THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com  created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.

RICHARD DAVID MARGESSON (1915-1999) RETURNS TO HIS ROOTS IN FINDON

Copyright Valerie Martin 2005

Originally published in the Findon News in August 2005

Lieutenant Colonel Evelyn Margesson (1865-1941) was the Lord of the Manor of Findon and it was his brother, Hugh Somerset Margesson, who emigrated as a young man to Canada c.1900.  

In Canada Hugh had a son, Richard David, who travelled to Findon in 1936 in search of his roots and he has left us a legacy detailing the life of the Lord of the Manor of Findon.

He was accompanied on the voyage to find his Uncle by two school chums, Bill McLean and Jim Keachie, both classmates and college fraternity brothers. 

The young men sailed from Montreal in June of 1936, down the St. Lawrence in the cargo ship "Sularia", through the ice dotted straits of Belle Isle and out into the Atlantic Ocean on their adventure of discovery.   The journey took two weeks as the "Sularia" could manage only ten knots.  They were well treated by the steward assigned to them for the duration as there was only one other passenger aboard.

There was much anticipation (and a little excitement to say the least) at seeing landfall beneath a crimson sunrise on the Firth of Clyde, and the docking at Glasgow.   Awaiting their arrival was a friend of Bill McClean's father with a new car for the journey "down south".

Their final destination was contact with relatives at Findon Place, the birth place of Richard's father.  

They arrived on a brilliant June day and approached the ancient manor house by way of its long curving drive with neat stately trees lining the side in those days.  

The nearest neighbour was St. John the Baptist Church with its spire soaring to heaven a stone's throw away at the end of the lane.    They were like two old friends standing together.  Church Hill rose behind the two properties as their backcloth.

Richard tentatively knocked at the door of the manor.  The moment of truth had arrived.   Would his uncle be pleased to see them?   He heard footsteps.  A moment later, the door was opened by a butler.   There was some disappointment when Richard was politely advised that his uncle, Colonel Evelyn Margesson was, in fact, now residing in Worthing and the estate was in the hands of the Hartridge family who had come from the States to live in Findon.  

The car was soon turned round and the Canadians retreated down the drive and left the quietude of Findon.   They set off to locate the colonel's property named "Laracor" in Mill Road in the town of Worthing.   I understand that "Laracor" is number 34 Mill Road and is on the north side nearer to the Goring Road shops.  It is now a Quaker Meeting House and the building in the grounds where Evelyn garaged his cars and had his library upstairs is still there.

On the day in question back in 1936, the doorbell was rung and this time was actually answered by Evelyn himself wearing a white panama suit.   He stared at young Richard for a moment and exclaimed

"You are a Margesson!   You must be Hugh's boy".

The years rolled away and history began to unfold.

Continue if you would like to read about George William Mann who was Colonel Evelyn Margesson's chauffeur, in Richard David Margesson's First Encounter with Mann the Chauffeur.

This is Findon Village — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.