Swallowfield and Its Owners
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wm mKlm m T Gc 942.2902 Sw971r 1269002 GENEALOGY COLLECTION ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRA 3 1833 00730 8387 Swallowfield and its Owners SWALLOWFIELD AND ITS OWNERS LADY RUSSELL WITH ILLUSTRATIONS LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. 39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON NEW YORK AND BOMBAY G* c I9GI PREFACE The following pages are the result of my having for many years past, during much desultory reading, dotted down everything I have come across that in any way related to Swallowfield or its owners. ' pretend to no style is simply an ' olla podrida \I ; my work from innumerable sources, good, bad, and indifferent. Some- times the most important events are merely sketched in, and at other times I enter into minute details, which would be gene- rally considered quite unimportant and uninteresting. But I have written this solely for my own family and neighbours at Swallowfield, and have therefore included everything that I thought might interest them. It is possible that I may occasionally have drawn from various authors without acknowledging my indebtedness, and of these I must ask pardon. Had I ever contemplated the publication of my notes, I should have been careful to give all my authorities ; as it is, I much regret that in some cases it is now impossible for me to do so. I had intended that this little work should be revised and vi Swallowfield and its Owners put into shape by one who took a great interest in it, and whose criticisms and suggestions I should have valued more than any- other, but fate has ordered it otherwise ; so I now send it forth in all its crudity, knowing that those for whom it is written will not be critical, and will excuse its shortcomings. CONSTANCE RUSSELL. SWALLOWFIELD. CONTENTS I. SWALLOWFIELD AT THE CONQUEST I II. SWALLOWFIELD UNDER THE ST. JOHNS AND DESPENCERS . IO III. SWALLOWFIELD REVERTS TO THE ST. JOHNS . -24 IV. LATER ST. JOHNS AND THEIR TENANTS 32 V. THE DE LA BECHES AND BEAUMYS 39 VI. SWALLOWFIELD A ROYAL PARK 48 VII. THE PRINCESS ISABELLA 58 VIII. SWALLOWFIELD UNDER ROYAL DUKES 68 IX. SWALLOWFIELD AND THE HOUSE OF YORK . -79 X. SWALLOWFIELD THE DOWRY OF TUDOR QUEENS . 88 XI. THE FAMILY OF BACKHOUSE 99 XII. SIR JOHN BACKHOUSE THE ROYALIST IIO XIII. WILLIAM BACKHOUSE, THE ROSICRUCIAN 124 XIV. SWALLOWFIELD PASSES TO THE HYDES 1 34 XV. SWALLOWFIELD BEFORE THE REVOLUTION I45 XVI. JOHN EVELYN AT SWALLOWFIELD 151 XVII. SWALLOWFIELD AFTER THE REVOLUTION 159 XVIII. SWALLOWFIELD REBUILT BY LORD CLARENDON . 168 XIX. DEATH OF LADY CLARENDON 1 78 XX. THE LAST OF THE HYDES 187 XXI. PITT'S GOVERNOR CAREER 1 95 XXII. THE PITT DIAMOND 203 XXIII. GOVERNOR PITT AT SWALLOWFIELD 212 XXIV. CHATHAM'S FATHER AT SWALLOWFIELD 219 1 viii Sajallowfield and its Owners CHAPTER rAGE XXV. JOHN DODD AND HIS FRIENDS 226 XXVI. JOHN DODD AND HIS TENANTS 236 XXVII. NOTES FROM THE SALE OF SWALLOWFIELD . 245 XXVIII. THE RUSSELLS AT SWALLOWFIELD 252 XXIX. SIR HENRY RUSSELL THE SECOND 262 XXX. SIR HENRY RUSSELL'S REMINISCENCES OF ST. HELENA IN 1821 273 XXXI. SIR CHARLES RUSSELL AND SIR GEORGE RUSSELL . 