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The Manor of Findon during Colonel Evelyn W. Margesson's reign |
THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.
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The Manor of Findon during Colonel Evelyn W. Margesson's reign |
THE CRAFTY CHAUFFEUR
Copyright Valerie Martin 2004
Originally published in Along the Furlong in March 2004
Over the Christmas period of 2003 I received this intriguing tale of chicanery in Findon. It is a story of intrigue concerning a so-called conspiring chauffeur by the name of George William Mann. He is said to have wormed his way into the affections of the Lord of the Manor of Findon. It is a puzzling tale and one that takes some understanding of the plot and involves an inheritance and the suspicious death of the Lord in a bathtub. I am sure this will make you sit up and wonder about the past.
To set the scene I will start by explaining that when Colonel William George Margesson died in 1911, his son, Lieutenant Colonel Evelyn W. Margesson (1865-1944) inherited his childhood home, Findon Place, next to St. John the Baptist Church. He became the Lord of the Manor. Later, he moved to 34 Mill Road in Worthing and when he died his brother, Captain Wentworth H. D. Margesson (1869-1950), sold Findon Place to Charles E. Hartridge.
The following simply amazing reminiscences have been given to me by Richard Somerset Margesson whose Great Uncle was the Lord of the Manor of Findon, Lieutenant Colonel Eveyln Margesson. He is indeed proud of that fact.
I am sure the revelations will arouse your curiosity as to what occurred in connection with Findon in the past. I will leave you to unravel the story below, written to me word-by-word by Richard Somerset Margesson of Toronto, Canada.....
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Boxing Day, 2003 Valerie: When the Colonel died he left an estate of 225,000 pounds and it was divided into 15 shares of 15,000, with Mann the chauffeur being one, and others being my grandfather and his 8 children, and other relatives. The family and my grandfather were bitter about Mann, being a servant and not entitled to so much and also because the one fifteenth share of Mann’s would have allowed the other heirs to make a substantial down payment on a house, (my way of relating how much money was involved). In 1977 I visited Somerset House in England and obtained a copy of the Colonel’s will which had 15 codicils (changes), authored by a crooked lawyer, and always all in Mann’s favour. The will stated anyone who contests the will shall forfeit his share. This practice is no longer possible. Later, in Findon I talked with a very elderly man who ran a variety store. After explaining who I was he said everyone knew Mann was fleecing the Colonel, as he was known. He said Mann was one of those types who wore wild-checkered sports jackets and could be found betting at a race track - “one of those types you know”. Mann lost his money after buying an inn and died young. The merchant said he thought Mrs. Mann was still alive and living in Worthing. The Colonel died drowning in a bathtub at the inn and possibly, forcibly, with his head pushed under the water. Nobody was present. I went to Worthing and looked up Mann in the telephone directory, obtained the address and then knocked on Mrs. Mann’s door, and after explaining who I was, and almost turning white, she nervously invited me in and confirmed she was the chauffeur’s widow. I did not question her or accuse her of anything, being an elderly lady, and I had no “axe to grind” with her based on any fact. She gave me the Colonel’s photo album of 1904 pictures taken in the Punjab and said that is the only thing she had of Findon Place. I have the family crest with the blue and gold colours with lions in white on it, denoting royal background. The motto on the coat of arms is Loyaute Me Lie, meaning in old English, loyalty binds me. A Scottish relative of a relative said only the descendants of the eldest so can display it in the UK but legal for me to display in my Toronto home, although not descended from the eldest. He is Sir Claude Haggart Alexander owner of the Ballachmyle (spelling?) estate near Ayr in Scotland where Robbie Burns resided for a while and wrote. In 1977 the enormous estate house was boarded up, unsafe and too costly to operate so they live in large dowagers house. Richard Somerset Margesson B.A., Toronto, Canada.
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| 7th September 2007 Loyaute Me Lie Actually, old French not old English. Originally the
motto of Richard of
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I have been unable to discover much of interest about Colonel Evelyn Margesson and his reign in Findon. I know that in the year 1938 he granted the Findon Cricket Club a 99-year lease at Kennel Bottom. He died in 1941 and was the last Lord of the Manor of Findon.
 Findon Place in the early 1900s |
If anyone has further authentic information on the conniving George William Mann from this period in Findon history, do let me know so that I can add it to the story for posterity.
Continue if you would like to read The Lord of the Manor's Rolls Royce.
This is Findon Village — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.
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E-mail: valeriemartin@findonvillage.com |
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