MILTON'S WILL


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In his will Milton left bequests to many animal charities . Also to the Royal Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children, John Groom's Crippleage, the National Lifeboat Fund, the Actors Benevolent Fund and the Denville Home, Northwood.
He left amounts to William Ritchie King, Henry Norcott, Robert Watts and his head gardener Broomfield. To Lillie Young he left "all my goods chattels property and theatres furniture and effects therein including all my pictures wines motor cars and race horses".


An auction was held on 27/28 April 1938, announced in the Times newspaper on 12 April as follows:

Estate of the late Milton Bode, Esq.
CLIFFE HOUSE,
MAPLEDURHAM, nr READING

Important 2-days SALE of the valuable contents of the well-appointed residence. MANY CHOICE PIECES OF ANTIQUE FURNITURE, Queen Anne Walnut Tallboy, Chippendale Serpentine Chests, an unusually fine Sheraton sideboard, a VALUABLE COLLECTION OF 125 MODERN PAINTINGS by Edgar Bundy, W.Frost, Briton Riviere, W.Etty, J.W.M. Turner, W.Shayer, B.W. Leader, &c., SILVER and PLATE, a COLLECTION of CARVED IVORIES, 80 LOTS of CHOICE WINES and SPIRITS. 1,400 FINE CIGARS, TWO PRACTICALLY NEW ROLLS-ROYCE CARS, a Ford Van, a COLLECTION of ORCHIDS, other greenhouse plants, which Messrs.

NICHOLAS

will SELL by AUCTION on the premises immediately following the sale of the house on Wednesday and Thursday, the 27th and 28th April, 1938, at 11 o'clock each day. Catalogues (price 1s. each) may be had of the Auctioneers, 1 Station Road, Reading, and 4, Albany Court Yard, Piccadilly, W.1.


The Stage newspaper on 12 May 1938 reported on the results of the sale:
"Last week the effects of the late Milton Bode were disposed of at auction. Cliffe House, Mapledurham, the residence, was sold for £2,600. In addition the total for 964 lots was nearly £5,000. Among the most prominent lots were a 1937 Rolls-Royce saloon and a 1936 Rolls-Royce limousine, which realized £1,100 and £755 respectively; a Sheraton serpentine sideboard, 53gns; a Chippendale mahogany serpentine chest, 33gns; a serpentine miniature sideboard, 26 1/2gns; and an oak hall talbe, 20gns. The orchids realized up to £71 10s, per lot. A collection of paintings, consisting of 125 lots, was sold a disappointing prices, the most obtained being 16 1/2gns."