East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1909-07-29
MORGAN MAY BUY
ENGLISH ESTATE
HoLME LACY MANOR WILL BE
SOLD PUBLICALLY IN LONDON
Old Estate Has Been IN the Family
Since the Norman Conquest-Will
BE Sold Because the Present Own
er Needs the Moncy-IIas Historic
Associations.

London.-An American may be-
come lord of one of the oldest manors
of England when the auctioneer
brings down his gavel today and an
nounces that Holme Lacy, in Hert-
fordshire, is "Going, going, gone"
The auction of the famous estate
commenced in London this afternoon,
and among the bidders are said to
be the representatives of several
prominent New York millionaires. 1t
is persistently rumored that ]. p.
Morgan is one of those who hope to
| gain possession of the historic prop
erty.
Holme Lacy is generally considered
the most beautiful mansion of its
kind in England. In addition to this
almost perfect specimen of an old
country house, the successful bidder
will become the lord Of six villages,
eighteen farms with a total of 5000
acres of the choicest agricultural and
sporting land in the country, a herd
| of $50 deer and an extensive game
preserve. The purchaser will also
secure the right to appoint two par
sons of the Church of England and
various other manorial rights in the
manors of Holme Lacy and Balling-
ham. of which he will become the
lord.
| Long Family Ownership.
This estate has been in the same
family since the Norman conquest
| Walter de Lacy was one of the
| doughtiest warriors who followed
William the Norman to England, and
after the submission of the country
was complete he settled in Hertford-
| shire. where Holme Lacy was the
most important of the sixty-five lord
ships conferred on him by his CRATE
full master.
In the time of Edward III Clarice
de Lacy married a member of the
Scudamore family, and Holme Lacy
was her portion. The daughter of
John. second Viscount Scudamore
n died in 1920 without issue, and the
estate passed TO Sir ESdwin Francis
Stanhope. grandfather of the present
Lord Chesterfield. 1t therefore be-
came the property of the earls of
Chesterfield a century after the time
the great Lord Chesterfield, whose
letters have become one of the Eng
lish classics
Selling to Get Money.
The present earl is selling because
he needs the money. Times are hard
in England for the owners of great
estates. what with the new death du-
ties. new land taxes and other i'm
posts which the members Of the old
aristocracy find too heavy to bear.
Even at that Holme Lacy returns
net income to the owner of about
5000 a year.
The house itself was built in the
time of Henry VIII. and was largely
rebuilt about a century and a half
later. 1t is a massive structure OF
red sandstone, and stands In the an
cient deer park, the entrance TO
4 which is through the Old World VIII
! lage of Holme Lacy. 1t is surround
ed by twenty-three acres Of gardens
\ which are famed throughout England
for their unique beauty. A feature
which can not be matched anywhere
] is the hedges Of ancient yew trees
from which were taken the good yeW
bows with which the men of Here
ford fought at Agincourt The man.
sion contains forty bedrooms, with
superb carvings by Grinling Gibbons
and paintings by Holbein, Vandyck
Lely and other masters.
Has Literary Associations.
Holme Lacy is not wanting in lit
erary associations. Pope, Gay and
other famous writers spent much time
in the beautiful gardens, and it was al
Home Lacy that Pope met Johr
4 Kyrle the philanthropist, whom ne
immortalized afterward as the mar
of Ross" The gardens include ar
Italian garden, a wild garden, wall
4 ed kitchen garden, flower garden
an orangery and two rose gardens
i surrounded by ancient yews.
In the deer park is the monarch
! oak" believed to be one of the oldes
4 trees in England. It's glrth at
y height of feet is over 21 feet.
Nine miles of salmon fishing or
q the River Wye are included in th'
estate.