216:
196:
106:
252:
235:"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."
113:
17:
99:
152:
163:"The Bridal procession left Tranby Croft at 2.15 pm and all the way to the church the bridal party was cheered by crowds which packed the pavement every inch of the way. Tottie (Susannah) who had a sweet face and gentle expression wore the traditional white dress in satin with a long train. Her six bridesmaids wearing cream brocade skirts with grey
271:"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 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.
275:
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
77:
Her childhood appears to have been carefree and filled with the activities of wealthy
British families. She was taught to ride and hunt at an early age as her father was involved in this sport and became later the Master of the Holderness Hunt. She was also involved in amateur dramatic productions.
186:
By 1903 Jack had made some disastrous financial investments, principally in a diamond mine in South Africa. He also gambled heavily at cards and on the racetrack and was said to be an alcoholic. In 1906 Susannah left him and returned to Tranby Croft. It seems that in reality the marriage was over
91:, a popular British painter, was commissioned to paint the two eldest Wilson girls. The portrait was entitled "Portrait of the Misses Wilson of Tranby Croft in pale blue satin dresses in a garden". Susannah is on the right and her sister Ethel on the left.
283:
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."
247:"A happier union could not be conceived and their mutual taste for gardening in its highest stage of development. Nothing but loving care and trouble could have made Silk Wood and the surroundings so supremely lovely."
70:, founded by Susannah's grandfather Thomas in about 1840. Arthur with his brother inherited the firm and continued to manage and develop it. Soon after Susannah was born the Wilsons went to live at Wolfreton Grange,
207:
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
292:
In 1926 George
Holford died, having suffered for some time with emphysema. As he did not have any heirs his property passed to his blood relatives in accordance with the will of his father
66:
Susannah was the eldest child of Arthur and Mary Wilson who between 1864 and 1876 had seven children. The
Wilsons were a wealthy family who had made their money from a shipping line,
209:
300:. However, Susannah was well provided for as George left her his personal goods such as jewellery and furniture and a large annuity of £10,000 per annum.
658:
316:
227:. 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
183:
in 1890 and their third son Ian Graham
Menzies in 1895. A photo taken in about 1925 shows the two eldest boys and Jack Menzies with the Wilsons.
267:
and were involved in very heavy bombardments. Stewart sent
Susannah regular letters to tell her that he and Keith were unhurt. One letter said.
653:
240:
155:
Jack
Menzies is standing on the far right. Stewart Menzies is in the front row on the left and Keith is on the extreme right circa 1895.
74:
in the East Riding of
Yorkshire. In 1874 the building of Tranby Croft near Hull began and in 1876 the family moved into their new home.
224:
171:....Ten times the number of people who could be accommodated had turned up, and most of them were now waiting near the entrance gate."
297:
35:
336:
563:
303:
Susannah remained at Westonbirt until it was sold in 1927. She then moved to London and lived in a palatial townhouse in
67:
159:
Susannah married John Graham Menzies (Jack) in 1887. Their wedding was a lavish affair and is described below.
259:
When the War began in 1914, Susannah's two eldest sons Keith and Stewart went to fight. They were both in the
215:
293:
264:
84:
which was performed at Tranby Croft. A program of the play shows that she played the part of Lady Angela.
195:
648:
643:
304:
55:
105:
311:, Surrey which still exists today. In 1943 she died at Dassett at the age of 79 and was buried at
251:
312:
204:
43:
187:
although there was no divorce or formal separation. In 1911 Jack Menzies died of tuberculosis.
371:
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858–1995
112:
80:
51:
47:
562:
Queen Mary, Letter to Sir George and Lady Holford, 16 August 1922. From website, Christies
564:
http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?pos=7&intObjectID=3729278&sid=
260:
180:
16:
637:
219:
King George V and Queen Mary who attended the wedding of Sir George and Lady Holford.
175:
They began their married life in Grosvenor Street, London and a rented country home,
98:
34:; 15 May 1864 – 18 December 1943) was an English socialite. She was the daughter of
504:
Botanical Society of the British Isles, "Report for 1879-1947", Vol 8, 1926, p. 99.
