Lord of St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall is locked in ‘David and Goliath’ conflict together with his uncle’s former chauffeur over patch of land reverse well-known landmark

A ‘David and Goliath’ war has erupted between Lord St Levan and his uncle’s former chauffeur over a patch of land opposite St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall.

Garry Clemo, 62, has claimed that the disputed land by the coast, near Penzance, was gifted to him in a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ by the 5th Lord St Levan’s uncle and predecessor, John St Aubyn, before his death in 2013.

Mr Clemo, who served as an informal chauffeur for the late peer, said he looked after the plot for three decades, transforming what was once a mining heap of wasteland into a hideout with a herb garden, patio and pond.

But the late peer’s nephew and heir, James St Aubyn, has launched a legal battle to reclaim the land. 

Mr Clemo claims he was informally gifted the land during a meeting with John St Aubyn and his land agent, Owen Bartle, but both of them are now dead.

As the pair prepare for a hearing at Truro County court on December 3, Mr Clemo told The Telegraph: ‘I am not a squatter, I was there with permission. It’s David and Goliath. In hindsight, we should have registered it but these were gentlemen.’

Mr Clemo has been offered a rent of £1 per annum for life by the St Aubyn Estate to recognise the land belongs to the estate.

But Mr Clemo has refused the offer, saying he would not pay rent for land he owned.

A ‘David and Goliath’ war has erupted between Lord St Levan and his uncle’s former chauffeur over a patch of land opposite St Michael’s Mount (pictured) in Cornwall

Garry Clemo (pictured), 62, has claimed that the disputed land opposite the tidal island, near Penzance, was gifted to him in a ‘gentleman’s agreement’

The St Aubyn family insist that the land has belonged to the estate for generations and is registered at the Land Registry and the deed is held in its archives.

John St Aubyn, who looked after the mount for 25 years, would often take the public on spontaneous tours of the island.

And when he was just 21, he took a boat from St Michael’s Mount to rescue 150 stranded soldiers in Dunkirk during World War II. 

St Michael’s Mount is a tidal island which has been owned and inhabited by the family since 1659.

Mr Clemo has posted a number of Facebook posts, one of which says ‘the late Lord and Lady would be utterly disgusted’.

But on November 14, he wrote: ‘Overwhelming apologies for all my previous postings, if i have offended anyone, including Lord and Lady St Levan. I’m very sorry. I am a bearieved [sic] father. And I’m feeling very hurt and let down. I’ll be honest whisky had got the better of me for my comments. 

He added: ‘I’m very sorry for my comments especially James and Mary St Aubyn. They have a very difficult role. And to be honest I don’t blame them for wanting to try and claim the area of landback in question. 

‘However it goes to the court on the 4th of December. Let the Judge decide. Until then I won’t be posting any more comments. And just to confirm I have every respect for the St Aubyn family. And have great memories of chauffeuring the late Lord St.Levan and the Honourable Mr Piers St. Aubyn around the county and beyond.’

James St Aubyn pictured with the late Queen Elizabeth during a visit to St Michael’s Mount in 2013

Felix St Aubyn, chief executive of St Aubyn Estates, said: ‘This is a very sad situation. Mr Clemo has been a friend of the family for decades. I’ve known him since I was born. The many fond memories of Mr Clemo held by the family make this particularly upsetting.

‘The Estate has let this land for many years to Mr Clemo for free, a reflection of that long and close relationship. For over a decade, the Estate has been seeking to formalise the arrangement so that it reflected modern practices while still guaranteeing his tenancy.

‘We have repeatedly offered to rent the land to him for just £1 per year for the rest of his life. We thought this was a good solution.

‘Unfortunately, for the last few years Mr Clemo has refused to engage with the Estate despite numerous attempts, and insisted that we communicate through his solicitors. His insinuation, made only in recent years, that he has a claim to the land, left us with no option but to issue a writ to quit, which was served more than a year ago.

‘This area of land has belonged to the Estate for generations. It is registered at the Land Registry, and the deed is held in the Estate archives. My great uncle, the late Lord St Levan, was a trained solicitor and a diligent custodian of the Estate. There was never any offer by him to transfer ownership to Mr Clemo.’