The families and house of Oxenhoath, West Peckham

THE FAMILIES AND HOUSE OF OXENHOATH, WEST PECKHAM MARGARET LAW RENCE Allen Grove was essentially a Local Historian. Some of his last thoughts were embodied in his bequest 'for the research, preservation and enjoyment oflocal history.' I first met him in his booklined Curator's Office at Maidstone Museum when like many other students over the years I went to ask his help. He never failed to share his knowledge with those researching a local history theme and he would ask to see the completed work. Oxenhoath is an account which I believe he would have enjoyed. The origin of Oxenhoath lies in the undergrowth of the Weald. The history of the great Wealden forest stretching nearly 100 miles east and west between Petersfield and Deal and 40 miles north and south between Watling Street and the South Downs is increasingly well known to readers of Kent history. The isolation of the area brought about by the s heer density of the wood and the difficulties of communication lasted well into the Saxon period. It was the Jutes settling in the north of Kent who realised its value and large areas of forest became the swine pastures of the Jutish kingdom. Early Kentish society became characterised by the system of transhumance as swineherds migrated with their herds during the summer months from the northern settlements of the county to their detached pasture lands in the Wealden forest. I Oxenhoath was a swine pasture attached to the royal manor of Hoo, a mere 15 miles north-east. Its very name indicates royal land; the earliest spelling is Toxnode, ·the final element being snode or snade, the Saxon word for the King's wood.2 It was approached by the drove road still in use as the A228. Leaving Hoo the road hugs the Medway bank keeping the river in sight nearly the whole of the 15 miles. 1 A.M. Everitt, 'The Making of the Agrarian Landscape of Kent', Arch. Cant., xcii (1976), 1-32. From Ham Hill, Snodland, the original road ran via Lunsford Lane through East Malling to Wateringbury. 2 J.K. Wallenberg, The Place Names of Kent, Uppsala, 1934, Toxnode 1278. 237 M.LAWRENCE At some point Oxenhoath changed its status. Whereas transhumance waned between 1050 and 1300 with many Wealden farms tracing their origins to the swine pasture of an upland manor, which later became separated to become an independent holding; in the case of Oxenhoath this was not so. At an early stage it was given the status of a borough, or tithing, for judicial purposes and it never separated. Two Borsholders for Oxenhoath were appointed by the Manor Court of Hoo until the beginning of the nineteenth century.3 Within the borough or tithing a small manor was formed with the yearly payment of a pair of spurs. T h e manor was attractive enough to be h eld by the eminent Culpepper family. Walter, the second son of Sir Thomas Culpepper of Bay hall in Pembury, is the first to be mentioned as 'of Oxenhoath'. How long before 1370 they were in occupation is not known, but certainly at that date they came simultaneously into possession of a half moeity of the manors of West Peckham and Swanton in Mereworth through the same source. They are referred to by Hasted as 'seated at Oxenhoath'.4 Walter may have been the recipient but more definite information comes through the will of his son Geoffrey in 1389. Although he does not actually mention Oxenhoath, his association with West Peckham is very clear requesting, as he does, to be buried in the church and asking for six people to hold six torches around his tomb and each to be provided with one coat.5 It is with Geoffrey's son Sir John that the story of Oxenhoath blossoms. Referring to him, a much later record of 1534, being a valuation of all church property and endowments recorded that 'Sir John Culpepper in the reign of Henry IV (1399-1423) was the founder of the chantry in the church and that he built the mansion house.'6 Sir John was one of the Justices of the Common Pleas in 1405. His will of 1413 requests that he be buried beside his sepulchre in West Peckham church. Both the sepulchre and his inscription remain in the church.7 Whether there was a house prior to Sir John's mansion house of 1534 is open to surmise. Hasted's reference to the family being seated there around 1370 suggests a dwelling. This could have been a stone-built manor house similar to Old Soar at Plaxtol, dated 1300, possibly owned 3 Centre for Kentish Studies (Abbreviated: C.K.S.) U262 Ml. 4 E. Hasted, The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent, v. s Arch. Cant., xxii (1897), 314. Will of Galfridus Colepepper. 