War stories from the Kay-Shuttleworth family history have gone on show at their ancestral home, Gawthorpe Hall
More than 40 members of the Kay-Shuttleworth family returned to Gawthorpe Hall for a special family reunion at the launch of an exhibition about some of their ancestors.
Relatives aged from eight months to 84 years attended the event which opened the exhibition, entitled Brothers in Arms. It highlights the affect that the First World War had on the owners of the hall and other people living in the area.
The display tells the story of the lives and the tragic deaths of two members of the Kay-Shuttleworth family, Lawrence and Edward, sons of Sir Ughtred James Kay-Shuttleworth, 1st Baron Shuttleworth. These two young men, the main family heirs, were killed while serving in 1917.
Personal archives from the Kay-Shuttleworth family are on display for the first time in the exhibition. The impact that the Second World War had on the family will also be showcased. Lawrence’s son Richard died during the Battle of Britain and his younger brother Ronald was killed in North Africa in 1942.
The exhibition also features Freydis Leaf, a granddaughter of the first Baron Shuttleworth, who was one of the few women who flew Spitfires and Lancaster Bombers as part of the Air Transport Auxiliary.
And information gleaned from community workshops held during the summer exploring the history of the people of Padiham and their involvement in World War One, will be added to the exhibition this month.
Many direct descendants of the people who lived and grew up at the hall, and those who served in both wars, were at the reunion.
Gawthorpe Hall is run by Lancashire County Council’s museum service on behalf of the National Trust and County Councillor Peter Buckley, the County Council’s cabinet member for community and cultural services, said: ‘It is important to hold this exhibition now, as this is the final commemorative year for the end of the First World War. This will probably be our last opportunity to bring together all of the military connections that are relevant to this period of the hall’s history.
‘The links of many other people who lived in Padiham at the time to Gawthorpe Hall are also important. It clearly demonstrates the effects of the First World War on everyone.’
The exhibition runs at the stately home until Sunday November 4. Entrance to the exhibition is included in the normal admission price to Gawthorpe Hall which is £6 for adults and £4 for concessions, or free to National Trust members and children. It is open Wednesdays to Sundays from noon-5pm. For more details, go to lancashire.gov.uk/museums.
