My father (1856­1942) bought the Little Thurlow Estate in 1898 from the Soame family. Eight years later he bought the Great Thurlow Estate from the W. H. Smith family (Lord Hambledon). On my father's death in February 1942 his executors sold all his considerable estates in Suffolk and Cambridgeshire (and later Yorkshire) but his children had the first refusal for any part they wanted. I was in the army at the time but took the Great Bradley part. My mother was his second wife (1883­1974). Sue Ryder, his youngest child, was born in 1924. By his first wife he had five children, one of whom, William, Yorks. Hussars & RFC, was killed in the First War, and by his second he also had five children. Part of the propeller of the aircraft William was piloting incorporates a memorial to him in Little Thurlow Church.

My father and his second family and the household lived part of the year in Yorkshire and part at Thurlow ­ latterly at Great Thurlow Hall. He had considerable business and family interests in Yorkshire. When the family and household moved to Suffolk or to Yorkshire a special carriage was arranged so that they did not have to change at Peterborough or Ely and the carriage, if I recall aright, was moved by horse. My uncle Frank, 3rd Dragoon Guards, lived part of his life at Little Thurlow Hall until he died in 1920. Then it was let to Hugh le Fleming, brother of Basil le Fleming, Vicar of Great Thurlow, until it was sold to Major K. Horn.

From the programme of the Pageant of Thurlow, 1938