6 Chadwick, Notes on the Parish church of West Peckham, 1935. 7 Arch. Cant., xxii (1897), 315. Will of Sir John Colepepper. 238 THE FAMILIES AND HOUSE OF OXENHOATH, WEST PECKHAM by Walter Culpepper. Whether this was added to or whether Sir John built an entirely new mansion house is not known, but certainly the house in which he willed his wife Katherine 'to keep custody of a service book while she lives at Oxnode' is the house altered, redesigned, re-roofed, which is believed to exist within the walls of the present house; perhaps so altered that only the ground within the walls remains of the original. The Culpeppers remained at Oxenhoath another 20 years until, at the death of Sir Richard in 1484, the manor was left without a male heir and it passed to his daughter who was married to William Cotton. It is unlikely that this family made alterations to the house for it was soon sold by their son Thomas to John Chown of Fairlawn in Wrotham, whose great grandson Sir George Chown, wishing to dispose of his Kentish property, sold it to Nicholas Miller of Horsnells Crouch, at Wrotham in 1626. s THE MILLERS OF OXENHOATH The 1640 Inquisition Post Mortem of Sir Nicholas shows him to have been a man of considerable wealth having inherited property from both his father, George, and his uncle, Nicholas, and at the time of his death all property was held jointly with his son Nicholas of Oxenhoath.9 This is important because it shows that Nicholas the younger was already living at Oxenhoath and could have already begun to perfect the alterations to the property which Hasted says he greatly augmented and beautified. Certainly by the time he made his will in 1652, (proved 1658) he evinced a certain satisfaction. He wished 'my body to be buried in the church of West Peckham and in a place proper to my mansion house of Oxenhoath ' He left bequests to the poor and his servants, and to his beloved wife Anne, 'All my linen of condition soever and the complete furniture in my lodging chamber over the lesser parlour and a chamber thereto adjoining for a maidservant to be freely at her disposal, and also my coach, coach horses and harness, my wearing apparel together with such jewels as she has in her custody ... and further my will is the said Dame Anne shall have the use of all my bedding, plate, pewter, brass, brewing vessels and other household stuff in my dwelling house called Oxenhoath place.' s C.K.S., U31 T52. 9 Inquisitions Post Mortem. Nicholas Miller 1641. 239 M.LAWRENCE He disposed of his real estate in a traditional manner but the property most dear to his heart, his home, he devised to his wife until his son Humphrey came of age, 'if she so long continue a widow, the use of my manor house of Oxenhoath with the gardinier, apple house and other buildings thereunto adjoining with the two lesser stables and pigeon house, gardens and orchard thereunto pertaining and the herbage of all my lands within my park pale'. There were also the profits from the deer conyes, fish and pigeons and provision of coppice wood for her fire in the mansion house. 10 He had good reason to be satisfied with his worldly estate having lived at the time of the Civil War. During this period Kent was secured for the Parliamentarians although most of the Kentish gentry had no desire for radical changes and kept their allegiance to the King. Those who were outspoken against their rulers suffered sequestration of their estates and even those with moderate views could fare the same as did Sir Roger Twysden of Roydon Hall, East Peckham, close neighbour to the Millers. For his part in the Kentish Petition to Parliament in 1642, Sir Roger was imprisoned, his estates sequestered and misused, his house raided during the night and personal effects removed. But the Miller picture is one of aggrandisement and very obligingly Nicholas conveys his own satisfaction through his will. His memorial in West Peckham church 'in a place proper to my mansion house of Oxenhoath' is in character to what is known of his life. On a black and white monument is the inscription: 'Within this aisle, anciently belonging to the proprietor of Oxen Place in this parish lies interred the body of Nicholas Miller the owner thereof, who for his piety, affability and free hospitality, enjoyed while he lived, the blessing of God, the prayers of the poor, the love of his neighbours, and the worthy respect of all who knew him.' Typical genealogical details follow. A map dated 1626 shows the house and farm buildings which the Millers purchased,11 and the changes justifying Nicholas' satisfaction can be seen on the print by Badeslade which he claims on the original in the British Library to have been 'designed upon the spot for Leonard Bartholomew in 1719.' 