Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    LM
  • Title
    Murray of Wrest Park.
  • Date free text
    c1875-c1982
  • Production date
    From: 1875 To: 1982
  • Admin/biog history
    Richard Murray was a brewer in the north of England and appears to have lived at Benfieldside House, nr. Consett. His son John George Murray (1864-c1953) married first Isabella 'Bee' Charleton, daughter of William Charleton, on 21 June 1892. John and Bee appear to have first lived in Yorkshire at the Hall, Thorton-le-Street, Thirsk. In 1917 John G Murray bought Wrest Park in Bedfordshire. In the late 1930s he moves to Coles Park, Buntingford, Herts. Bee died in 1946 and John married Bridget, widow of Lt col Henry Benfield Des Voeux Wilkinson in 1947. John and Bee had one daughter, Ethne Charleton Murray (b1893). Ethne married first Major John Martin Gordon Dill of the 5th Lancers (1890-1949), variously refered to as Jack or Gordon. He was the son of John Frederick Gordon Dill and his wife Mary Kathleen Martin (d1943). Ethne and Gordon had two sons: John Michael Gordon Dill (1919-1944), known as Michael, and Richard Patrick Gordon Dill (b1921). They lived in Suffolk (at least in the 1940s) and in Ireland. Ethne married Rodger Frederick Walter Baron Clifford, a native of Amsterdam, on 15 March 1957 and is refered to as Baroness Clifford in the later correspondence, and appears to live in Ireland. Richard Patrick Gordon Dill of the King's Royal Irish Hussars married 1st Mary Chichester Mills (1959) and 2nd Kari Penelope Sheppard (1968). He had one son Marcus Patrick Gordon Dill born 5 March 1974. On the death of his grandfather, John George Murray, Richard was required to take the name Murray in order to inherit the estate. He changed his name by deed poll in August 1954 but appears to have reverted back to Dill a few years later.
  • Scope and Content
    The collection consists of a great deal of family correspondence, particularly from Michael and Richard Dill to their parents. The rest of the collection is mainly game registers and photographs of shooting parties etc. Richard Murray was a huntsman and John George followed him in this but seems to have been also very interested in shooting. There is material relating to the pedigree of Bassett Hounds, which were used for hunting rabbits and hares. At least one of the family was also very interested in horse racing. John and Bee Murray spent some time at Monte Carlo and there are details of races and various activities for this but racing may also have been a past time of Major Dill and his son Richard. There is very little material relating to Wrest Park in the collection.
  • Archival history
    Remained with the Dill family then transfered via English Heritage to Beds & Luton Archives Service on the understanding that the material had Wrest Park interest.
  • System of arrangement
    Box listed only, more details for the hunting material that had Wrest Park interest is available.
  • Level of description
    fonds
Hierarchy browser