths) would now cost much more. Sanjeev thinks that depending on condition, originality of parts, and history, a Phantom or Wraith could now sell for up to £100,000.

The Rolls Royce has a rather fascinating history. Henry Royce was a Manchester manufacturer of electrical equipment and he owned a French car, a Decauville. He became increasingly unhappy with the vehicle and wondered if he could perhaps built a better one. He eventually produced several experiment models. In the meantime, the Hon. Charles Rolls (who was a car dealer and pioneer sporting motorist), had been on the lookout for a car that ran smoothly and quietly and was to the highest engineering standards. The two men met. They went into partnership and the first Rolls Royce appeared in 1904.

Unfortunately, the 1936 model does not fit into the catergory of Veteran (constructed prior to 1904), Edwardian (constructed between 1905 and 1914) and nor Vintage (constructed between 1915 and 1930).

Nevertheless such a car is indeed a good investment it seems.

HereI am with a Buick I found at Parham House near here in September 2004..... not quite up to Rolls Royce standards but nice nevertheless!

Continue if you would like to read about life at the Gun Inn and Findon Place in Richard Somerset Margesson's Memories of the Manor of Findon.