Ethel (Ettie) Desborough died on 28th May, 1952. Lord Desborough and their three sons had pre-deceased her. Neither of her daughters wanted to retain the estate so it was sold, mainly by auction on Wednesday, 15th July, 1953.
There is a copy of the sale document in Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies (HALS) and the following information comes from that document.
The Estate was sold "By Order of J. J. W. Salmond, Esq., and the Public Trustees. John Salmond had married Monica Grenfell (Ettie's eldest daughter) in 1924.
The document contained
" Particulars, Plans and Conditions of Sale
" of the
" AGRICULTURAL and
" SPORTING PROPERTY
" known as
" PANSHANGER ESTATE
" extending to about
" 3,224 acres
" FREEHOLD
" and comprising
" THE MANSION, DAIRY AND MIXED FARMS
" RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES, COTTAGES
" ALLOTMENTS, WATERCRESS BEDS, etc.
" The let portions producing
" PER £4, 128 17 2 ANNUM
" FOR SALE BY AUCTION
" (unless sold privately)
" as a whole or in lots by
" ______________________
" HUMBOLT & FLINT
" ______________________
" At The Corn Exchange, Hertford
" on Wednesday, 15th July, 1953, at 11 a.m.
" _________________________
" Auctioneers: Solicitors:
" MESSRS. HUMBERT & FLINT MESSRS. TROWER, STILL AND KEELING
" 6 Lincoln Inn Fields 5 New Square, Lincoln's Inn
" London, W.C.2 London W.C.2
" (Tel. CHAncery 3121-5) (Tel. HOLborn 3613)"
Hertfordshire Mercury dated Friday, 17 July 1953 contained an article beginning:
PANSHANGER HOUSE IS SOLD FOR £17,750
2,907 acres of estate offered
PANSHANGER HOUSE was bought for £17,750 by Mr. Richard Ashton, a Stoke Newington demolition contractor and scrap merchant, at the public auction of the Panshanger estate at the Corn Exchange, Hertford, on Wednesday.
Bidding totalled over 100,000 for the various agricultural and sporting properties, residences, farms cottages, woods parklond, and allotment lands comprising the 2.907 acres offered.
