Manderston

Manderston - viewed across the lake

Manderston House, Duns, Berwickshire, Scotland, is the home of Adrian Bailie Nottage Palmer, 4th Baron Palmer. It was completely rebuilt between 1901 and 1903 and has sumptuous interiors with a silver plated staircase. The proprietor, Sir James Miller, 2nd Baronet (1864–1906), told the architect, John Kinross, that there was no budget - "It really doesn't matter".

Origins

Manderston was anciently an estate of the powerful Home family, and their tower house appears on General Roy's map of 1750. It was owned for a short while by the Swinton Family who now reside at Kimmerghame House, including the actress Tilda Swinton. The present house incorporates the earlier Georgian mansion built c1790 for Dalhousie Watherston (1752–1803).

Family

Sir James Miller's father, Sir William Miller, 1st Baronet (1809–1887), had, with his father James, made a fortune trading in Russia, mainly in herring and hemp. He was British Vice-Consul at St.Petersburg 1842-54; Member of Parliament for Leith 1859 - 1868, and for Berwickshire 1873/74.

Sir James Miller, 2nd Bt., had married Eveline, daughter of Alfred Nathaniel Curzon, 4th Baron Scarsdale, and his grand house remodelling scheme was said to be in order to remind his wife of the splendour of her family home, Kedleston Hall. They had no issue and the estate passed to his brother John Alexander Miller, 3rd Baronet, (1867–1918). He also had no issue by either of his two wives, and the estate passed to his sister Amy Elizabeth Miller, the present Lord Palmer's great-grandmother.

Trivia

The house contains the world's largest collection of Huntley & Palmers biscuit tins, dating back to 1868.

The house is open to the public on selected days only.

Films

The house was used in

• a film about the Prince & Princess of Wales
• "The Edwardian Country House" - ("Manor House" in the USA).
• "Secrets of the Manor House" (2012, PBS)

See also

• Buxley
• List of places in the Scottish Borders
• List of places in Scotland

References

• Burke's Peerage & Baronetage, 61st edition, 1899.
• An Ordinary of Scottish Arms, by Sir James Balfour Paul, Edinburgh, 1903
• Borders and Berwick, by Charles A Strang, Rutland Press, 1994, pps:41-2. ISBN 1 873190-10-7

External links

• Manderston home page
• RCAHMS: Manderston House (Kennels)
• RCAHMS / CANMORE: Manderston Estate and Policies
• SCRAN image of Manderston