12 IOC.K.S., U3! T53. 11 C.K.S., U3! P3. 12 British Museum. K7 TAB I 8. Badeslade. 36 Views of Noblemens' Seats in the County of Kent. 240 THE FAMILIES AND HOUSE OF OXENHOATH, WEST PECKHAM Almost certainly this is the house which Nicholas greatly enlarged and beautified because a building programme of that nature would hardly have needed further work of a major nature in such a short time. The print displays a house symmetrical in every detail, surrounded by a tranquil English garden laid out in the typically geometrical designs. In the foreground are buildings which may have been those mentioned in the will of 1658, and grazing deer can be seen in the park. Further afield is the hop-garden showing the hops growing on the original three-pole method, woodland and orchard. The whole is approached by the formal avenue for ceremonial use. Sir Nicholas would have been pleased to know that the subject of his pleasure would be recorded for ever in this way, albeit conventionally. But he could not have imagined that the interior would be recorded for ever in a less conventional way and for an unexpected reason. Nicholas' son, Sir Geoffrey (1st Baronet) was succeeded by his grandson Borlace (2nd Baronet), who died without an heir, and the inheritance passed to his sister Elizabeth married to Leonard Bartholomew. She inherited her brother's considerable debts which she contended that Sir Borlace's widow could amply repay herself. Therefore, the couple, not being satisfied with the financial arrangements concerning the widow's affairs, exhibited a Bill of Complaint in the High Court of Chancery against Dame Susannah Miller and, although the widow put in her answer, several difficulties and disputes arose. The final agreement, dated 1716 and contained in four schedules, is a very long document, in bad condition and in places almost unreadable. It is most informative of social background and, in particular, gives a guided tour of the house listing the contents, recording the house as it was in the years preceding 17 I 6. It also gives an insight into Sir Borlace's social life and his affairs concerning the estate.13 Clearly justice was on the side of Leonard and Elizabeth, for in the First Schedule the widow is assigned a rather insulting load of junk from the many rooms in the house while, in the Second Schedule, the couple receive a substantial amount of valuable effects. The First Sched ule. Contents to Dame Susannah Miller. In the Hall. Six striped cushions. One small pair of japanned salvers. In the Withdrawing Room. Three pairs of calico window curtains with rods valances and corinte. In the Servants Hall. Two brushes, now worn out. In the Butlers' Room. A tin basket for foul plates. One dozen of wooden hasted 13 C.K.S., U31 T56. 241 M.LAWRENCE knives and forks, one dozen small ivory knives and forks, two of which were broken, and one other dozen of large old ivory knives and forks, four of which were broken. In the Still Room. One brass pan with handles. One pewter bed pan. In the Store Room. One pair of brass scales and weights; nine sugar tubs, four crocks ... eight earthenware pots for pickles; six brass patty tins. In the Little Room next the Store Room. One still. In the closet in the Upper Hall. Four brass candlesticks; two iron candlesticks; one pair of snuffers. In the Study. One old spade and a few nails. In the Small Beer and Ale Cellar. Four hog's heads; two kilderkind; three half anchors; one funnel; three old keelers. In the Stale Beer Cellar. A pint of damaged cider; two hogshead of stale beer; one anchor and brass cask and cask with vinegar; two brass casks. In the Bakehouse and Pantry. Two crocks and a rolling pin. In the Wet Larder. One brine tub. In the Chamber over the Withdrawing Room. A close stool and pan. In the Closet within the Withdrawing Room. A small cabinet