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LIONEL JOHN MANNING POWELL

Lionel John Manning Powell was born on 1st January 1876 at Sutton Court, Stanton Lacey, Ludlow, Shropshire, where his family had lived since about 1680. His parents were Thomas Powell and Norah Stanley Barnes. Lionel was a talented amateur violinist who could have become a concert performer but instead turned to management. He booked most of the leading artists of the day and travelled the world many times. On 25 April 1905 Lionel married Louise Elizabeth (Bessie) Peskett, (1879-1957). Lionel and Bessie lived at New Ferry, Liverpool when they first married. They had a daughter, Norah Manning, born on 5 July 1909 (where?). Lionel’s wife under the name of Louise (Bessie) Peskett was an accomplished pianist in her own right and accompanied several well known artistes such as Vladimir de Pachmann before, and in the early years of her marriage to Lionel.

He inherited Sutton Court on his father's death in 1915 and in c 1921 built a magnificent music room. Lionel travelled a lot in the course of his business and stayed in London between bringing many noted artistes as house guests to Sutton Court including Pachmann, Ysaye, Backhaus, etc.

From February 1905 to June 1906 Lionel was in partnership with Reginald Norman Brunel-Norman, trading as '''The Concorde Concert Control &c. '''. Little is known about their activities. The partnership was set aside at the request of Lionel by a judgement of Mr Justice Bray on 8th June 1906.

Before Lionel became involved in the music world the two leading Concert Agencies were those of Harrison and Schulz Curtius. A diary note indicates Lionel met Schulz-Curtius in December 1906.

Effective 1st January 1907 the partnership known as Schulz-Curtius & Powell was formed with profits shared 50% each. Under an amendment to the partnership agreement, from 1st January 1913 Schulz-Curtius became a sleeping partner, and from thereon Powell was left to manage the partnership alone with 60% profit share. This included the departments previously outside the initial 1907 partnership agreement. In 1915 the partnership was dissolved and Powell carried on the business as sole proprietor. Schulz-Curtius died in 1918, (Curtius changed his name to Curtis in 1915, presumibly because the German name was not appropriate at the onset of the First World War).

In 1921 the firm became Lionel Powell and Holt when Harold Holt joined. This partnership was dissolved effective 31st July 1927 by mutual consent, all debts being paid by Lionel Powell.

From 1st August 1927 until his death on 23rd December 1931, Lionel Powell continued business again as a sole proprietor.

In 1932, after Lionel's death, Harold Holt took on the business and managed it as a limited liability company called Harold Holt Limited.

As family stories relate, confirmed by some articles, Lionel was cavalier with money - making and spending it. One story tells of his funding a troupe of stranded dancers with their fare home. He sold off much of (how much acreage did he sell?) Sutton Court’s considerable acreage of family land to pay for his concert direction. At times he was flush but usually spent what he had and had to build up his finances again. Unfortunately at the time of his illness and death he had had a disastrous cancellation of a concert by Tauber at the Royal Albert Hall for which he paid all expenses and refunds. He did not have time to recoup and died bankrupt which was why Sutton Court and contents had to be sold  Lionel did not consider a Limited Company gentlemanly - this is quite possibly the cause of the dissolution of the partnership between Lionel Powell and Harold Holt in 1927.

The Powells are buried in Diddlebury Church, Diddlebury, Shropshire, and there is a memorial there on the grave of Lionel and Bessie (L.E.P.) Powell for the last Powell - Mrs N M Barnwell.