280:
39:
585:
319:, London on 30 December 1943 and another a few days later at Westonbirt Church.
307:, Mayfair until 1940. After that she moved to a large house called Dassett near
88:
78:
In 1882 when she was about 18 she was in a Gilbert and Sullivan production of
164:
71:
255:
Keith (left) and Stewart Menzies just before they left for Belgium in 1914.
151:
179:
in Yorkshire. In 1888 they had their first son Keith Graham Menzies, then
279:
Suannah and George sometimes entertained royalty at Westonbirt. In 1922
239:
They shared a mutual interest in trees and gardens; so much so that the
176:
223:
In 1912, a year after Susannah was widowed, she married George in the
308:
199:
Sir George and Lady Holford shortly after their marriage circa 1912.
250:
214:
194:
150:
15:
360:
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916–2007
349:
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837–1915
212:
is included in the list of residents at Escrick on that day.
615:"The Times, 20 December 1943 in Death Notices and Obituary.
263:
and were sent to Belgium in October 1914. They fought at
296:. The main part of the estate went to George's nephew
584:UKForestry Commission, "History of the Collection"
93:
517:, Macmillan Publishing Company, New York, p. 63.
441:C: The Secret Life of Sir Stewart Graham Menzies
586:http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-6XDCU8
479:"Sir George Holford and Mrs Graham Menzies",
8:
58:which is still enjoyed by the public today.
515:"C" The Secret Life of Sir Stewart Menzies
443:, Macmillan Publishing Co, New York, p.24.
315:. A memorial service was held for her at
328:
385:, Hutton Press, East Yorkshire, p. 10.
241:Botanical Society of the British Isles
7:
627:31 December 1943 and 3 January 1944.
317:St Marks Church, North Audley Street
125:Tranby Croft where the Wilson family
42:, Yorkshire. Her second husband was
20:Lady Holford (née Wilson) circa 1885
470:1891 England Census, York, Escrick.
25:Susannah West Holford, Lady Holford
14:
659:People from the Borough of Woking
288:After the death of George Holford
111:
104:
97:
606:British Phone Books, 1880-1984.
337:1939 England and Wales Register
1:
654:People from Cotswold District
526:Brown, A. C. 1987, pp. 76,81.
421:Attwood, G. M., 1988, p. 130.
134:(then Susannah Wilson)(right)
430:Attwood, G. M., 1988, p. 140
412:Attwood, G. M., 1988, p. 57.
68:Thomas Wilson Sons & Co.
403:Attwood, G. M., 1988, p. 38
394:Attwood, G. M. 1988, p. 12.
383:The Wilsons of Tranby Croft
127:moved in 1874 (from a 1920s
120:Susannah Wilson 1871; later
675:
597:Brown, A. C. 1987, p. 157.
575:Brown, A. C. 1987, p. 156.
553:Brown, A. C. 1987, p. 151.
544:Brown, A. C. 1987, p. 92.
535:Brown, A. C. 1987, p. 86.
461:Brown, A. C. 1987, p. 44.
452:Brown, A. C. 1987, p. 30.
167:and coats of cream satin
588:, (accessed 15 Jan 2010)
566:, (accessed 11 Jan 2010)
138:in a portrait painted by
54:in Gloucestershire, and
298:the 4th Earl of Morley
294:Robert Stayner Holford
256:
225:Chapel Royal, St James
220:
200:
181:Stewart Graham Menzies
156:
140:James Sant circa 1880
21:
495:, 18 July 1912, p. 9.