and frame inlaid with ivory. In the Dining Room. A picture of Sir Borlace's mother; a large black cabinet painted within; two hand screens. In the Kitchen Chamber. One easy chair covered with cloth; a dressing glass; five window curtains and three valances; a writing-box, very much scratched. In the Yellow Chamber. Two pairs of stairs; two pictures of parrots on paper. In the Dark Room over the Buttery. A small japanned cisterne. In the Kitchen. One gridiron; one small chafing dish and a small frying pan; seven iron skewers and a trough for plates; two copper boiling-pots; pewter weighing two hundred, two quarter and four pound weight. In the Scullery. A tossing-pan, very old; a saucepan; a tin dripping-pan, two skillets; one brass ladle and skimmer and an apple roaster. In the Milk House and Cheese Press Room. One three-legged keeler; five wooden dishes, one of which broken; glass and earthenware omitted as above; two dozen and eight sweet-meat glasses; six glass plates; fifty dozen and six old glass bottles; Things unseen and forgotten; one dozen and four pounds of wax candles and a pound of calten(?) candles; thirteen dozen of tallow candles; two dozen of mould candles; a beef fork; two pie boards and a housebell; five pounds of treacle; five gallons of spirits; a stone mortar and pestle; a toothpick - case now lost; left in ready money three pounds; Sir Borlace's wearing apparel. Account of China. Two large china images; eighteen china plates, formerly twentyfour; Outdoor Goods. An old black mare. In the Oasthouse. Six bushels of apples. In the Horse Block Stables. One very old saddle and bridle. In the Wash-house. Two old keelers and a water tub; one three-legged keeler, very old. The Second Schedule. Contents to Sir Leonard Bartholomew and Elizabeth his wife. In the Hall. Five glass wracking bottles; two pairs glass cruits; twenty drinking glasses; ten water glasses; a pair of silver scrouces(?); one earthen mug with two stone pots or jugs out of the buttery; a pendulum clock and case; one oval table and weather glass; a large japanned cistern. In the Great Parlour and closet within. A two-leafed small screen of Judian paper. In the Withdrawing Room. Four cane stools with cushions; one card table; one tea 242 THE FAMILIES AND HOUSE OF OXENHOATH, WEST PECKHAM table and stand; one pair of creepers(?); fire pan with tongue; steel hearth japan bellows and brush; one iron gloom back. In the Upper Hall. Two box irons and heaters, very old; four leather buckets and a cloth's horse. In the Butlers Room. One napkin press; two china plate baskets. In the Still Room. A pair of old tubs and iron. In the Storeroom. A pair of lemon squeezers; a hand tea table; one earthen tea pot; a wooden supper ring with sconces; one pair of andirons fire pan and tongs; a wire sieve, very old; a basket and herbal; four receipt books; a tin box of sweet meats. In the Still Room next the Store Room. One table; eighteen fleeces of wool; one lanthorn; one voider, very old. In the closet in the Upper Hall. T w o hand candlesticks; one pair of brass candlesticks; one odd very old hand candlestick and an iron dust basket. In the Study. One iron chest; one japanned standish; candlesticks, snuffers and pan; five Common Prayer books; a large Bible: Lord Clarendon's history, three volumes in folio; a large common Prayer Book; and the rest of the books. In the Bakehouse and Pantry. One bunting hutch; one stew pan. In the Wet Larder. A brine tub with no lid, useless. In the Chamber over the Withdrawing Room. A white quilt and a looking-glass with a black frame; a black table; a pair of japanned stands and a picture of dogs; a toy light for a table. In the Gallery. One old tea table. In the Closet within the Withdrawing Room above stairs. A small dressing box; five wooden cups with ninety cups in two hanging glass shelves; a man in a box made with lead; two small blow glass cups with silver felt; two tortoise-shell hanging shelves; one very small cabinet; a tortoise-shell case of perfume bottles; one piece of shell work with a wax image; a walnut tree dress box; an English Bible with an embroidered case and two silver standishes out of the writing box with a work pen. In the Dining Room. Two damask carpets. In the Kitchen Chamber. Five chairs covered with plod; one bedstead and bottom with red cloth curtains, valance base, headcloth and tester; two pillows and