Synchronicity

Haseley Court, Nancy Lancaster's home from 1954-1971, image from Latchford Pictures

We have been working with a wonderful client who has beautiful furniture that he inherited from his mother. Jane Douglas and I were both incredibly excited when we saw the English and American Antiques. There are some upholstered pieces that were purchased by Sister Parish for the client's mother in New York! Needless to say we are using those sofas and chairs. There are also some amazing decorative pieces that we will hopefully show you at some point.

Last week as we were wrapping up a day the client's house, he pulled out a book from the bookcase and told us that his mother and Nancy Lancaster were friends and that there were some letters from Nancy in the book! Apparently his mother and Nancy Lancaster got to know each other through their love for and association with Stratford Hall in Virginia.


Stratford Hall in Virginia, image from accessiblevirginia.org

Nancy Lancaster sold Haseley Court in 1971; the house had burned and she did not want to restore it. So, she sold the house but retained the life right to live in the smaller Coach House for the rest of her life.


Haseley Court Coach House where Nancy lived from 1971 until her death in 1994.

We were both speechless and excited! Can you believe the timing? We had just been posting about her on the blog last week. I believe there are no coincidences - it's synchronicity.




A couple of the letters written by Nancy Lancaster in her last years (she was in her 90's when she wrote these letters). In the letters she was still spunky and fun, and loved to work in her garden at Haseley Court.


Garden at Haseley Court




**Synchronicity is the experience of two or more events that are apparently causally unrelated occurring together in a meaningful manner (from Wikipedia).

from Synchronicty by The Police
A connecting principle
Linked to the invisible
Almost imperceptible
Something inexpressible
Science insusceptible
Logic so inflexible
Causally connectable
Yet nothing is invincible


Here's the great Police song Synchronicity.

all images courtesy of Whitehaven, unless specified otherwise