Ardtaraig

The “Modern” Ardtarig

This is a short history of the property of Ardtarig, as related by one of the current owners, Bill Carlow, who is married to Shian Geddes, daughter of Keith Irvine Geddes, (see below).
1745 Sold by South Hall Estates, comprising 20,000 acres.
1912 Bought by Kenneth Anderson, chairman of Orient Line.
1913-1914 First extension built,
1914 & 1915 Sir Kenneth’s three sons were all killed in the Great War.
1923 Sir Kenneth no longer had pleasure in the Estate, and greatly felt the loss of his sons. He sold Ardtaraig Estate to his cousin, Irvine Campbell Geddes.
1928 Servants hall and bedrooms above were added
1935 West wing built, and several internal changes
1963 On the death of Irvine Campbell Geddes, only his third son Keith Irvine Geddes (D.F.C., Squadron Leader R.A.F. WW II, Captain Scottish Rugby XV 1945-1947) wanted to keep the Estate. (The eldest son, Ford Irvine (M.B.E. 1943) was Chairman of P&O Line, and the second son, Ian Irvine Geddes (Captain, Royal Artillery WW II), farmed at Holbrook, New South Wales).
Keith approached his cousin Rupert G. Chalmers-Watson and the pair of them bought the Estate from the Executors.
Since that day the Estate has been shared pro-indiviso by the two families, and is now controlled by two interlinked Trusts, and is thus the property of the two families (K.I.Geddes and R.G.Chalmers-Watson).
Today the house is unoccupied on a day-to-day basis, although it is often used as a base for hunting and fishing parties, and visitor overflow accommodation for the owning families.
The estate still extends for at least some 15,000 acres.
Notes:
I believe that 21 rooms were added to the original house – 7 in one new wing and 14 in the other. The blue leather furniture in the main lounge was an extra set of that made for the First Class Lounge in the P & O ship (I think) “Rangitoto”.
Although the name “Campbell” appears frequently in the Geddes family history there is no apparent link to the Campbells who feature in “Ardtarig – a Reminiscence”.
Irvine Campbell Geddes’ eldest brother, Sir Eric Campbell Geddes, was at various times during WW I, Deputy Director-General of Munitions, Inspector-General of the British Expeditionary Force and Honorary Major-General as well as Honorary Vice-Admiral when he was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty. He remained in the Cabinet until the end of the War. He later became Chairman of Dunlop and later the first Chairman of Imperial Airways (later to be known as BOAC and now as British Airways).
Irvine Campbell Geddes’ elder brother, Auckland Campbell Geddes, after serving with distinction in the Boer War followed with a notable life in the medical field as a Professor of Anatomy in Edinburgh and Montreal. In the early part of WW I he went on to serve as the Director of Recruiting in the War Office 1916-17 with the rank of Brigadier. Then followed a period of great public service, and a term as Chairman of Rio Tinto. He was created 1st Baron Geddes (UK) of Rolvenden, County of Kent in 1942.