The Sackvilles were rich - very rich. The entailed estate, which went with the title, enabled the then Lord Sackville to maintain Knole, one of the largest and grandest of English country houses, and to entertain on a lavish scale. He was also a director of a bank which would have given him a considerable income.
In 1912 following the death of Sir John Scott he and his wife inherited what the press said was about half a million pounds sterling. Sir John Scott's family challenged the will arguing that Lady Sackville (Vita Sackville West's mother) exerted undue influence on Sir John and that a missing codicil disinherited Lord and Lady Sackville.
After a court case which riveted the media, the will was upheld and Lord and Lady Sackville received the inheritance in 1913. It consisted of art work (the remainder of the Wallace Collection in Paris) said to be worth over 350 thousand pounds plus 150 thousand pounds in cash.
Perhaps the knowledge of the contents of Sir John's will (he died in January 1912) prompted Lady Sackville's purchase of the emerald necklace in 1912 which has just been sold by Bonhams.
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