I have been non-productive in respect of updates to the main Parlington history site, and also the day to day comments site, here, for the last month. The fact is lots has happened since the previous post, too much to mention at the moment. Anyway this weekend is the end of our era at Parlington and also the fifteen years I’ve lived in Aberford, I am downsizing and moving to Tadcaster! All good things must come to an end, and in fairness most of the previous inhabitants at Parlington went out in a box! Well up to the death of Colonel F C Trench-Gascoigne in 1905, I’ve less than a useful knowledge of the people who spent time here in the remaining twentieth century. Some I know about others came and went and have left no record.
However a recent contact gave me some insights into the use of the ‘Old Hall’, around WW1. It is known that after the death of the Colonel, his son [also a Colonel, very confusing as his name is similar, but he was known to his wife and friends as ****, so this will suffice] **** took the opportunity to utilize parts of Parlington to embelish Lotherton Hall. Many of the interior fixtures and fittings were dismantled and re-instated at Lotherton. The new contact establishes a credible link to the person who supervised and may have undertaken part of this major re-fit. The whole story may feature in a future article on the history site, but for now suffice to show the picture, that accompanied the email and a short description.
It seems Mr & Mrs Reedman were employed by the Gascoigne family around the end of the First World War, at that time many fixtures were being re-fitted from Parlington into the recently extended house at Lotherton. John was a highly skilled estate carpenter [I think carpenter should be replaced with the words cabinet maker], qualified to make and renovate the ornate woodwork and panelling associated with the grand homes of the period. The photograph is of them standing on the doorstep of the westerly cottage formed from the West Wing of the old hall. The location was identified by the stone threshold!
Therefore with my leaving parlington, I shall stop publishing on this site as I won’t be here to make any comments! I will continue the research on Parlington Hall never-the-less.