Ownership of much of the property and land Church Lawford and Kings Newnham had been with the Montagu family since 1688 and joined with the Buccleuch family since the third Duke in 1767 – with the remainder owned by the Church of England. At the start of the 20th Century a series of changes began which resulted in a significant part of the two villages being sold during the Great War period.
The first step was in 1910 when the long-standing Lord of the Manor, the 6th Duke of Buccleuch (William Henry Walter Montagu Douglas Scott), transferred his Rugby district properties to his son, the then Earl of Dalkeith (John Montagu Douglas Scott), who later became the 8th Duke. This included almost all of Church Lawford and Kings Newnham, as well as portions of Dunchurch with Toft, Thurlaston and Cawston, plus minor holdings in Long Lawford, Bilton, Stretton-on-Dunsmore and Ryton-on-Dunsmore, These totalled 7,607 acres. The schedule for the local properties was as follows:
