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

The Manor of Lackham IV : 19 th & 20 th century owners
It is said that Capt. Rooke built another storey onto the house, the
current top floor, to accommodate his large family however all of the
Rooke children were by Frederick’s first wife Anne, who had died in
1829 (see above).
In 1836 Capt. Rooke was one of the Wiltshire Land Tax Commissioners,
charged with collecting the local taxes 85 .
During Capt. Rooke’s time at Lackham a dispute started over what
rights Lackham had over the River Avon, this dispute was to run on
with the next few owners until the end of the century.
A water colour dated 1849 86 (see Fig. 8 below) is one of only two so
far seen of the house pre-dating the twentieth century and clarifies
this . It clearly shows the third floor in position and it is very unlikely
that the last generation of the Montagus to own the estate had the
time, the need or the money to engage in such extensive rebuilding.
This picture, looking north west towards the house, shows that Capt.
Rooke also put the colonnade onto the South side of the house. He may
also have been responsible for the oval porch replaced by George
Palmer in 1900. It is probable that it was Captain Rooke who changed
the entrance from the southern side of the house to its current
location on the north. It is clear that the entrance is not on the south
side of the house from the picture, there is no sign of a carriage drive
here.
85 A Collection of the Public and General Statutes passed in the sixth and
seventh years of the reign of King William IV (1836) p654
86 Signed with the initials WWR 1849. I am very happy to record my thanks
to Mr. and Mrs Johnstone of Exeter for permission to copy and use this
image, the original is in their possession. Copyright . I am also grateful to
their cousin Mr N Floyer who first made me aware of this picture and kindly
put me in touch with them
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