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

The Manor of Lackham IV : 19 th & 20 th century owners
when Miss Poynder died ….Michael Palmer of Berryfield House seized
his chance to increase the acreage surrounding his own house in a
substantial way by purchasing Leigh Park and its lands for £12,000.
What he really wanted was the original Sladesbrook Farm land bought
by Daniel Clutterbuck over eighty years before. Now these same
fields became part of the Berryfield estate
Having got what he wanted, Mr. Palmer immediately sold Leigh House,
its pleasure grounds and kitchen gardens, now totalling only 19 acres,
to Lady Jane Swinburne, mother of Algernon Swinburne 227 .
It is possible George knew the poet, Swinburne is known to have been there in
July 1882 and August 1887, but maybe not………
Swinburne, who had repudiated Christianity and whose health had
been undermined by heavy drinking and other unmentionable
excesses, would not have mingled easily in polite Bradford society. 228
More importantly, for George at least, Michael Palmer purchased the Heywood
estates 229 from the trustees of the bankrupt Ralph Kekewich Lopes, Bart 230 in
1899. Michael was already a Trustee for the will of Ralph’s uncle (Ralph Ludlow
Lopes) when Ralph inherited the estate in 1888 231 . As Ralph Kekewich was a
declared bankrupt, the estate had to be sold to help cover his debts.
227 Dobson, M (2002) Guardian Angel no. 37, Spring, at
http://www.freshford.com/leigh_park.htm
228 Dobson, M (2002) Guardian Angel no. 37, Spring
229 W&SHC 816/47 (the estate papers in two large bundles)
In 1889 the estate had property in Westbury, Trowbridge, Steeple Ashton, Keevil,
North Bradley, and Melksham
230 W&SHC 816/47
bankruptcy declared 29 May 1888
231 W&SHC 816/47
“Re Ralph Ludlow Lopes deceased; declaration of Trust of Edward G Porter and Michael
Palmer” dated 31 Dec 1888 George Llewellyn Palmer, was one of the witnesses
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