Obituary and will of Lt-Col. William Selby-Lowndes of Tinker's Corner (died 1951)

Buckingham Advertiser, 27 July 1951

WELL-KNOWN throughout the county for his long and illustrious connection with the Whaddon Case Hunt, Lieut.-Colonel William Selby-Lowndes, O.B.E., T.D., J.P., D.L., of Whaddon, died at his home, Tinker’s Corner, Winslow, on Tuesday.  He was 80.

The Whaddon Chase Hunt was dear to Colonel Selby-Lowndes’ heart, for there is a traditional link between the Hunt and his family.  The pack was formerly a family pack belonging to the Selby-Lowndes of Whaddon.  He, his father and grandfather were all Masters of the Hunt.  In 1941 he became chairman of the Hunt Committee.

Educated at Eton, he had a distinguished military career, which started with service in the South African War with the Bucks Yeomanry Cavalry.

In the first world war, while serving with the Bedfordshire Yeomanry, lst Cavalry Division, he was awarded the Legion of Honour, the Croix de Guerre, and was twice mentioned in Despatches.  During the last war he was Colonel of the local Home Guard.

Colonel Selby-Lowndes was Chairman of the County Gentlemen’s Association and a director of the West End Branch Royal Insurance Co.  He was High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire in 1939 and was a member of the Carlton, Orleans, Royal Automobile and Hurlingham clubs.

A Deputy Lieutenant of the County, Colonel Selby-Lowndes was appointed a Justice of the Peace for the County in 1894, and was formerly a member of the Bucks Standing Joint Committee.

Sport played a large part in Colonel Selby-Lownde’s life.  He was an authority on shooting and fishing, and in his younger days rode in point-to-points, and was an enthusiastic cricketer.

His interest in the welfare of Ex-servicemen was reflected by his local connection with the British Legion, having been President of the Winslow branch for many years.

Colonel Selby-Lowndes was the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. William Selby-Lowndes of Whaddon Hall [this was the William Selby-Lowndes responsible for the sale of Winslow Hall in 1897].  He married twice having two sons and a daughter by his first wife.  One son died.

Colonel Selby-Lowndes’ family connection with Winslow goes back to the 16th century, and Winslow Hall was built by one of his ancestors.  The Whaddon estate came into possession of the family in the 18th century.

The funeral takes place today (Friday), a service at Winslow Parish Church at 2.30 p.m. being followed by interment at Whaddon Churchyard.

Buckingham Advertiser, 3 Aug 1951

MANY of Buckinghamshire’s most notable figures were among the large congregation at the funeral service at Winslow Parish Church, on Friday, for Lieut.-Colonel William Selby-Lowndes, former Master of Foxhounds and soldier, a country gentleman and magistrate, whose death at the age of 80, at his home, Tinker’s Corner, Winslow, was reported in our last week’s issue.

Members of the Winslow branch of the British Legion, with standard, lined the path to the church.  The service was conducted by Canon St. J. H. Beamish, Vicar of Winslow, and Canon J. R. C. Forrest, Vicar of Swanbourne.

Colonel Selby-Lowndes was afterward buried in the churchyard at Whaddon, whose name is given to the famous hunt with which the Selby-Lowndes family has a traditional association.

Family mourners were: Mrs. Selby-Lowndes, widow;  Mr. G. Selby-Lowndes, son;  Mrs. Charlton, daughter;  Brigadier M. W. Selby-Lowndes, nephew, and his wife;  Squadron Leader Selby-Lowndes and Mr. E. Selby-Lowndes, nephews;  Mrs. G. Selby-Lowndes, sister;  the Rev. and Mrs. E. Selby-Lowndes, cousins;  Lady Cruise, Miss P Cruise, Mr. C. Cruise, Mr. and Mrs. O. Lerwill;  Sir Charles and Lady Lamb;  Miss Diana Selby-Lowndes, daughter, and Mrs. R. Selby-Lowndes, sister-in-law.

