Collections
The Lydiard House Museum collection consists of over 2,500 objects from portraits, furniture, books, photographs, and archives to costume and fabric and everything in between. Our collections tell the story of the St John family (also known as the Viscounts Bolingbroke) and the workers who staffed Lydiard House and Park. We hold documents and photographs relating to the Lydiard estate and the purchase and restoration of Lydiard House.
Enquiries
Due to commitments on redevelopment projects within Swindon Museums the Collections Team are not currently in a position to answer enquiries related to:
- Historical information held within the STEAM Museum, Lydiard House Museum and Swindon Museum and Art Gallery archive and reference collections
- Family history and general history enquiries
- Research visits to the STEAM Museum, Lydiard House Museum and Swindon Museum and Art Gallery archives
The Collections Team may be able to assist with enquiries related to:
- Potential donations (including bequests) or loans to the STEAM Museum, Lydiard House Museum and Swindon Museum and Art Gallery collections
- Images on the STEAM Picture Library website
- Reproduction requests from the STEAM Museum, Lydiard House Museum and Swindon Museum and Art Gallery collections
The Lydiard Archives
Lydiard House Museum have worked in collaboration with the Friends of Lydiard Park to provide information on and images of our collections for The Lydiard Archives website. This digital archive includes collections from Historic England, Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre, Wiltshire Museum as well as from Lydiard House Museum.
Visit The Lydiard Archives website here.
The Grandison Books
In 1575 Elizabeth St John, daughter of Nicholas and Elizabeth St John of Lydiard Tregoze married Richard St George. Richard St George joined the College of Arms in 1602. As a member of the College of Arms, he became part of an organisation that was responsible for granting new coats of arms and for maintaining the family histories, known as genealogies, of landed families.
During his time with the College of Arms, Richard St George created a record of the genealogy of his wife’s family, the St Johns. This record is known as the Grandison Book, as it is thought the book was commissioned by Richard’s brother-in-law Oliver St John, Viscount Grandison.
Lydiard House is fortunate to have two copies of this important St John family record. One volume is on loan to the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre, where it can be accessed by researchers.
The other copy is displayed at Lydiard House. Both copies have been digitised and we are pleased to make these available to researchers.
The books are not exact copies of one another. It is understood that the manuscript volume was created first, and that the presentation volume was made some time later.
If you are interested in using any of the images from the Grandison Books in publications or other media, please contact Lydiard House Museum by e-mail – lydiardcuratorial@swindon.gov.uk.