The 1853 edition, which once belonged to the Calley family of Burderop Park near Chiseldon, has been donated by its current owner in Canada and will soon make the journey back across the Atlantic.
The book’s return was sparked by a chance discovery when Victoria Miles, from Vancouver, found a bookplate inside the volume bearing the coat of arms of the Calley family and the name of Thomas Charles Pleydell Calley of Burderop Park.
The book had been inherited from her late father, Larry Candido, who bought the first edition from a London bookshop for £12 almost 20 years ago. Although it is now believed to be worth at least £300, Victoria decided its historical importance was far greater than its financial value.
She contacted Chiseldon Local History Group and offered to donate the book to the community connected with its earliest known owners. Victoria said:
“My husband and I are both very excited to visit England in November and meet the community in Wiltshire who already care as much about preserving the book as we do.
“Repatriating this book to Burderop Park is a great privilege. We are so appreciative of the care and commitment the Chiseldon Local History Group and Arthur Dallimer have expressed to us as the book’s future custodians.”
Members of Chiseldon Local History Group welcomed the donation but recognised that the group’s museum was not suitable for storing such a fragile Victorian book because of damp conditions and the lack of climate control.
Instead, they approached Burderop Manor owner Arthur Dallimer, who has overseen the restoration of the historic property in recent years.
Under the arrangement, the book will be kept at Burderop Manor on a long-term loan, allowing it to be preserved in suitable conditions while remaining part of Chiseldon’s local heritage.
Arthur Dallimer said:
“This is a wonderful example of history finding its way home. The book is clearly very delicate and deserves to be preserved in the right environment.
“I’m pleased to accept a long-term loan for it at Burderop House while ensuring it remains accessible as part of Chiseldon’s local heritage.”
Elaine Jones, Chairperson of Chiseldon Local History Group, said the offer from Canada came completely unexpectedly.
“We were surprised and delighted to receive such an intriguing email from so far away,” she said.
She added that the contents of Burderop Park were dispersed following the death of Joan Calley, the last direct descendant of the family, in 1972.
“It would be fantastic to have a tangible link to the Calley family, who had lived at Burderop Park since 1619, returned to its home parish.”
The book once belonged to Major General Thomas Charles Pleydell Calley, a British Army officer who commanded the Life Guards during Queen Victoria’s funeral in 1901. He also served in the Second Boer War and was briefly the MP for Cricklade in 1910.
He maintained strong links with the Chiseldon area, supporting local organisations, charities and the British Legion. A Swindon Masonic lodge also bears his name.
Victoria has accepted an invitation to visit Burderop Manor in November, when she will formally present the book to the Chiseldon community, bringing an extraordinary journey spanning generations and continents to a close.
