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

The Manor of Lackham IV : 19 th & 20 th century owners
George Palmer was “one of the strongest supporters of the Conservative cause
in the County” 319 , and was a candidate for the Westbury division four times
before he was elected MP for Westbury between 1918 and 1922. He was one of
the founders of the Wiltshire Working Men’s Conservative Benefit Society.
As a pillar of the community George Palmer was “foremost in many… charitable
movements”, for example he was a donor to Trowbridge Almshouses, “a generous
benefactor of the Parish Church and Cottage hospital” and the Palmer Gardens
in Trowbridge commemorate his munificence in the area,
The Palmer’s sold Lackham in 1919 to William Tatem. It would appear that they
had not been resident at Lackham for some time previously; in April of the same
year an objection to the inclusion of George’s name on the county electors list
was lodged on the grounds of “non residence” 320 and George wrote a letter to
the local paper from Taplow in June 1919 321 .
At some stage they moved to “The Prospect” at Hilperton and then returned to
the family home, Berryfield House, at Bradford on Avon. It was here that Louie
Madeline Palmer died in May 1925 322 ; she was buried in Lacock.
In 1927 George Palmer moved to Bexley in Kent. He took over the house
previously owned by his son William Palmer and his wife Lady Alexandra (who
moved to nearby Rushwood Hall). It was here that George Llewellen died, on 31
March 1932 322 , leaving an estate worth £45,128. The Wiltshire Times
319 Wilts. Obituary (1932) WAM vol 46 no 157 p110
320 Wiltshire Times Sat Apr 12 th 1919 p3
The objection was not sustained on the grounds that the notice had not been served
properly and that the caretaker was occupying a portion of the house, which
constituted residence.
321 Wiltshire Times Sat June 14 p5, writing from Mill Stream House, Taplow
322 Wiltshire Gazette 7 April 1932
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