| How we acquired the autograph album
Mrs. Margaret Queening of ‘Deyrolles’, Normandy, a
great friend of our Society, kindly gifted this unique Autograph Album
c1890 to Normandy Historians in 2002.
According to Margaret, Mr. Reid gave the album to her in the 1950s.
She recalls that he lived in the Guildford Road somewhere near to Doug
and Elsie Roberts then living at ‘Norboro’. Mr Reid is believed
to have died in the late 1950s.
Interestingly, it is known from the Electoral Registers that Elizabeth
and John Reid were resident from 1926 at ‘Jacksden’, Guildford
Road, Normandy. It is known also from title deeds that ‘Jacksden’
was built in 1925 and that Leslie Scott Reid, the son of Elizabeth and
John Reid, acquired ‘Jacksden in 1953. It is believed that the family
resided there a further two years before selling to the present owners
in 1955. They renamed it ‘Silver Trees’ in 1958.
The Album contains autographed letters, signed photo-prints, signed likeness
prints and cartoon prints from various sources. They include those from
Royalty, prominent personages, political leaders, actors and actresses
of stage and other walks of life contemporaneous with the late 19th and
early 20th Century. Some letters are addressed to John G Reid and others
to J Grant Reid at 42 Parliament Street, London. It is most likely that
the two are one and the same person namely John Grant Reid and it was he
that started the collection.
Having in mind the source and manner in which Mrs. Queening acquired
the album and the range of dated letters, a reasonable presumption would
be that John Grant Reid is closely related to the Reid Family of Normandy
and was possibly the grandfather of Leslie Scott Reid.
Permission was granted by Mrs Margaret Queening for the Autograph Album to be sold, and for the proceeds to be held in our Normandy Historians Publication Fund.
The Autograph Album was sold at an auction on June 21st 2012 for the sum of £1600, by Ewbank, Clarke, Gammon, Wellers, of Guildford, who kindly waived their commission.
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To see The Album just click the link.
 The Autograph Album
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