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

A FACE FROM FINDON'S PAST.....MARJORY

Originally published in Findon Pages in August 2008

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Marjory married Colonel Ulric Oliver Thynne and in 1909 they came to Findon when he inherited the Muntham Estate just to the north of the village.   The mansion at Muntham was to be their Sussex seat during the first half of the twentieth century.   

In 1849, the Colonel’s grandmother, the Marchioness of Bath, had bought Muntham Court.  She had lavishly enlarged and renovated the building and faced it with Sussex flints.   She also planted the ornamental yew hedges, which were to become such a distinguishing feature of her gardens and walks.  

The trees were mature and at their best when Lady Marjory Thynne and the husband took up residency.   The established maple tree was a brilliant orange red each autumn.... and the Judas tree (said at the time to be the largest in England.... and still surviving today) was most gorgeous in the springtime when the bright purple flowers in the shape of peas came out under the polished leaves.    Its flowers were to become so abundant that the branches were quite secreted from view.   I think the next bit rather spoils the image.   The Judas tree is so called from a legend that it is the tree on which Judas Iscariot hanged himself.

Marjory and Ulric had three children.   The oldest was Oliver who went to Eton and became a captain in the Wiltshire Yeomanry.  

Then came Brian Sheridan who always took a keen interest in flying and he joined the 601st Bombing Squadron as a pilot officer.   In time he purchased his first aeroplane — with financial help from Marjory.   

Their third son, Edward Wormald died from an unfortunate shooting accident when he was aged twenty.   The Thynnes were a sporting family and the mansion contained a Gun Room and this is where the incident occurred in 1925.  The local doctor was immediately called and rumour and gossip spread that the door to the room where Edward was found dead was locked from the inside.  He had been considered a popular young man and liked by everyone.  Some of the villagers thought him to be rather scientifically minded and a joker.  A full Coroner’s Court was subsequently held into the tragic death. 

Edward's younger sister, Ulrica, loved horses and was in her elements out on the downland.   She did not attend the Findon school with the village children but was taught by a governess named Miss Filey.  The two sons of Mrs Barbara Hylton Madge of North End House accompanied her at her lessons.  Rumour was rife in the Muntham household among the servants at the time, as well as in the village of Findon, that Miss Filey could be the cause of the shooting.    After hearing the full evidence, the verdict was returned of “death following the accidental discharge of a pistol”.

I must explain that up until 1958, the daughters of aristocratic families had an extravagant coming out into society and the marriage market, which involved ceremonious presentation before the Queen.    It was to be the arrangements for Ulrica's coming out and presentation at Court that compelled Marjory to temporarily resign from the executive committee of the West Sussex Federation of Women's Institutes.   She was associated with many such movements in the county and was especially a practical supporter of Women's Institutes, believing they were destined to bring the large houses and the smaller households of villages in touch.

In 1921  a royal personage visited Muntham Court.   This was Prince Henry William, Duke of Gloucester, (the younger brother of George VI who was later to be King in 1936).    On the big day, the indoor staff at the mansion was given the privilege of being allowed to stand on the balcony to watch the guests arrive.  

Marjory was the president of the Findon branch of the Women's Institute when it started in 1922 and was also chairman of the Steyning group.   She took a keen interest in the successes achieved by the members with their various exhibitions and competitions, and her presence in those days gave a real boost to everyone.  

She was said to be a good speaker and had the happy gift of imparting brightness to any function she graced.   Under her able presidency, the Women's Branch of the Worthing Conservative and Constitutional Association flourished as well.  

She was a busy lady and also became the president of the Findon District Nursing Association and Mother's Union and in the autumn of 1931.   Notwithstanding all the other engagements, she consented to become president of the Worthing Women's Luncheon Club, a new venture for creating the fellowship between the professional and businesswomen of the town.

During the dark days of the Second World War, the telephone at Muntham Court was manned every day and night for emergencies.  The family and servants had suitcases packed in readiness for a “red alert”.  It is said that the Colonel had carefully buried cans of petrol in a secret location in the grounds for a hurried evacuation if the enemy landed.  

Air attacks were a frequent occurrence and one of the old cellars under the mansion was converted into a pleasant sitting room.  It was used when there was a raid during the sewing sessions undertaken at the mansion by the village women.  (My guess is that Marjory organised the sewing parties and personally took charge of them).  These were conducted every week so that comforts could be made for the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry and the Royal Air Force.   As might be expected, the sessions included tea and biscuits for the participants.

In 1949 there was a burglary at Muntham Court and £8OO. worth of Marjory's jewellery was stolen.  This was a large amount just after the war.   I guess there was uproar at the mansion when that happened and the local village policeman was soon pedalling up the long drive.  Not long afterwards there was a second raid and £1,000. worth of jewellery vanished and that same village policeman was again puffing and panting and hastily cycling up to the Big House .

On Friday evening the 17th November 1950, the Colonel and Marjory, were entertaining guests.  The dinner party was in full swing when Marjory suddenly felt unwell.  She quickly excused herself from the table and friends and departed from the dining room.   The meal continued, followed by the dessert, without her. 

With effort and difficulty she had just managed to climb the ornately carved wooded staircase to her bedroom. Here she collapsed and died; she was aged 77.  The Colonel was left a widower — alone in the great house, except for his dogs and the servants.

The Colonel passed away on 30th September, l957 and after his butler and wife had departed from the mansion it stood deserted and the grounds became overgrown.

Continue if you would like to read about Barbara Hylton Madge's Findon.

THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.