Rolls-Royce 20HP (1928)

A handsome, original Park Ward bodied car, particularly ideal for wedding hire work, with the opening rear roof giving open air motoring to the bride & groom when the weather is good, but also easily closeable when conditions are poor. Over the last decade or so, there has been a great deal of restoration work carried out, including complete re-paint, full re-upholstering, (black leather front, beige Bedford Cord to the rear), engine overhaul, re-wire, etc, etc. A rare car in nice order, with a nice set of lamps, including the correct Lucas nickel RB60 headlights with matching sidelights, and comes complete with an impressive toolkit and a buff logbook from 1950. To be offered prepared, serviced and newly MoT tested.

SALE AGREED

Chassis No. GBM30 Reg No. PG 4016 Price £49,500

Snippets: Interesting Surnames:

Robert Edgar D’Esterre had links with Ceylon & Eire - the D’Esterre’s family had a store in Kandy & R. E. D’Esterre is recorded as being a Tea Planter & on the Committee of the Planters Association; the earliest mention that I can find of the D’Esterre family is in 1675 when Abraham Dester purchased Rossmanagher Castle in Co Clare. Robert D’Esterre died in 1931 & within 12 months his widow announced her engagement to Capt. C.B. Lyon of Dorset who served with the 8th Btn Hampshire. Upon the death of Mrs Lyon (1965) & her 2nd husband (1968) both were buried in the same plot at Robert D’Esterre in St. Mary’s, Reigate. GBM30 was sold to her 2nd owner who was Robert P. Rowlands (1874/1933) consultant surgeon to Russian Hospital and a pioneer surgeon in the areas of the liver and gall bladder. In 1919 R. Rowlands was awarded an OBE for his services to the medical world. After Robert Rowland’s sudden death at the age of 59 GBM30 is next shown as being with a Mrs Horniman at Warnes Hotel on York Terrace in Worthing; York Terrace was built in 1822 by Edward Evershed & was an impressive Regency terrace consisting of 5 separate lodging houses which in 1899 were purchased and converted by G.H. Warne into Warne Hotel. Warne was a pioneering motorist and when he opened the hotel it was with a garage in the hotel for his motoring customers! There was a John Horniman who in 1892 opened a Convalescent Home for Children – perhaps the two are connected? From 1950 to 1965 GBM30 passed through the hands of Peter Dening-Smitherman who in 1947 had changed his name by deed poll from Dening to that of Dening-Smitherman. Three years earlier another owner of GBM30 had also changed their name by deed poll from that of Christopher Paul Giles to that of Morgan-Giles, it would be interesting to know the reasons behind these actions – perhaps there was a family feud or fortune at stake!

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