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You are here: Pennard and Area Local History > FAQs
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Q
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What is or was the Kilvrough Estate?
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The Kilvrough Estate covered a very large area, and was acquired over a number of generations. Although the Estate included land, farms, properties etc in much of South Gower (which is in South Wales), a greater proportion was held elsewhere.
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Where exactly is Kilvrough, and can I view its location on a Map?
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Kilvrough is to be found on the south side of the Gower Peninsular in South Wales, lying adjacent to the main South Gower road just outside the Village of Parkmill.
The main house can be glimpsed from the roadway, although all that most motorists see when driving past, is just the gatehouse at Kilvrough's entrance, and the long, tall and 'winding' stone wall which needs careful negotiation when vehicles are coming the other way!
The following link will take you to a map where you can see Kilvrough's location.
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Who were the owners of Kilvrough and its Estate?
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Kilvrough was originally built (c1585) and lived in by Rowland Dawkins in the sixteenth century, and through descent from him, the House and Estate continued until the beginning of the 1800s when it was eventually sold due to that line having died out.
In 1806, the Mansion and Estate of Kilvrough was sold by Auction at Bristol, its new owner - Major William Crampton Green - only living there for three years, he dying not long after his retirement.
Once again Kilvrough was put up for sale (1820), and on this occasion, Captain Thomas Penrice (whose home town was Great Yarmouth, Norfolk), who served in the 16th Lancers, purchased the Mansion and Estate of Kilvrough.
Under his personal ownership, Kilvrough grew through the purchase and exchange of other estates both in Gower and elsewhere, although by the time of his death in 1846, he had not married, had no direct heirs, and had directed that his nephew (also named Thomas Penrice) be his sole heir of Kilvrough.
This second Thomas Penrice did marry (in 1852) and he and his wife - Louisa Howman - had two children, both daughters, Jane (1853) and Louisa (1857).
Thomas Penrice died in 1897, his eldest daughter, Jane, having predeceased him in 1891. By his Will of 1894, Thomas Penrice left his whole estate to his surviving daughter, Louisa Jane, who by then had married (in 1879) Rear-Admiral Algernon McLellan Lyons, and who by 1894 already had 4 children - two sons and two daughters.
By the time Algernon McLellan Lyons retired (in 1897) he had been knighted, awarded the KCB (1889), the GCB (1897), and in 1895 he had also been appointed as 'first and principal aide-de-camp to Queen Victoria', whilst in August 1897 itself, he had been made Admiral of the Fleet. With his wife, now Lady Lyons beside him, he was now able (post-retirement) to devote more time to being a country gentleman at Kilvrough, until his death, in 1908.
After Algernon's death, Lady Lyons remained owner of Kilvrough and its estate, although in 1918 she gifted all to her eldest son - Thomas Humphrey Lyons - who tragically died soon afterwards from pneumonia, thus exposing the estate to severe death duty penalties, and subsequent Auctions in 1919 and 1920 as the family couldn't afford to pay them and continue to run the estate.
Following the Auctions, a Mr Arthur O.Thomas, became the last private owner of the property, and in later years Kilvrough House was acquired by Oxfordshire County Council's Education Committee, and is now used on a regular basis for residential outdoor courses.
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What happened in 1920 to cause the owners of Kilvrough to have to sell all of their lands and properties?
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Well actually, the main reason for the 1920 sale, is due to two deaths in the family.
Sir Algernon McLellan Lyons (as we've seen above) died in 1908, whilst 10 years later, in September 1918, with the Kilvrough estate suffering financially, both due to Sir Algernon Lyons' pre-WW1 financial investments in Germany and the 1914-1918 war with that Country, as well as for other, more close-at-home reasons, Lady Lyons made a Deed of Gift to her eldest son, Thomas Humphrey Lyons, in an "attempt to avoid the payment of more heavy death duties in the uncertain future".
