page_title: Susannah Holford
section_title: Second marriage
hierarchical_section_title: Susannah Holford / Second marriage
caption_attribution_description: English: Keith and Stewart Menzies. The two eldest sons of Lady Susannah Holford, 1914
context_page_description: Susannah West Holford, Lady Holford was an English socialite. She was the daughter of to Arthur and Mary Wilson of Tranby Croft, Yorkshire. Her second husband was Sir George Holford who owned Dorchester House in London, Westonbirt House in Gloucestershire, and Westonbirt Arboretum which is still enjoyed by the public today.
context_section_description: Susannah had known Sir George Holford for some time as they both moved in court circles. The 1891 Census shows that on the day of the Census George was staying with Susannah and her husband Jack at Escrick for what appears to be a royal house party as Prince Albert Victor is included in the list of residents at Escrick on that day.
  In 1912, a year after Susannah was widowed, she married George in the Chapel Royal, St James. She was 48 and he 52 years old. George V, Queen Mary, Queen Alexandra and Princess Victoria were present. The wedding was described in detail in The Times:
  "The aisle was lined by non-commissioned officers of the bridegroom's old regiment the 1st Life Guards. The bride who was given away by her two sons, wore a gown of old Point d'Alencon lace with a train of gold brocade veiled in chiffon. Instead of a hat she wore a headdress of gold lace and pink roses and she carried a bouquet of orchids... The King and Queen gave Sir George Holford a pair of sleeve links bearing the Royal monogram in diamonds and rubies."
  They shared a mutual interest in trees and gardens; so much so that the Botanical Society of the British Isles stated:
  "A happier union could not be conceived and their mutual taste for gardening in its highest stage of development. Nothing but loving care and [infinite] trouble could have made Silk Wood and the surroundings so supremely lovely."
  When the War began in 1914, Susannah's two eldest sons Keith and Stewart went to fight. They were both in the Second Life Guards and were sent to Belgium in October 1914. They fought at Ypres and were involved in very heavy bombardments. Stewart sent Susannah regular letters to tell her that he and Keith were unhurt. One letter said.
  "I suppose this 2nd Battle of Ypres has been the fiercest of the war. It lasted 6 days and there must have been close on 100,000 [casualties] including British, French, Belgian and German.....Then the artillery fire was something astounding – it fairly took our breath away as it never ceased day and night – one continuous roar of the loudest thunder.
  In 1915, Stewart Menzies joined the intelligence section of the army and remained there until the end of the war. After the war, both of Susannah's sons returned home and married soon afterwards. Stewart Menzies became a frequent visitor of the Holfords and came to stay with them at Dorchester House and Westonbirt.
  Suannah and George sometimes entertained royalty at Westonbirt. In 1922 Queen Mary visited Westonbirt and afterward sent a letter to the Holfords, thanking them. She said "all the arrangements you were made were so perfect in every way and the expeditions were the greatest success and very enjoyable."
caption: Keith (left) and Stewart Menzies just before they left for Belgium in 1914.
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