381:Attwood, G. M. 1988,
254:
218:
198:
154:
19:
483:, 18 July 1912, p. 9
210:Prince Albert Victor
136:and her sister Ethel
56:Westonbirt Arboretum
513:Brown, A. C. 1987,
439:Brown, A. C. 1987,
203:Susannah had known
38:and Mary Wilson of
313:Brookwood Cemetery
305:Upper Brook Street
261:Second Life Guards
257:
221:
205:Sir George Holford
201:
157:
44:Sir George Holford
22:
144:
143:
666:
628:
622:
616:
613:
607:
604:
598:
595:
589:
582:
576:
573:
567:
560:
554:
551:
545:
542:
536:
533:
527:
524:
518:
511:
505:
502:
496:
490:
484:
477:
471:
468:
462:
459:
453:
450:
444:
437:
431:
428:
422:
419:
413:
410:
404:
401:
395:
392:
386:
379:
373:
368:
362:
357:
351:
346:
340:
333:
276:and Westonbirt.
115:
108:
101:
94:
52:Westonbirt House
48:Dorchester House
674:
673:
669:
668:
667:
665:
664:
663:
634:
633:
632:
631:
623:
619:
614:
610:
605:
601:
596:
592:
583:
579:
574:
570:
561:
557:
552:
548:
543:
539:
534:
530:
525:
521:
512:
508:
503:
499:
491:
487:
478:
474:
469:
465:
460:
456:
451:
447:
438:
434:
429:
425:
420:
416:
411:
407:
402:
398:
393:
389:
380:
376:
369:
365:
358:
354:
347:
343:
334:
330:
325:
290:
193:
191:Second marriage
149:
139:
137:
135:
133:
128:
126:
121:
87:In about 1880,
64:
12:
11:
5:
672:
670:
662:
661:
656:
651:
646:
636:
635:
630:
629:
617:
608:
599:
590:
577:
568:
555:
546:
537:
528:
519:
506:
497:
485:
472:
463:
454:
445:
432:
423:
414:
405:
396:
387:
374:
363:
352:
341:
327:
326:
324:
321:
289:
286:
273:
272:
249:
248:
237:
236:
192:
189:
173:
172:
148:
147:First marriage
145:
142:
141:
130:
123:
117:
116:
109:
102:
63:
60:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
671:
660:
657:
655:
652:
650:
647:
645:
642:
641:
639:
626:
621:
618:
612:
609:
603:
600:
594:
591:
587:
581:
578:
572:
569:
565:
559:
556:
550:
547:
541:
538:
532:
529:
523:
520:
516:
510:
507:
501:
498:
494:
489:
486:
482:
476:
473:
467:
464:
458:
455:
449:
446:
442:
436:
433:
427:
424:
418:
415:
409:
406:
400:
397:
391:
388:
384:
378:
375:
372:
367:
364:
361:
356:
353:
350:
345:
342:
339:
338:
332:
329:
322:
320:
318:
314:
310:
306:
301:
299:
295:
287:
285:
282:
277:
270:
269:
268:
266:
262:
253:
246:
245:
244:
242:
234:
233:
232:
230:
226:
217:
213:
211:
206:
197:
190:
188:
184:
182:
178:
170:
169:merveilleieux
166:
162:
161:
160:
153:
146:
132:Lady Holford
131:
124:
122:Lady Holford
119:
118:
114:
110:
107:
103:
100:
96:
95:
92:
90:
85:
83:
82:
75:
73:
69:
61:
59:
57:
53:
49:
45:
41:
37:
33:
30:
26:
18:
624:
620:
611:
602:
593:
580:
571:
558:
549:
540:
531:
522:
514:
509:
500:
492:
488:
480:
475:
466:
457:
448:
440:
435:
426:
417:
408:
399:
390:
382:
377:
370:
366:
359:
355:
348:
344:
335:
331:
302:
291:
278:
274:
258:
238:
228:
222:
202:
185:
177:Escrick Park
174:
168:
158:
86:
79:
76:
65:
40:Tranby Croft
31:
28:
24:
23:
649:1943 deaths
644:1864 births
50:in London,
638:Categories
323:References
281:Queen Mary
165:overskirts
129:postcard)
89:James Sant
62:Early life
46:who owned
625:The Times
493:The Times
481:The Times
229:The Times
72:Kirk Ella
243:stated:
81:Patience
309:Woking
36:Arthur
32:Wilson
265:Ypres
29:née
640::
231::
27:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