294 XXXII. REMINISCENCES OF SIR GEORGE RUSSELI 30 XXXIII. SOME CELEBRITIES IN OUR PARISH 309 XXXIV. SOME OLD CUSTOMS AND ANTIQUITIES OF SWALLOWFIELD .316 ADDENDA ET CORRIGENDA 339 INDEX 349 LIST OF PEDIGREES 1. PEDIGREE SHOWING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE NEWBURGHS, EARLS OF WARWICK, AND THE BEAU- CHAMPS, EARLS OF WARWICK, AND THEIR DANISH EXTRACTION, ALSO THE THREEFOLD CONNECTION OF WILLIAM FITZ-OSBERN WITH WILLIAM THE CON- QUEROR ......... To face p. 2. PEDIGREE OF BACKHOUSE OF SWALLOWFIELD ... „ 3. PEDIGREE OF THE HYDES, EARLS OF CLARENDON, SHOW- ING THEIR CONNECTION WITH VILLIERS, EARL OF CLARENDON, AND SOME OF THE DESCENDANTS OF THE LORD CHANCELLOR 192 ' 4. PEDIGREE OF THOMAS PITT OF SWALLOWFIELD (' DIAMOND PITT) 195 5. PEDIGREE OF JOHN DODD OF SWALLOWFIELD 6. PEDIGREE OF THE ST. LEGERS OF SHIXFIF.LP, THE HUGUENOT FAMILY OF LE COQ 7. PEDIGREE 01 SIR PHILIP JENNWGS-CLERKE, BART. 8 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS lady russell and SON Frontispiece From the original at Swallozvfeld by George Romney, R.A., painted in 17S6-7. EAST END OF ALL SAINTS' CHURCH, SWALLOWFIELD : INTERIOR To face p. 1 ALL SAINTS' CHURCH, SWALLOWFIELD : EXTERIOR . „ 20 ST. MARY'S CHURCH, SHINFIELD „ 32 JOHN PLANTAGENET, DUKE OF BEDFORD .... „ 70 From the Bedford Book of Hours in the British Museum. KING HENRY VI „ 72 From a picture in the National Portrait Gallery, by an unknown painter. ELIZABETH WOODVILLE, EDWARD IV.'s QUEEN ... „ 80 From a print in the British Museum. ELIZABETH OF YORK, HENRY VII. 's QUEEN .... „ 84 From a picture in the National Portrait Gallery, by an unknown painter. CATHERINE OF ARRAGON „ 86 From a picture in the National Portrait Gallery, by an unknown painter. ANNE BOLEYN „ 88 From a picture in the National Portrait Gallery, by an unknown painter. JANE SEYMOUR „ 89 From the painting by Holbein, photographed by Hanfstacngl. ANNE OF CLEVES „ 90 From the painting by Holbein in the Louvre. CATHERINE HOWARD „ 91 From a picture in the National Portrait Gallery {School of Holbein). x Swallowfield and its Owners QUEEN CATHARINE PARR ....... To face p. 92 From a print in the British Museum, ROBERT DEVEREUX, THIRD EARL OF ESSEX From an engraving in the British Museum after the original of Walker, in the collection ofthe Duke ofSutherland at Trentham. FRANCES, COUNTESS OF ESSEX From a picture belonging to the present Earl of Essex. SIR THOMAS OVERBURY From an engraving by Renold Elstrack, in the British Museum. ROBERT CARR, EARL OF SOMERSET, K.G From a picture attributed to John Hoskins, in the National Portrait Gallery. THE MARKET PLACE, WOKINGHAM, SHOWING THE ' ROSE ' INN From a lithograph drawing in 1832 by P. H. Delamott, junr. MONUMENT TO SIR JOHN BACKHOUSE IN SWALLOWFIELD CHURCH, ERECTED IN 1650 BACKHOUSE MONUMENT IN SWALLOWFIELD CHURCH, ERECTED BY LADY CLARENDON IN 1670 . 136 VISCOUNT AND VISCOUNTESS CORNBURY .... MS From the original portrait by Vandyke, belonging to the Earl of Clarendon. QUEEN ANNE, WHEN PRINCESS, WITH HER SON WILLIAM, DUKE OF GLOUCESTER 144 From the original painted by Michael Dahl in 1695. FROST FAIR ON THE THAMES, 1 683-4 .... 