counterpane and one feather bed, bolster, two blankets; one holland or mative quilt matress and two narrow pieces of tapestry hanging. In the Chamber over the Bakehouse. A pair of andirons and one pair of old japanned bellows; one iron back; a small japanned water cistern; one table; one glass; a corner cupboard and a walnut tree case of drawers; one black cabinet. In the Chamber over the Still Room. One bedstead and bottom; one feather bed and bolster; three blankets; one calico quilt and counterpane; sad (yellow) coloured curtains and valance lined with plod; three old redcloth stools; two tables and a glass; a pair of old bellows and four pieces of tapestry hangings; a walnut tree soutoir and a quilted trunk on a frame. In the Yellow Chamber. Two pairs of stairs(?) one pair of pistols and a carbine; five cane chairs and one other chair; two stools covered with cloth. In the closet within three small pictures. A tour of the servants' quarters reveals other interesting items, notably Sir Borlace's picture by a very bad hand found in the maid's garret. There followed a very long list of the China, Earthenware and Silver. A third schedule related to rents owing to Sir Borlace from 34 tenants of the manor; two tenants each paid a rent of one red rose and were both 27 years in arrears, another paid a rent of one hen and was 243 M.LAWRENCE owing 27 whilst yet another paid a rent of 24 eggs and which left him after 24 years' arrears owing 648 ! The income from the rents owing would not have balanced the bills owed to tradesmen listed in the fourth schedule. Peruke makers, salters, grocers, drapers, hosiers, lacemen, apothecaries, distillers, corkmen, masons, smiths, horstlers, coachmakers, farriers, carpenters, glaziers, chandlers, and many others presented their bills. The final item was for Sir Borlace's funeral expenses. Nothing more is heard of this legal encounter. In the church Leonard and Elizabeth recline on cushions of white marble - one dying in January 1720, aged 64, and the other in May 1720, aged 56. 'They were both justly respected whilst they lived and lamented when they died.' They owned Oxenhoath for only a short time, but left much for the enrichment of its story. Their eldest son, Philip, inherited but, surviving his parents by only seven years, figures little. He did, however, produce a son Leonard who was eventually to make the will, which was so to affect the history of Oxenhoath as to ensure its future. The will of this second Leonard Bartholomew, a bachelor was proved in 1757 leaving the Oxenhoath estate 'to the uses of the second son of his sister Mary Geary the wife of Captain Francis Geary of Polsden in Surrey in case she should have more than one son' In default of there being a second son the estate was to go to the eldest son of William and Mary. 14 Obviously, the possible second son was as yet unborn and much was to depend on his birth. THE GEARY FAMILY Admiral Sir Francis Geary, 1710-1796. First Baronet Francis Geary came from a family of great antiquity which had deep roots in the Shrewsbury area of Shropshire; roots so deep that Gheri, a Saxon freeman, is recorded at the manor of Albbrigton in the Domesday Survey of 1086. He entered the Navy in 1727 and only retired in 1780 on account of ill health. In recognition of his long and meritorious service he was advanced to the rank of baronet of Great 14 Public Record Office. Prob 11. 830. 244 THE FAMILIES AND HOUSE OF OXENHOATH, WES T PECKHAM Britain. He was said to be 'not only most highly revered as a Naval commander but as a gentleman and a Briton and that honour, benevolence, public spirit and general worth formed the leading traits of his character. He was of a calm and equable temper, and of a most kindly disposition.' 1s He purchased Polsden Lacey, Surrey, in 1746 and made a family home where four children were born to his wife, Mary, sister of Leonard Bartholomew of Oxenhoath. His eldest son Francis was to have inherited the estate but to his parents' great sorrow he was killed fighting in America in 1776. Their sorrow was expressed by a monument of rare beauty in Great Bookham church, Surrey.16 Although the admiral did not live at Oxenhoath, it claims him as an essential link in its story. A gallery portrait, by George Romney, wearing the uniform of an Admiral of the Fleet hung in the dining room as did engravings of his naval encounters. 