Buckingham Advertiser, 15 March 1952

Lt.-Colonel William Selby-Lowndes, O.B.E., T.D., J.P., D.L., of Tinkers Corner, Winslow, formerly of Whaddon Hall, Bletchley, High Sheriff of Bucks in 1939, Chairman of the Country Gentlemen’s Association Ltd., a former Master of the Whaddon Chase Hunt, a director of the Royal Insurance Co. Ltd. (West Ed branch), and a descendant of Mr. Secretary Lowndes – “Ways and Means Lowndes” – died on July 24th last, aged 80 years, leaving unsettled estate valued at £14,030 13s. 10d., gross, £10,307 18s. 2d. net value (duty paid £3,378).

He appointed Marriage Settlement Funds, subject to the trusts thereof, to his daughter, Diana Charlton, and if she executes a settlement appointing this fund to her children, subject to her life interest, he left a further £5,000 to the trustees of this settlement, or if this settlement is not effected within six months of his death the said sum of £5,000 is left upon trust for his nephew, Brig. Henry Selby-Lowndes, R.A., for life, and then to his nephew, Geoffrey H. W. Selby-Lowndes, M.B.E., A.F.C.

He left a portrait of the Countess of Salisbury upon trust for Miss Dora Wilson for life and then to the said Brig. Henry Selby-Lowndes £100 and a picture of “Whaddon Chase Hounds” by Barrand to his step-daughter Lady Cruise;  £100 to his daughter-in-law, Lady Angela Lamb;  £500 equally between the children of the late John MacRobert, solicitor, of Paisley, and the residue upon trust for his wife for life, and then to Brig. Montacute W. M. Selby-Lowndes.  Probate has been granted to his widow, Mrs. Maud C. Selby-Lowndes, of Tinkers Corner.  Alexander G. Young, of 51, Moss Street, Paisley, and Ralph J. D. Smith, of 8, Lincolns Inn Fields, W.C., solicitors.


Will of Maude Selby-Lowndes, 1952 (proved 1957)

Principal Probate Registry

Grant of Probate

BE IT KNOWN THAT MAUDE CELIA SELBY LOWNDES of Tinkers Corner Winslow Bletchley Buckinghamshire Widow died there on the 14th day of July 1957 domiciled in England
AND BE IT FURTHER KNOWN that at the date hereunder written the last Will and Testament with a Codicil thereto (a copy whereof is hereto annexed) of the said deceased was proved and registered in the Principal Probate Registry of the High Court of Justice and that Administration of all the estate which by law devolves to and vests in the personal representative of the said deceased was granted by the aforesaid Court to Lady EILEEN CELIA CRUISE of Shipton Winslow aforesaid Widow daughter of deceased JAMES OSCAR MAX CLARK of 6 West Eaton Place London SW1 retired Company Director ALEXANDER GULLAN YOUNG and JOHN CARMICHAEL THOMAS MACROBERT both of 51 Moss Street Paisley Scotland Solicitors named in the said Will
And it is hereby certified that an Inland Revenue affidavit has been delivered wherein it is shown that the gross value of the said estate in Great Britain (exclusive of what the said deceased may have been possessed of or entitled to as a trustee and not beneficially, amounts to £163645-16-11 and that the net value of the estate amounts to £158566-12-9
And it is further certified that it appears by a receipt signed by an Inland Revenue officer on the said affidavit that £90201-17-0 on account of estate duty and interest on such duty has been paid.
Dated the 25th day of September 1957

