Snippets: Wills, Dukes of Wellington & Wigan

Initially ordered by W. Melville Wills, a scion of the Wills Tobacco family, but for reasons unknown he cancelled his order which was taken up by Edward Arthur Wigan of Conholt Park, Hampshire. Conholt Park, prior to E. A. Wigan buying the estate in 1904, had been home to Lady Augusta Sophia Anne Pierrepoint, daughter-in-law of the Duke of Wellington (1769/1852). Her husband, Lord Charles Wellesley, died at Conholt Park in 1858 aged 50, but because his elder brother (Arthur II Duke of Wellington - 1807/1884) died without issue, the title of Duke of Wellington was inherited by Charles and Augusta’s eldest son Henry (1846/1900); he also died without issue and his younger brother, Arthur (1849/1934), succeeded to the title. In his spare time E. A. Wigan was a noted breeder of Aberdeen Angus cattle with titles such as Georgina of Conholt, Jubilee of Conholt and Lady Rose of Conholt. E. A. Wigan’s brother-in-law was General Mainwaring who enjoyed big game shooting in Africa, India and the Himalayas. The General’s first Trophy was a Hartebeest which he shot in South Africa which he later lost when the British Force he was with was overrun by Zulu Impis at the Battle of Isandlwhana. The General later wrote a book about his big game hunting experiences with photos taken by his companion Major Bonham Christie.