17 In the Geary chapel in West Peckham church a framed brass tablet commemorates him, and a window displaying his coat of arms incorporates many incidents in his naval career. His crest had the motto 'Chase' which well expressed his virile character. On his death in 1796 two separate strands were drawn together. His eldest son Francis having died, his second son inherited both his father's baronetcy, and being the same second son of Francis and Mary Geary mentioned in the will of Leonard Bartholomew, his uncle's legacy of Oxenhoath. He thus became Sir William Geary of Oxenhoath. Sir William Geary of Oxenhoath, 1755-1825. Second Baronet For the history of Oxenhoath, William had assumed an importance even before he was born. At what date he took up residence is not known, but he came of age in 1776 in the same year as his brother was killed on December 13th, so most likely it was before he knew that he was also going to inherit Polsden Lacey. Theoretically, then, he would have taken over his own affairs in 1776 and, to quote from his obituary in The Gentleman's Magazine, 1825, 'He settled at Oxenhoath Park one of the most delightful spots in England, finely surrounded by woods, interspersed with hop plantations as well as cherry orchards'. It is most likely that he inherited Sir Nicholas Miller's house of 15 P. Charnock, Biographia Nava/is (1797), v. 16 N. Nairn and N. Pev sner. The Buildings of England. Surrey. 17 Now in The National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. 245 M.LAWRENCE 1658. There are no later indications that any alterations had taken place in the meantime; indeed, Leonard Bartholomew's will 1727 stated, 'My plate, household stuff and furniture of my house shall remain in and continue standing and being in the same manner it now is, my said manor house called Oxenhoath.' 18 Leonard's son and heir had been a bachelor and so, perhaps, had no incentive for alterations, and this probability is supported by the formal gardens being shown on a map of 1750.19 This period was followed by the long years of William's minority. This was the great age of English country house building inspired by the ideas of the new landscape gardeners. By the standard of the times, Oxenhoath was old-fashioned and the 'repairs' which the young William was to make were comparatively late. Unfortunately, the manuscript giving the details of the repairs to be carried out at Oxenhoath is not dated, but there are two statements which indicate that the work was done in the 20 years before he inherited the baronetcy in 1796. A note on the document informs, 'Repairs done in the last century at Oxenhoath by William Geary Esq.', and another adds, 'The expenses of repairs at Oxenhoath house by John Meadows before 1796' .20 Added to this is the evidence that John Meadows who practised as an architect and surveyor in New Peter Street, Westminster, died in 1791 .21 The estimate for repairs is perhaps misleading. John Meadows was a builder of high renown. His recorded work includes the rebuilding of Hartland Abbey in Devonshire in the Gothic style, and the rebuilding of Hurstbourne Park at Arlington, Hampshire, for the second Earl of Portsmouth, and from the 58 pages of estimates, corrections and alterations to the original estimates, it is obvious that the repairs were in the nature of a massive structural alteration. The south front of the house shown on Badeslades' print was completely remodelled. 'To taking down the middle part of the south front and present gables to the roof. Walling to circular bow in south front with plates, lintels, and bond. Walling to south side to each side of bows ... 43 circular stone coping, 50 straight stone coping, 194 run stocco cornice and bracketing and cover board all coped with lead.' A new entrance was made on the west side. 18 C.K. S., U31 T25. 19 C.K.S., U31 P4. 20 C. K. S., U3 I E3. 21 H.M. Colvin, Biographical Dictionary of English Architects, 1660-1840. 246 THE FAMILIES AND HOUSE OF OXENHOATH, WEST PECKHAM 'To the taking down of the west wall in front of the library and gables and walls around the housekeepers' room and still room ... altering the walling to eight windows in the breakfast parlour and rooms over the dining room and over front door.' Having blocked up the old south entrance, a new entrance was made on the west side. 