Lady Catherine and the Real Downton Abbey

Yesterday I was in my local bookshop and I saw the book, Lady Catherine and the Real Downton Abbey written by Fiona Carnarvon, the Countess of Carnarvon.

Highclere Castle - 2005

I had to buy the book, not just because of my love of the series, but simply because one of my family may be mentioned in the book. Sure enough, the index indicated a hit. Page 82 has a mention of Dick Dawson. So even though the reference to Dick was one sentence in the book it had to become part of my personal collection.

One of Porchey's first decisions was to build up his brood mares and then send his youngsters to be trained by Dick Dawson at Whatcombe, who trained the Aga Khan's horses.......

The horseracing, breeding and training world is full of dreamers and eccentrics, driven men (it is usually men, and certainly was in Porchey's day) whose existence has been overtaken by the hope that one day, one of their horses may win a Grand National, or an Epsom Derby, and become a household name. The sort is full of individualists from all walks of life: thrill-seekers and gamblers, canny businessmen and sportsmen devoted to the turf. p. 82-82

Reading between the lines on page 84 is also a link to Dawson. The author, the Countess of Carnarvon discusses the Newmarket sale of the horse Blenheim to the Aga Khan. Blenheim was sired by Blandford who was owned by Dick Dawson and his brother Sam. Blandford is known in racing circles as one of the greatest sires of all time. Blenheim went on to win the Derby for the Aga Khan being trained by Dick Dawson. (Obituary of R.C. Dawson, London Times, 17 September 1955).

I have some photos taken from images at Highclere in 2005 showing Lord Carnarvon and Dick Dawson but am unsure whether I can produce them here. One is of the two men in front of a plane. Another is a caricature of both men which form part of a much larger number of caricatures.

It's always exciting to add books that have family mentioned in them to add to my collection.

Caroline Chisholm

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My WW1 soldiers (2) - Ernest Lee Dawson

Ernest Lee Dawson (500) (1885 - 1968) This is the second post in a series of posts over the next few years to remember all the men in my extended family who enlisted in World War 1. So far I have identified 26 soldiers who enlisted between 20 August 1914 and 2 November 1918 and I feel sure I have missed some. Of the twenty six, five were killed overseas or died here in Australia. My aim is to publish these posts on the 100th anniversary of their enlistment. Ernest Lee Dawson (my great uncle) was the eldest child of William Henry Dawson and his wife Bridget Mylan. He was born in the Cooma district of NSW in 1885. On 25th August 1914, less than three weeks after the outbreak of the First World War Ernie, a farmer who lived at Old Bonalbo enlisted in the 2nd Light Horse Regiment in Lismore. Ernie had previous military experience. In 1906, he answered an advertisement to join the Shanghai Municipal Council Police Force, as a recruit. He was appointed on 10th Ja

The Tree of Me

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