Baron Dimsdale & Essendon Place from 1834 to 2017

Essendon Place was built by the 5th Baron Charles John Dimsdale (1801-1872) in 1834. 

He was succeeded by the 6th Baron Robert Dimsdale (1828-1898) who was M.P. for Hertford between 1866 and 1874, and later for Hitchin between 1885 and 1892. The portrait is from the book Hertfordshire Men of Mark published in 1887.

The 7th Baron Charles Robert Southwell Dimsdale (1856-1928) is one of the people described in Hertfordshire Leaders (1907?). He continued in the house but sold it in 1912.

The next occupant was David Citroen who paid £13,500 for the house and 100 acres of parkland. He was only there for a short time as the house was sold again in 1917.  

The next occupant was Sir Frederick Lewis (1870-1944), a shipping magnate who became Lord Essendon in 1932.

The house still stands, but has been subdivided into a number of separate houses.

For much more information see 

Baron DIMSDALE and Essendon Place

This post was initiated by Peter who requested information on the 7th Baron Dimsdale as a result of the post Vanity publishing by Truman Press

A very unusual car in Hertfordshire

In January I asked if anyone could identify this car, and also passed a request on to the Surrey Vintage Vehicle Society who are skilled in the identification of old cars. This proved a challenge but one of their number  reported that it was a 1908 GC Light Car with Sultan 8HP engine made by Automobiles G. C. ,  H. Guyot et Cie, Paris, - and only in 1908.

There were two other cars on my Motor Car page and they kindly identified these as well. The car on a postcard in Colliers end was also a French car - a 1925 Citroen 5CV Model C - but made in Slough, while the bullnosed Morris was a 1925  Morris Cowley  Two-Seater with Dickey. [SVVS Identification Page]

In each case the date of car manufacturer can be identified to the year - which shows how useful cars can be in identifying the earliest possible date for a photograph.