'To altering the walling for a frontspiece.' The new entrance was completed with door, side windows and shutters 'according to the plan' which, unfortunately, did not survive. Nor did the east front escape 'taking down walls to the gables and parapet, to altering the walling to ten windows.' The north side received much attention with the walls being taken down to the gables. It was here on the north that the domestic wing was modernised. On the east and north sides, as far as the gate to the yard, there were cellars, bake-houses, wood-house, scullery, laundry, brew-house and coal hole. On the north and west sides, as far as the yard gate, there was the dairy, scalding room, shoe-room, ice-houses, and cellar under the yard. There are indications that these buildings belonged to the Miller house; for example, there are references to the room over the ice-houses, and to the scalding rooms and to the repair to tubs in the brew-house. A big feature seems to have been a revision of the plans for the privies and as a result 20 new privies were built, giving some idea of the staffing of the house. Cost £115 18s. 6d. Plumbing attracted much attention. Lead piping was installed to convey water from the cistern to the copper and the bath (cost £20 10s. 6d.) and the water closet. Other parts of the house were also supplied with water. In the main part of the house there was tragedy for the historians of the house. There is the carpenters' estimate for 'taking off the whole of the old roof of the mansion.' and the removal of this vital piece of evidence was merely to make more garrets! It was re-roofed with a king-post. The old ceiling floor was also removed and a new one inserted with tie-beams and bindingjoists to lay bridgings for the garrets. The finale to the house was the finishing hall and the grand staircase. From the original hall estimate of £43 6s. I Od., William added 247 M.LAWRENCE a further £35 10s. 6d. and to the grand staircase estimate of £116 14s. Id. he added a further £11 13s. 2d. In the hall after the basic carpentry work, William added 'a screen of columns with pillasters fluted and capitals enriched complete, a 228ft run of enrichment of cornice, 23ft run of fluted frieze with patterns, one blank door with architraves,' and the hall itself was made wider requiring extra flooring. The grand staircase was made with clean deal steps with carriage mahogany hand-rail, with bar bannister and lighted with skylights. A plan for the side wall with 'stucco on battons and coloured' was cancelled only to be done in oils. There were eight communicating doors into the well hole of the staircase. The extra work here besides the enrichment to the cornice was decoration to the skylight, with a 54 ft. run of ... in flush and shields and ribbons. When William first prepared his plans for the modernisation of his inheritance he was but the second son of Admiral Sir Francis Geary. Suddenly, with the death of his brother, he was not only the heir to another estate but to a baronetcy, and it could be this fact which led to many extra features in the estimates notably to hall and stairway. The total cost of this extensive remodelling was £3,841. Outside the house the changes were just as radical. The garden as shown by Badeslade was the typical English formal garden which had developed from Tudor times. It was always encompassed by a wall and laid out in geometric patterns, always symmetrical. Flower beds were small and formal and trees and shrubs tightly controlled. Nowhere was nature allowed to have its way. But this style had long since become old-fashioned because of the work and influence of the new landscape gardeners, who planted to imitate the work of nature. The formal gardens were removed from Oxenhoath and domestic gardening was re-sited far to the west behind walls, hidden from sight. The old avenue entrance through the park was removed and at the same time the lake was formed to the south and from the new bow-windows an uninterrupted view of natural beauty could be enjoyed. The drastic alterations to the house and landscape are clearly observable in the painting by J.S. Wood 1800, showing the new house set in the landscape.22 One wonders what sort of life William was planning in his new house. Initially, it was not a family home for he did not marry until 1810 when he was 55 years old. He married Henrietta Neville of County Ki ldare who was descended from the sixth Earl of 22 C.K.S., Wood. 36 Coloured Views. 