An abandoned farm house

So already marked with controversy, and with another world war looming, Jock took his second wife to Kenya, where they joined the Happy Valley Set, a group of British aristocrats who had set up their own private paradise, notorious for their hedonism, dabbling in drink, drugs, sexual promiscuity and whatnot.

Jock was said to be slightly out of place in such a world of rampant alcohol and adultery. Despite the fact that his second wife was already unfaithful and not making a secret that she was with him for his money, even referring to him as a dirty old man, he seemed to actually be hurt by the attention she was getting. 

They'd only been married for three months when she had an affair with a man who considered himself the top dog of the Happy Valley Set, a philanderer and serial womaniser, specifically targeting married women.

 

The affair was very public and Jock, hurt and humiliated, ended up giving it his blessing before resolving to return to the UK alone. Shortly after, the other man was discovered shot dead in his car. Jock was the chief suspect, but it's also been said that there's an over-abundance people who would also have reasons for wanting the man dead. Many referred to him as a first-rate shit. The story made waves in the media, with the whole subject of rich people killing each other over their own depravity bringing some much-needed juice to the British public in wartime. But Jock was ultimately found not guilty.

Despite this, Jock lost everything. He was shunned by the Happy Valley Set. His wife left him for another rich man, who Jock described as the most boring man in the world. He turned to drink and was then flung from his horse, resulting in him being encased in plaster with a spinal injury. He returned to England, alone. But his grand house, the seat of his estate, had been commandeered and repurposed for the war effort. 

Upon arriving back in the UK, Jock was questioned by police due to the theft of his first wife's pearls, which only really served to give him more grief on top of what he was already going through. For a rich bloke who was used to getting what he wanted, life in this spacious four-bedroomed manor house was a bit of a kick to the teeth, and he told nobody that he had returned, apart from his butler Frank, who had to deal with his depressed alcoholic employer moping around the place. It's not like he could really comment or even object to the sudden intrusion either, because Jock owned the house, the land it was on, and paid Franks wages too. 

In 1942 Jock went to his solicitor and put together a very flimsy will. To his daughter he offered "any trinket she desired," and to his son he gave a gold cigarette case, a gold watch and a shotgun, stating that he was to have nothing else because he was already amply provided for. As for Frank, the loyal butler who had put him up, he gave £100 (equivalent of nearly £4000 today) and some bedroom furniture, a subtle hint that maybe he wasn't impressed with his decor.

Jock then went to a hotel in Liverpool. He had previously come here with his second wife back when he was still married to his first wife. Perhaps this is something he regarded as his biggest mistake. He gave the hotel staff orders to not disturb him because he'd be looking after himself, and then he overdosed on barbiturates and died.

The story of Jock is a sad one, but it was all of his lifestyle choices that led him to that point. His story is one of self destruction, and in the end he knew it. 

More pics and history at https://shrewsburyfromwhereyouarenot.blogspot.com/2024/08/abandoned-farm-house.html