b'Sledmere Estate Sale of Bishop Wilton Property, 1917Mike PrattBackground to the Sale There is a copy of the brochure in the University of The beginning of the 20th Century heralded aHull Archives which comes from the Sledmere Estate. countrywide break-up of landed estates, a break-upInterestingly, alongside the Summary of the lots there that was accelerated by the First World War.are hand-written figures. These could well be the Sledmere was no exception. Sir Mark Sykesestimated values for each lot, established prior to incurred at least two significant financial liabilities whenthe sale, used to decide the total value for which the he succeeded to responsibility for the Estate. Firstly,property could be sold as a single lot. The total shown there were death duties to pay for Sir Tatton Sykesis 50,470.II. Secondly, there were debts incurred as a result ofEach individual lot is described and the names of Sir Tattons wife, Jessicas, lavish lifestyle in London.tenants and fields are shown.The break-up of the Estate was unavoidable and landSale by Auctionhad to be sold in Holderness, Foston, Wanstead andAn item in the Malton Messenger for Saturday 13 Bishop Wilton. October, 1917, has the headline The Sledmere Sale. Bishop Wilton Portion Sold for 51,800.The bidding was started at 40,000 by Mr W. Parlour of Croft then driven up to 48,000 by Dr T. C. Jackson of Hull.The agent of Major, the Hon. Edward L. Wood, M.P. for the Ripon Division, entered the competition at 50,500 (surprisingly close to the Sledmere Estate estimate of 50,470 mentioned above!) and eventually acquired the property for 51,800.It can only be surmised what a disappointment this outright sale was for tenants who had hoped to buy their own lots. The Malton Messenger merely notes:There was a very large attendance of farmers and others from the Bishop Wilton district, who, doubtless, were present with the object of becoming purchasers, if possible, of their own holdings.The OutcomeThe acquisition of the Bishop Wilton property by Bishop Wilton Sale Brochure the Hon. E. L. Wood was a natural extension of his Garrowby Estate and one that did not necessitate the Two copies of the brochure for the Bishop Wiltonbuilding of a new Mansion House.sale have come to light, in the possession of peopleHow might the nature of Bishop Wilton have whose ancestors received copies. One copy still haschanged if either Mr Parlour or Dr Jackson had the large folded map that was inserted in the brochuresucceeded in their bids?showing the location of all the farmland being sold, the brochure itself showing only the location of lotsPostscriptwithin the village.The sale brochure specifically states that The The Estate and the Lots Manor of Bishop Wilton is not included in the Sale. The brochure breaks the property down intoReferences:separate lots but stipulates that it would initially beSale catalogue for Bishop Wilton (1917)offered for sale as a whole. [unfortunately without the insertedThe description of the property emphasises itsmap]DDSY(4)/1/1 - University of Hull,possibilities as an Estate in its own right: The EstateBrynmor Jones Libraryoverlooks the Vale of York ; The Estate is well Roaded; The Estateprovides a delightful site forMalton Messengeron microfilm ata Mansion. MaltonPublic Library28 BULLETIN 3'