An eccentric aristocrat who once advertised for a 'castle-trained' non-communist lady to give birth to his heir has lost a High Court fight with his ex-wife over a £1.2 million trust fund. Sir Benjamin Slade, the 80-year-old 7th Baronet of Maunsell, appeared on ITV's This Morning in 2017 and again the following year to appeal for a wife. However, he stipulated that she could not be Irish, Italian, or from any country beginning with 'I', nor from a nation with green in its flag. He added that she could not be Scots, Scorpio, or lesbian and must be a 'good breeder' to provide him with 'an heir and a spare'.
Sir Benjamin was married to Lady Pauline Slade for 12 years before they divorced in 1994. He later said he became frustrated at her 17 cats. As part of the divorce, Lady Slade was handed a £1.2 million trust fund made up of an 'income fund' now worth around £650,000 and a rural Somerset home worth £585,000. However, she moved out of the house in 2023 and demanded the property be sold by trustees to pay her debts and boost her income, sparking a complex legal battle.
The Legal Dispute
Sir Benjamin had been living in the house and insisted Lady Slade had no rights to money generated by its sale because she only ever had the right to live there rent-free for life or buy a replacement home. The dispute over Old Farm, in Lower Rydon, ended up in London's High Court after the trustees of Lady Slade's divorce fund asked a judge whether she had the right to benefit from the house's sale. Master Julia Clark has now ruled against Sir Benjamin, finding that one of the fund's main purposes was to provide her with income 'during her lifetime'.
She said: 'There is in my judgment no basis for concluding that if Lady Slade does not direct the purchase of a replacement property that the overall purpose of the trust comes to an end, or that Lady Slade's interest in the net proceeds of sale ends and reverts to Sir Benjamin.'
Arguments Presented
The baronet's barrister, Robert Deacon, had told the court that Lady Slade moved out in 2022 or 2023, later writing a letter in August 2024 'confirming that she had no intention of living in the property again'. Lady Slade went on to say that she had no wish to buy a 'replacement property' but wanted Old Farm to be sold up for her benefit. In her letter, Lady Slade explained: 'I have wanted to sell Lower Rydon for years. I have no intention of living at The Old Farm again and no wish to buy a further property. I give my full consent to the trustees to sell the house, land and outbuildings and for the money to be invested, to enhance my income, and all debts to be paid from the proceeds.'
Mr Deacon said: 'She wanted the sale proceeds invested to enhance her income and she wanted all her debts paid from the sale proceeds.' He added that the aim of the 1994 divorce settlement was 'to provide income for Lady Slade from the cash fund deposited in the trust and to provide her with lifetime rent-free accommodation by means of the transfer of the property to the trust'. 'It was never objectively intended that the property would be used to provide income either to Lady Slade or at all. She is not entitled under the deed to alter the underlying purpose of the trust and the nature of the trust property from a home to an income-producing asset,' he argued.
Lady Slade has limited rights in relation to both her investment fund and Old Farm, argued Mr Deacon, noting that she has no power to manage her £651,000 trust fund. 'Under the settlement, she has a life interest in income, but is not entitled to control the capital of the trust fund,' he said. 'As regards the property, she has only a limited power, which is to direct the trustees to sell the property, but only to acquire another property [to be her home]. That does not allow her to demand investment of the proceeds for income.'
Sir Benjamin's Claims
Sir Benjamin also claimed that, under the terms of her divorce settlement, his former wife cannot request Old Farm's sale unless she is actually living at the property, and argued that the purpose of the trust was solely to safeguard her permanent accommodation. 'The trust is there to permit her to live there as long as she lives,' he told the court. 'A more fundamental point is that the property was transferred solely to provide a place for her to live rent free.'
Background on Sir Benjamin
Sir Benjamin previously offered £50,000 a year to find a bride but had a strict list of requirements. Only applicants at least 20 years his junior will be considered and they must be able to use a shotgun. In terms of hobbies, he sought a bride who loved ballroom dancing, playing bridge and backgammon. She must also have a flair for administration to enable her to 'run two castles', with 'legal and accountancy training' a preference. The successful candidate will also need a driving licence while a helicopter licence 'would be beneficial', said Sir Benjamin. He narrowed the field down further by ruling out 'Guardian readers, Scorpios, drug users, alcoholics, Scots, and anyone under 5'6'.'
Sir Benjamin had been living in Old Farm after putting his manor house up for sale at a £3.5 million asking price last year. He is a direct descendant of one of the Duke of Wellington's generals - General Sir John Slade, the first baronet - who was once criticised by the Iron Duke for his inept handling of cavalry and for 'galloping at everything'. The family seat, now up for sale, is a sprawling 13-bedroom red-brick manor - Maunsel House in Somerset - which has origins stretching back to the 11th century and is said to be where Geoffrey Chaucer wrote some of his works. Inside there is a blocked off secret passage, which was once linked to the local parish church, while a well-stocked bar has a display cabinet with 81 firearms - including a heavy machine gun. Lady Slade, 79, is the daughter of the late Devon county cricketer and British Army officer Major Claude Myburgh.