146 JOHN EVELYN From an engraving by Nanteuil, after his own drawing. CEDARS AT SWALLOWFIELD THE OLD ENTRANCE, SWALLOWFIELD 170 HALL AT SWALLOWFIELD, SHOWING PART OF THE VESTIBULE 194 THE PITT DIAMOND, FROM MODELS IN THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, SOUTH KENSINGTON From an engraving in the Diary of William Hedges, by the kind permission of the Council of the Hakluyt Society. List of Illustrations PORTRAITS OF LADY SHELLEY (WIFE OF SIR JOHN SHELLEY AND SISTER TO HOLLIS, DUKE OF NEWCASTLE), MR. AND MRS. RICHARD SHELLEY, THEIR TWO DAUGHTERS, FANNY AND MARTHA ROSE (WHO MARRIED SIR CHARLES WHITWORTH), CAPTAIN THE HON. WILLIAM FITZ- WILLIAM, MR. BENYON, AND MRS. BEARD . To face p. 2 c From the original picture at Swallowfield by Hogarth. GOVERNOR PITT From the original picture by Shelter, belonging to Earl Stanhope. BRIDGE BUILT OVER THE BLACKWATER IN SWALLOWFIELD PARK, BY ' DIAMOND ' PITT From a photograph by J. Mason Good. LORD CHATHAM After a picture by R. Brompton, belonging to Earl Stanhope. JOHN DODD From an original portrait by Jean Rouquet, belonging to Miss Parke. HORATIO WALPOLE, FOURTH EARL OF ORFORD . 232 From a picture painted in 1747 byJohn Giles Eccardt. SWALLOWFIELD PLACE IN 1820 250 From an engraving by J. and H. S. Storer. MICHAEL RUSSELL From the original portrait at Swallorujield painted by George Romney, R.A., in 1 785. HENRY RUSSELL (AFTERWARDS FIRST BART.) . From the original portrait at Swallowfield painted by George Romney, R.A. NORTH SIDE OF QUADRANGLE, SWALLOWFIELD . 256 ITALIAN STONE GATEWAY : ENTRANCE TO GARDEN AT SWALLOWFIELD 259 SIR HENRY RUSSELL, SECOND BART 262 From the original portrait at Swallowfield by George Richmond, R.A. CHARLES RUSSELL (AFTERWARDS THIRD BART.) . From the original portrait at Sivalloivfield by George Richmond, R.A. xii Swallowfield and ils Owners SIR CHARLES RUSSELL, THIRD BART., AT THE SANDBAG battery To face p. 295 From the original picture by Desanges, the property of Mrs. George Brackenbury. SIR CHARLES RUSSELL, THIRD BART., V.C „ 296 From the original portrait at Swallowfield painted in 1 8S3 Ay SirJohn Millais, P.R.A. SIR GEORGE RUSSELL, FOURTH BART „ 300 From an original crayon. THE LIBRARY, SWALLOWFIELD „ 302 THE DRAWING-ROOM, SWALLOWFIELD „ 304 YELLOW DRAWING-ROOM, SWALLOWFIELD .... „ 306 MARY RUSSELL MITFORD „ 3 10 From a picture painted in 1852 by John Lucas, in the National Portrait Gallery. SWALLOWFIELD CHURCHYARD „ 3 14 THE REV. CHARLES KINGSLEY „ 315 From a photograph by Draycott. NORTH SIDE OF SWALLOWFIELD (1900) „ 336 reproductions pictures the ( The from in National Portrait Gallery are from pholograp/is by Walker and Cockerell.) SWALLOWFIELD AND ITS OWNERS CHAPTER I SWALLOWFIELD AT THE CONQUEST That quaint old author Fuller says : ' It is observed that the lands in Berkshire are very skittish, and often cast their owners, which yet I impute not so much to the unruliness of the Beasts as to the unskillfulness of the Riders. I desire heartily that hereafter the Berkshire gentry may be settled in their saddles, so that the sweet places in this county may not be subject to so many mutations.' Swallowfield, situated five and a half miles south-west from Wokingham and six miles south-east from Reading, has certainly been no exception to the proverbial skittishness, since from the time of Edward the Confessor it has constantly cast its owners. In the Domesday Survey, Berkshire is divided into twenty- two hundreds, and we find mention of two hundred manors, forty-six of which were vested in the Crown. Amongst the ' latter, in the hundred of Cereledone ' or Charlton, were 1 ' ' ' Selingefelle,' now Shinfield, and Soanesfelt ' or Swalfelle,' now Swallowfield, which two manors appear not to have been separated till the year 1553.