Crowborough

On 2nd July 1896, Walter purchased land on Beacon Common in Crowborough on which to build a house. 'The Pines' was completed in 1897 when he was 34 years of age. It's position at the edge of Beacon Common would have given him one of the finest panoramic views of the county.

He lived at 'The Pines' for 18 years. He was Vice President of the Crowborough & Jarvis Brook Rifle Club, and was its second President for three years. He was also one of the first recruits to the Crowborough Volunteer Training Corps, of whom Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a member.

During his years in Crowborough he continued writing, and 'The Life & Work of B W Leader, RA' was published in 1901 under his pen name of Lewis Lusk. Walter had admired the artist for many years, first hearing his name mentioned in 1872 at the Royal Academy as "the coming man" while on a visit to London as a young child with his mother.

From 1910 until his death in 1915 he wrote several books on Sussex matters under his own name of W D Scull. 'Bolebroke House'; 'Old Buckhurst'; and 'Ashdown Forest in 1632' were published in 1910, 1911 and 1912 respectively. His novels 'Sussex Oak' and 'Sussex Iron' were published in 1912 and 1913, but these were written under his pen name of Lewis Lusk.

His health began failing in June 1915 and in early September his sister Edith came to visit him from her home in Hampstead. She was being treated by her doctor in London for a heart complaint, and it was while staying at 'The Pines' that she went to bed on the night of the 14th September and was found dead in bed the next morning. Walter, who had taken to his bed only the week before, continued in failing health and died only three days after his sister, on 18th September, aged 52. They are buried together in the same grave in Crowborough Cemetery, and mourners at Walter's funeral on 22nd September included Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

As he had never married and his sister had died before him leaving no other surviving relatives in England, he bequeathed his books and pictures to All Saints Church and Sir Henry Fermor School in Crowborough, together with monies from the sale of his home. The residue of his English estate was bequeathed to Holy Trinity Church in Stroud Green, London.

He bequeathed the monies from his American estate ($150,000) to Haverford College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the foundation of a Chair in English Constitutional History.

His home 'The Pines' still stands in Crowborough although owners have changed the name twice since 1916. Two of his books are back at the house having been found on the Internet and purchased by the present owners.