Dickens first edition returning to Chiseldon home

Its owner, Victoria Miles from Vancouver, Canada, decided the treasured book should be returned to Chiseldon, home of first owners the Calley family of Burderop Park.
The famous Victorian story about the Jarndyce family, a legal dispute around the inheritance of a fortune wrapped up in a murder mystery was published as a novel in 1853. 
As with most of Dickens’ works it was originally published in a series of articles from 1851.
This particular edition was purchased by Victoria’s father Larry Candido for £12 from a London bookshop almost 20 years ago. 
It carries a bookplate inside its front cover bearing the coat of arms of the Calley family and the name of Thomas Charles Pleydell Calley of Burderop Park, Wiltshire. The book is rare and thought be worth at least £300.
Realising its historical connection to Wiltshire, Victoria contacted Chiseldon Local History Group (CLHG) offering to donate it to their museum.
Victoria said: “My husband and I are both very excited to visit England in November and meet the community in Wiltshire who already care as much about preserving the book as we do.
"Repatriating this book to Burderop Park is a great privilege. We are so appreciative of the care and commitment the Chiseldon Local History Group and Arthur Dallimer have expressed to us as the book's future custodians.”
Elaine Jones, Chairperson of CLHG, said: “We were surprised and delighted to receive such an intriguing email from so far away. 
"All the contents of Burderop Park were sold when Miss Joan Calley, the last of the direct line, died in 1972. It would be fantastic to have a tangible link to the Calley family, who had lived at Burderop Park since 1619, returned to its home parish. Major General T C P Calley (Thomas) was such a prominent figure, both in public life and in the local area.
“However, it presented us with a problem. While we could display Victoria’s book on museum open days, the building is not temperature controlled and is decidedly damp which would not be good for such a fragile object.
“Then we had an idea! Why not contact Arthur, the current owner of Burderop Park which is once again a family home after nearly 50 years as the HQ of the civil engineering company, Halcrow. 
"We had met Arthur when he very kindly hosted group members at his beautifully restored home and showed us round the house and grounds last year. was delighted and has accepted our offer to house the precious book as a long term loan from Chiseldon Local History Group.”
Major General Thomas Calley CB CBE MVO, son of Henry Calley, lived from 1856 to 1932. He was a British Army officer in the Life Guards and led them at Queen Victoria’s funeral in 1901. 
He served in many places including in the Second Boer War where he had a horse shot from under him. He was also, briefly a Member of Parliament for Cricklade being elected in early 1910 and then losing his seat at the end of that year.
The Major General was friend to the Royal Family and was Silver Stick in Waiting at the Coronation of Edward VII in 1902. He was a Mason and a Swindon Lodge is named after him. He particularly supported the British Legion and hosted the annual Wiltshire rally at Burderop Park. 
Locally he was patron of many village organisations such as Chiseldon Cricket Club. After his death a new British Legion hall was built in the village and named in his memory.
Arthur Dallimer is now the custodian of Burderop Manor and is passionate about heritage, arts and culture generally and an advocate for preserving local history.
He said: "This is a wonderful example of history finding its way home. The book is clearly very delicate and deserves to be preserved in the right environment. 
"I’m pleased to accept a long term loan for it at Burderop House while ensuring it remains accessible as part of Chiseldon's local heritage.”
Victoria has also accepted an invitation from Arthur to visit Burderop Manor when she formally presents the book to the Chiseldon community later this year, bringing its remarkable journey full circle.
Chiseldon Local History Group is dedicated to researching, preserving and sharing the rich history of Chiseldon and its surrounding communities. The group has a museum in The Old Chapel in Butts Road and it’s open every Saturday between 2pm and 4pm until the end of September. 
The museum is run by volunteers and entry is free. Working with local residents, historians and organisations, the group helps protect important artefacts and historical records for future generations. 
For more information visit chiseldonlhg.org.uk
 

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