The owners of Lackham in the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries ...

The Manor of Lackham IV : 19 th & 20 th century owners
Great Lodge Farms 40 and extended to the A4, where the Lysley Arms public
house stands.
Three years later, in 1835, Lackham itself was sold Captain Rooke. [To return to
the Section index click here]
The Rookes of Lackham
The Rookes were, and are, an important local family in northern Wiltshire. The
Lackham branch was not connected, as far as can be ascertained, to the more
numerous Potterne Rookes however. The earliest member of the family that
has so far been located was Thomas Rooke who lived in Kelsick in Cumberland in
1660 married Anne Henderson 41 . Ms Susan Rooke has noted that
The Rookes were situated in Cumberland from the Tudor period and
probably before. 42
Thomas and Anne’s son William Rooke married Dorothy Sumiford and their son
Henry Rooke, who was born in 1711, married Margaret Cook.
Henry died in 1775 at Edmonton in London and was buried in the family vault.
Margaret survived him by many years, dying in 1798 at "Harding, near Great
Bedwin, Wilts" 43 and her body was taken to Edmonton to be buried alongside
Henry. Her obituary refers to the fact that Henry was Chief Clerk of the
40 Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre (henceforth W&SHC) 137/59-26
41 Burke (1863) A genealogical and heraldic history of the landed gentry of Great
Britain p1292
42 Rooke, S pers. comm. 2003 gives the date as 9 th Sept 1835. Letter deposited in
WANHS library, Devizes, plus transcript. Ms Rooke is a charming lady and her
kindness and assistance over several years are very gratefully acknowledged.
43 Gentleman’s Magazine (1799) vol 69 pt 1 p171
Feb …. At Harding near Gt. Bedwin Wilts in her 83 rd year the relic of Henry Rooke esq
late keeper of the records in the Rolls; and on the 11 th her remains were interred with
his at Edmonton
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