Will

I, MRS. MAUDE CELIA WILSON or SELBY LOWNDES, Widow of Lieutenant William Selby-Lowndes, O.B.E., D.L., formerly of Whaddon Hall, Bletchley, Buckinghamshire and now residing at Tinkers Corner, Winslow, Bletchley, Buckinghamshire for the purpose of regulating the succession to my means and estate after my death Do by this my last Will and Testament ASSIGN and DISPOSE, DEVISE, LEGATE and BEQUEATH to and in favour of my daughter LADY EILEEN CELIA GREENLEES or CRUISE,  JAMES OSCAR MAX CLARK, Thread Manufacturer, Paisley, ALEXANDER GULLAN YOUNG, Solicitor, Fifty one Moss Street, Paisley and JOHN CARMICHAEL THOMAS MACROBERT Solicitor, Fifty one Moss Street, Paisley and to such other person or persons as may be named hereafter by me or as may be assumed into the trust hereby created … [the Will goes on to assign ‘the whole means and estate’ which Maude Selby-Lowndes ‘shall have power of disposal at her death’ in trust to the aforementioned Trustees who are confirmed as Executors with specific requests to :
1. Pay all debts, funeral expenses, administrative costs of the Trust and Government duties.
2. Deliver to the daughter Eileen Celia her motor car and her household and personal effects …
]

… In the third place I direct my Trustees l to pay to my daughter the said Lady Eileen Celia Greenlees or Cruise a legacy of Twenty thousand pounds (£20,000) Sterling at the first term of Whitsunday or Martinmas occurring six months after my death as also to convey and make over to her my heritable property at Tinkers Corner and Horn Street, Winslow both of which I purchased from Lady Latham and that free of all Government Duties …

Additional beneficiaries are listed …
4. Legacies of £100 were bequeathed to each of her Trustees, to her stepdaughter Diana Charlton (née Selby-Lowndes) and her daughter Caroline; also to Alison Pearson, Diane Herbert and to Mrs John Douglas of The Cottage, Horn Street. The wife of her chauffeur, Margaret Wallace or Reid was bequeathed £500. There is a bequest to 'Celia' but one page of the will is missing from the Probate Registry copy.

A lengthy section ensues relating to the children of my said daughter Eileen (equally between them if more than one) (said child or children being hereinafter called in this purpose “the beneficiaries”). Various clauses and sub-clauses provide for a number of circumstances which may occur in relation to the unnamed ‘beneficiaries’.

The concluding section of the Will reverts to the Trustees and confirms their powers in relation to the Testatrix’s investments and confirmation of their duties and exceptions to various liabilities set out in the usual clauses. It is specified that Scottish Law will be applied in the event of clarification of the Trust being required with any judicial decision to be determined by the Court of Sessions in Scotland.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF these presents typewritten on this and the five preceding pages for Macrobert, Son & Hutchison, Solicitors, Paisley are subscribed by me at Winslow, Buckinghamshire on the Sixth day of October Nineteen hundred and fifty two before these witnesses Robert Leopold Quenton Moore, Lloyds Bank Ltd., Winslow, Banker and Clare Wilson, Swerfield, Bognor Regis, Nurse.

R.L.Q. Moore [signature] Witness
                                                                                                Maude Celia Selby-Lowndes [signature]
Clare Wilson [signature] Witness

Codicil

I, MRS. MAUDE CELIA SELBY LOWNDES, Maker of the foregoing Trust, Disposition & Settlement Do hereby instruct the Trustees acting thereunder to deliver to Miss Carolyn Charlton, the Granddaughter of my late husband my Brooch consisting of a gold bar with a diamond fox mask and subject to the foregoing I confirm my Trust Disposition & Settlement in all respects: IN WITNESS WHEREOF these presents typewritten for Macrobert, Son & Hutchison, Solicitors, Paisley are subscribed by me at London on the Twenty fifth day of October Nineteen hundred and fifty five before these witnesses James Charles Evitt Robinson, Chartered Surveyor, Fifteen A St. Pauls Square, Bedford and Cicily Mary Flint, Housekeeper, Thirty four, Wimpole Street, London.

J.C.E. Robinson  [signature]
C.M. Flint  [signature]                                                     M.C. Selby-Lowndes [signature]

Copyright 23 June, 2024