Description

Summary: drawing, watercolour drawing of the garden at Stanleys, New Milton, later C19th, pale colours, border with hollyhocks and flowers against a hedge, roof of house behind, painted by Lady Lilian Liddell

Identification note: Lady Lilian Liddell (1872-1962) seems a fine example of a benefactress who felt it was her duty to help her tenants and the people of her parish. She grew up at Stanleys which extended from Ashley to Vaggs Lane in Hordle, andwas very involved with Hordle Parish and Tiptoe in particular. She was the daughter of the Earl of Ravensworth, of Ravensworth Castle in Northumbria, but grew up at Stanleys where she lived with her parents and grandmother, Mrs Sutton-Gunning who owned the estate. When her mother died in 1890 and her father married again, Lady Lilian stayed at Stanleys with her grandmother and ran the estate and the staff. After her marriage she lived at Holm Farm, Boundway in Tiptoe. She became very involved in plans to build a new church to replace the tin church at Tiptoe which was leaking badly and beyond repair. She and members of her family helped finance the new church, which was consecrated in 1904 and known as ‘Lady Lilian’s Church’. Lady Lilian writing in the 1950s described the village of Tiptoe: ‘They were largely of the forest people, many in very poor cottages of mud and thatch and had been very much neglected both spiritually and in all ways and there was some real poverty. A few were better off with a cow and a pig and a few hens. Just at Tiptoe there was a little cluster of baker (Thorne), carpenter (Chase) and village shop and blacksmith (Ingrem).’