The link between Delapré Abbey and Hardingstone was broken by the sale of most of the property held by the Estate in 1920 and Mary Bouverie’s death 1943. It is good that it was re-established in the person of Gospatric Home, the Patron of the Supporters of St Edmunds & the Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust who kindly made this space available to us.

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Gos was great nephew of Miss Mary Helen Bouverie (the last Bouverie to live at Delapré). He kindly wrote about General Everard Bouverie, who was Squire from 1858 to 1871, Miss Mary Bouverie, and his uncles, the Chapman brothers, who would in turn have inherited Delapré if they had survived the First World War. We were grateful for the loan of their uniforms and medals.

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Other information was sourced from Censuses, the Northampton County Record Office, the Church (in particular, the History of St Edmund’s Church by Olwen Lewis MA), and a History of Hardingstone compiled by Joan White. Many of the photographs on display were collected, or taken, by Jock Johnson.