Tragically, both from a family as well as a financial position, Thomas Humphrey Lyons - who had married Alexina MacEwen in 1917 - suddenly died, in London, in November 1918 from pneumonia, following a case of influenza. He was aged just 38 years old, and depite his 1917 marriage, was childless. The whole of the Kilvrough estate now passed to his younger brother, Lieutenant-Commander Algernon Edmund Penrice Lyons, although within a short period it was realised that the family could no longer afford to maintain it.
Although portions of the estate had previously been sold in early 1918, now it became obvious - following the death of Thomas Humphrey Lyons - that due to the very heavy death duties which followed, that the rest of the estate would have to be sold, and so it was that in the years 1919 and 1920 the estate was finally dispersed through two very large Auctions.
Initially Kilvrough House itself was purchased by Mr Arthur O.Thomas, and actually he was the last private owner of the property, for in later years (with plans for the building to be turned into flats, and later as an airport Hotel) Kilvrough House was acquired by Oxfordshire County Council's Education Committee, and is now used on a regular basis for residential outdoor courses in and around Gower, the Kilvrough students - clad in orange all-weather suits and sporting white helmets - being a frequent sight in and around nearby Villages.
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Do we know the names and locations of the properties, land, farms etc which were sold at the 1919 and 1920 Auctions?
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Yes. Fortunately copies of the Auction Catalogues and particulars (complete with their Plans) have survived, and details from each will be included on this website as soon as all have been transcribed. In the meantime, West Glamorgan Archive Service (WGAS) at County Hall, Swansea, do hold a copy of the 1920 Auction Catalogue which is available for consultation in their Search Room (WGAS Ref:
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Is there any way in which its possible to highlight how and when the Villages of Ilston, Kittle, Parkmill, Pennard and Southgate developed following the Auction of the Kilvrough estate?
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Yes, although this is a 'work in progress'. Several residents within those Villages have already provided information as to when their houses were built, although it is hoped that eventually a Plan will be provided on this website showing all properties and the year each was constructed.
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Where can I find more information re the Kilvrough estate and its post 1919-1920 sales?
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You will find some links to external websites which mention both Kilvrough and the Villages mentioned on this website by clicking here whilst there are also a number of books and articles which have either been written on the places or have mentioned them within same.
References to bibliography for Kilvrough and Villages of Ilston, Kittle, Parkmill, Pennard and Southgate together with surrounding lands etc can be viewed by clicking here.
Besides the above, there are many Documents and other related items which have been deposited within various local Archives, the main depositories being as follows (together with their relative Reference, plus links to the respective Archive).
Depository
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Holding
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Accession Reference
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*WGAS
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Kilvrough Estate
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*WGAS
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Penrice Papers
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*WGAS
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Strick & Bellingham
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**UCoS
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Kilvrough
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t.b.a.
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Besides the above, other papers are still in private hands, some are still held by Solicitors, and a few over the years have become "collectors' pieces". Wherever possible and wherever I've had access to original documents, plans etc, I have either transcribed, photocopied or photographed same in order for at least one copy to survive future legislation, and for posterity. In time, a calendar of those documents will be added to this website.
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Can I ask a question which isn't already included above, and if so, how do I get it added to this page?
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First of all, you will need to Subscribe (it's actually free to do so) to the Pennard & Area Local History (Wordpress Blogs) Project by clicking on the 'Subscribe' button. Once on the page which appears (once you have registered) you will be able to ask a question (or make comments etc) there, although if you wish to contact me quicker, then you can email me direct at the email address shown below
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Subscribe to Pennard & Area Local History
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(19 March 2011)
Unfortunately, due to personal and Family ill health since late 2007,
updates and additions to this site have not been made as often as I would have wished.
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.........Contact: jayseeay [at] googlemail.com
Please Note. Due to misuse of email addresses, and to reduce the amount of SPAM, please will you type the address shown above into your email program (and replacing the space[@]space with just an @ to send me any messages. Thank you.
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E&OE....
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