My second cousin Thomas (Tom) William Whatmore had a childhood which many of us will envy. He was brought up at one of England’s most spectacular stately homes – Speke Hall near Liverpool.

Thomas’s father, another Thomas Whatmore, born in 1880 at Upper Arley, Worcestershire, was appointed as butler at Speke Hall in 1920. His son Francis was born there in 1920 and his other son Thomas William in 1922.

Initially Thomas Senior and his family lived at the West Lodge on the Speke Estate but when his employer Adelaide Watt died, she left the Hall to a Trust and Thomas was asked by the Trustees to act as caretaker. In 1926, Thomas and his family moved into the Hall itself.

Thomas William Whatmore has written a fascinating account of life at Speke Hall. This was originally published simply for his family, (see earlier post about Speke Hall)  but a much expanded account of his life at Speke Hall has just been published by Countryvise Publications. This new edition contains 165 pages of texts, maps, photographs and drawings.

This new publication will be of interest to all those who have visited, or plan to visit Speke Hall (now a National Trust property), to anyone interested in the last days of a great country house, and of course to members of the Watmough /Watmer /Watmore/ Whatmore family.

The book can be ordered from good book shops or on-line at Amazon. Copies will shortly be available at National Trust Bookshops.

 ‘My Life at Speke Hall’  by Tom Whatmore  3rd edition revised and reset January 2009

Published by Countryvise Limited, 14 Appin Road, Birkenhead, Wirral CH41 9HH

 ISBN 978 1 906823 1 77