In my previous blog entry, there were some photos of a cast iron address stamp for Balintore Castle sent to me by the purchaser of this historic item. The enigmatic initials A.B. appear on the stamp, and the label on the wooden box which holds the stamp is all but illegible. I could, however, make out the words STATIONER, "103 XXXX STREET" and "GROSVENOR" - presumably this was the address of the stationer which produced headed note-paper with this stamp.
 |
| A.B. ? |
I guessed the address might be Grosvenor Square in London. Are there any streets in the vicinity with 4 letters? I consulted Google Maps.
Bingo, it jumped out at me: "Park Street". I was overjoyed.
I now started to look for a stationer with a shop at 103 Park Street, but hit a brick wall. What about just trying the address? I found this link which indicted the 4th Baron Inverclyde lived at 103A Park Street from 1930 to 1933. Many people would have lived at that address, but what was the baron's real name? Drum roll - the baron went by the name of Alan Burns, our A.B. surely?
 |
| Arms of Lord Inverclyde |
After military service in WWI and WWII, he became the aide-de-camp to the Governor of Gibraltar, 1920–21. I was born in Gibraltar!
After leaving his regiment, he retired into private life as the master of Castle Wemyss (which he inherited from his father) and as a man-about-town with a bachelor flat in Mayfair.
 |
| Castle Wemyss |
He acquired hunters, a yacht, and a grouse moor. The grouse moor acquisition suggests he bought Balintore rather than rented Balintore. He was, after all, one of the richest men in Britain.
The baron married twice (an heiress and then a film/theatre star) and divorced twice. He died without issue at the age of 59. The title became extinct and Castle Wemyss was demolished in 1984. Castle Wemyss was in Renfrewshire and is not to be confuded with Wemyss Castle which is still in Fife.
He publised a memoire of two cruises called "Porpoises and People". I failed to find a copy on the Internet. Can anyone help me out?
A friend did more research on the stationer front, and discovered a Royal stationer called H&M Massey who traded from 41 Park Street. The bill in the photo below, for sale on eBay, is for headed notepaper. We have come full circle.
 |
| Bill from H & M Massey |
It now beyond doubt: we have identified an A.B. (on the iron stamp) who lived at the address on the paper label on the box holding the stamp, and who bought a grouse moor (Balintore is the address on the stamp).
How fabulous to have such an aristocratic and super-rich individual as a former owner of Balintore. Alan looks like a bit of a playboy, somewhat channeling Antony Eden, but he also put in his public service in best "noblesse oblige" tradition. The fact we both lived in Gibraltar and at Balintore is extraordinary.
It is also a coincidence that the purchaser of the item at a local auction is also called Alan.
The earl would have walked from his flat in Park Street to the stationer in Park Street to order headed notepaper some time between 1930 and 1933. The iron block would, I believe, have been kept at the stationer's. However, in 1933 when the earl moved away (the year of his second divorce) he would have picked up the block and taken it to Scotland with him presumably with the intention of taking it to a local stationer. It is most likely, since the stamp is still in the area, that it came to us via this second stationer.
