A LITTLE MORE ON THE ROLLESTON'S

A small collection of items, images, Watnall Hall stationary which turn up in auction in recent years. Sadly, I was not the winner. Find it interesting that the phone number of the Hall in 1916 was "80 BULWELL" !






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NOTTINGHAMSHIRE YEOMANRY MARKED I.C.1. MARTINI-HENRY CAVALRY CARBINE

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  Another Martini-Henry Cavalry carbine has come to light recently marked to the Nottinghamshire Yeomanry. The butt stamped, Y over NTT.S over 236. Previously recorded was an identical carbine with identical marking, but with the individual number of 166. It is still unclear as to whether the "S" refers to Sherwood, or South for either of the two respective  Yeomanry regiments of Nottinghamshire. Some swords with similar markings with the "Y", and "NTT" have also had "SN", and presumably, swords issued to the Sherwood Rangers would be marked "SR", but the observed carbines only carry "S". It may be that both units were supplied with firearms from the same armoury somewhere in Nottinghamshire, and therefore firearms were only marked as belonging to the Notts Yeomanry, rather than one, or the other of the two regiments.  Both carbines carry a store's date in the 1880's, one clearly marked 1886, the last digit on the othe...
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RAF WATNALL SPINNEY

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  Another place in Watnall close to my heart with fond memories is Watnall Spinney to be found at the end of Trough Lane, along Trough Road. It would have been either 1980 or 1981 that I first visited the area. I went on a play-day to my school friend's house, Richard Johnson who lived on Rolleston Crescent. He told me about the Hall which once stood where his house was now which I was fascinated by. We called for our mutual school friend, Paul Horton. We then went over Richard's back garden onto the fields beyond. They showed me the graves for the first time. They were completely overgrown. Paul seemed to have inside knowledge that there were in fact graves inside. The gate could just be made out and a small tunnel through the overgrowth through which someone had crawled through in the past to make the discovery. I remember the rusty locked gate and some of the fence was visible, but I remember the surrounding fence being much taller than what is there now, - but then again, ...
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Two books from the library of Watnall Hall, and the 1954 auction

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  Two very rare books by Thomas Kirkland  (1721 - 1798)  given to Lancelot Rolleston  (1737 - 1802) by the author have recently come to light. In the library of Watnall Hall from the 1790's till sold off in 1954, they were discovered in Jersey by a book dealer in 2022. In the sale of the contents of Watnall Hall held in December 1954, they were described as  --  437 Kirkland (Thomas) A Commentary on Paralytic Affections , full calf, London 1792 438 Kirkland (Thomas) Essay on different branches of Medicine, half calf Both books have personal dedications inside to Lancelot Rolleston  from Thomas Kirkland . It is often found that libraries in such Great Halls and Houses have a family book label to the inside of the front board with name and crest of the family. Neither of these books do, which suggests that the Rollestons of Watnall Hall did not choose to have library labels made. Unless any of the many other books sold in the auction have personal d...
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