New book about Fonthill

By, clicking ‘2012’ under ‘Archive’ on the right and then scrolling down, you will reach a post about a visit to Fonthill to attend a lecture by Professor Caroline Dakers, have luncheon with  Alistair Morrison (Lord Margadale) , and then visit the current mansion, Fonthill House. As you will recall, Rev John Downes (1810-1890), from whom most of us are descended, had a sister Jane who married John Todd.  John Todd’s father was ‘Sunshine Todd’ (picture on right) whose business passed to James Morrison, who married Mary Ann Todd and became the richest commoner of that era.

     Caroline Dakers has compiled a new book called Fonthill Recovered of which Ian Aldous has loaned me a copy, full of information about all the mansions at Fonthill and their owners. My mother dined as a child with the Morrisons at Fonthill, and remembered that the plates were made of gold!                                                                          

     Ian and I had visited the recent wonderful exhibition at Horace Walpole's Strawberry Hill, where many pictures were on loan from the Morrison archive at Sudeley Castle.

     I would be very happy to correspond about all this with anyone reading this post.