House with a Royal history

THE occupants of a house where the queen mother's brother lived are appealing for photos of his wedding.

Olive House in Buxted dates back to 1730 and has a colourful past, according to Susan Daniel.

She has lived there for 20 years but it was only recently that Susan received royal confirmation that the Queen Mother's brother, Fergus, lived there in 1914.

She said: 'People told us he had lived here but we didn't have any proof. I was told the Queen Mother had been his bridesmaid when he got married in the local church and that she had gone past the house in a carriage. She would only have been 14 then.'

She added: 'I thought the best way to find out if he had lived there was to write a letter to the Queen Mother because I had tried other methods, but I hadn't discovered anything.

Memories

'I wrote the letter on February 4 and I received a letter back from her on February 8. It was very quick. The Queen Mother said she remembered her brother living at my house and that she had happy memories of it and the wedding.'

Susan is looking for people who have photographic records of the wedding between Fergus Bowes-Lyon and Lady Christian Norah Dawson-Damer, which took place on September 17, 1914 at St Margaret the Queen Church at Buxted Park.

Susan said: 'I would really like a photo of their marriage which, along with the letter I received, would complete that part of the history of the house.

'It's sad because Fergus was killed in action on September 27, 1915 and his name is on the war memorial at the same church he was married in.'

Susan thinks the couple may have had a daughter, in which case any photos may have been passed down the generations and could still be around.

If anyone does have any information or photos they think Susan would appreciate, write to her at Olive House, Hurstwood Road, Buxted, TN22 4BD.