Saturday, November 25, 2006

L. G. Hornsted

The motor sport world seems to have convinced itself that the holder of the world land speed record between 1914 and 1922, L. G. Hornsted, boasted the unusual forename Ligurd. No sign of him in the public records, although there is a Lydston G. Hornsted. It seems that Lydston was born in Russia circa 1884, the son of a Britsih vice-consul, and that the family name was originally Hornstedt. So is it Lydston or Ligurd?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Check the National Archives, Kew UK
and search for Hornstedt. You'll see some documents containing the name Lydston/Lydaton Granville Hornstedt and may be able to get more information at that site.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/search/search_results.aspx?Page=1&QueryText=Hornstedt&SelectedDatabases=A2A%7cARCHON%7cBOOKSHOP%7cCABPAPERS%7cCATALOGUE%7cDOCUMENTSONLINE%7cEROL%7cMOVINGHERE%7cWEBSITE%7cNRA%7cRESEARCHGUIDES%7cNRALISTS%7cE179%7cTRAFALGAR

radnorian said...

Hi Nonny

Just looked up Lydston Granville Hornstedt in the 1911 Census. Living in Hendon, aged 27, described as a Motor Driver, Mechanic and Tester and yes, born in Moscow, the son of the British Consul. Two people with Ligurd as a forename, surnames nothing like Hornstedt- a Swedish clerk and a Dutch sailor.