Gwyneth Young.

Gwyneth Young, recounted some of her childhood memories of Auchmar to writer Paul Wilson a few years ago.

She spoke of music throughout the house, orchestras playing, and ladies in long gowns.

There was laughter in the kitchen when Nellie Ewan the cook, prepared the meals.  There are memories of Nellie singing along to Harry Lauder’s music as the record played on a stand up Victrola in Nellie’s sitting room.

There was Mr. Scott who was the gardener and placed a ladder in the apple trees.

There was the Embleton family, Harry and Mary and the children who lived in the Gatehouse.  Harry was the stable master and kept the horses in top shape.  The stables and carriage house was home to the horses, Atlas, Gypsy, Mac, Larkspur and Highlight.

An avid rider, a passion which she got from her mother, Gwyn’ s favourite horse was Gypsy.

Auchmar and Claremont Park, the estate if you will, was ideal for riding.  Though Gwyn rode Gypsy to who knows where, the grounds proved more than satisfactory for Edna’s passion.  There was abundant space for steeplechase riding, show jumping, and fox hunting.

The horses of Auchmar were of such a high pedigree, that at least one year, Larkspur showed at the Royal Winter Fair.  There are also pictures of Larkspur show jumping on the grounds of Auchmar.

Gwyneth Young’s recollections can be found in May 2011 Urbanicity, “The Duchess of Auchmar”, Paul Wilson.

Doug Embleton.

Recalling Life at Auchmar:

“Well, very definitely they had servants here. That’s for sure. They had a cook and I remember that. They had a housekeeper and I think they had people come in when the kids were babies, and all that kind of stuff.

Just along those lines, they had a parrot. His perch was right in the next big room here. You know the big room down here. And his name was Philip and someone had trained him, to answer, when somebody rang the doorbell.

He would say, “Ella. Somebody at the front door, Ella.” Ella was the housekeeper. I do remember that.”

Doug Embleton, who is now in his mid nineties, grew up at Auchmar. His family lived in the Gatehouse. His father, Harry, was the stable master and looked after the Young family horses,

Doug shared his memories about Auchmar in 2017 and 2019.

Photographs are courtesy of Doug Embleton Private Collection, A.V.Young Family Private Collection, and Mrs. Anne Young Lindsey, who graciously provided the portrait of Mr. A.V.Young.