WW2 Interest & Social History

A large collection of letters relating to the Webb Gillman family, mostly addressed to Lady Gillman from her son Herbert Charles, dating from WW2 through to the 1950’s. They cover financial difficulties and concerns with their home and estate, giving insight into their lives, general day to day welfare and a fascinating snippet of social history. One letter to Lady Gillman from her son reads in part “I will send the voting paper for the British Horse Society with mine, but as you have not signed it, I return it with Xs marked on it… Servants are not easy to find here - one has to wait until a good one comes free, and suffer from indifferent ones meanwhile…” signed “H.C.”, 2 pages, 10 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery stationary, mailing folds, 10h February, 1954; another reads in part “We only got back from John’s on Sunday so I could not write you till Monday. We had great fun there and had a most amusing shoot on Friday. I learnt to drive John’s tractor and was able take Mac everywhere the guns went as the tractor had a small trailer behind it which you raise right off the ground.”, two pages, mailing folds, 13 October 1948; another reads in part “We will release the money as soon as we can. But you must realise that this is not done with a waive of a wand! I will ask Humphrey Jawatt to advance us a little when he gets the share certificates. But as you know, even after a stockbroker gets his orders and the share certificates he has to sell them: following which one has to wait until the next settling day, when monies are paid in.”, two pages, mailing fold, 24 May, 1948; another reads in part “I cannot quite make out what Minnie Cowley is up to. Of course, she is after money, clearly. But why she should suddenly begin querying the estate now I would give much to know. There's nothing to worry about - save that is it most annoying to have the solicitors letters. The only matter over which she might have an inkling of a case is the albert hall box. Did she ever go there? - it would be useful to know what its value was before the war, so that if necessary it could be shown as offsetting part of your outgoings.”, two pages, mailing folds, Tilshead, 3 February, 1949; and many others, v.s. (c. 330)