248 THE FAMILIES AND HOUSE OF OXENHOATH, WEST PECKHAM 249 N Ul 0 PLATE II (Courtesy of tl,e Centre for Ke111ish Studies.) Oxenhoalh. J.S. Wood. 1800. s:: r 􀀁 ;,o tr1 z (') tTl THE FAMILIES AND HOUSE OF OXENHOATH. WEST PECKHAM PLATE III (Photo: Colin Rainer.) Sir William Geary ( 1810--1837) (B_,· kind permission of Mr and Mrs. Bayne-Pm,·e/1.) 251 M. LAWRENCE PLATE IV (Phoro: Colin Rainer.) Lady Geary. (Br kind permission of Mr 1111d Mrs. Barne-Pmre/1.) 252 THE FAMILIES AND HOUSE OF OXENHOATH, WEST PECKHAM Abergavenny and at the time of her marriage was the 30-year-old widow of Edward Deering, who had died in 1808 at the age of 25 years. She had given birth to two children, one of whom, Edward Chomley became heir to the estate and, on the death of his grandfather in 1811, became as a four-year-old boy, Sir Edward Chomley Deering, Baronet, of Surrenden, Ashford. Through this marriage William was admitted to the inner circle of the Kentish gentry. The Deering family connection remained until 1945. Henrietta's children were not alone in the nursery at Oxenhoath. Marrying in January 1810, she presented her husband with an heir, William, on November the 20th, followed by another son, Francis, the next year. B oth sons were to play a vital part in the history of Oxenhoath, witnessed by their mother who lived to be 90. Sir William took the responsibilities of his status seriously, taking part in local life and in politics. His political career began interestingly in 1796 when, after his successful election to Parliament, a Petition against him was presented in the House of Commons by the unsuccessful Sir John Honeywood accusing him of bribery and corruption during the campaign and requesting that Sir William be erased from the return. However, after investigation, a Select Committee informed the House that Sir William Geary, Baronet, was duly elected a Knight of the Shire for the County of Kent.23 In spite of this daunting introduction to politics he proved his aptitude by his re-election in 1802 and showed himself to be a man of considerable ability. He devised his own ideas for the reform of Parliament and organised a county meeting on Penenden Heath when his ideas were carried by an unanimous vote. He was in favour of voting by ballot saying that it was the only answer to some of the many evils which he set out in a letter to the Maidstone and Kentish Journal in 1810: 'The evil to be remedied is of a radical nature, it strikes at the heart of all principle. The barter of ministerial patronage for parliamentarian influence is now notorious and established, it extends through all professions and all departments of the state a bar to merit and a reward to corruption, ultimately influencing and destroying the check of the democratic part of the constitution' He was also opposed to William Wilberforce's demand for the immediate abolition of slavery on the grounds that it would only be a transfer of misery for the negroes who would be transported by slavers of other nations, and he put forward his own ideas for dealing with the problem. 23 Journals of the House of Commons, 1796-1797. 253 M.LAWRENCE Overall, Sir William's life was a fulfilling one. Following the speculations made in a will before his birth, he inherited, developed his inheritance, and showed his spirited personality in his building programme, his politics, his late marriage and family. Soon after the birth of his children he wrote, 'To my son William, or in the case of his death my next eldest son, my mansion home called Oxenhoath'24 Was he smiling as he wrote those simple words? It was after all quite an achievement; he had virtually rebuilt the house and at a late age given it an heir to ensure its future. He made ample provision for his young wife, but one thing he seems to have overlooked is that, unlike his ancestors, he seems to have forgotten to leave us a portrait of himself. Perhaps the house itself is his mirror image. Sir William Richard Powlett Geary, 1810-1877. Third Baronet William grew up in a mixed household - a young mother, a middleaged father, a young brother almost his own age, a step-sister and stepbrother only slightly older, the latter already a baronet. It was the first family to live in the house for a long time. When his father died in his seventieth year in 1825 'universally lamented' William inherited the baronetcy at fourteen years old. He grew up to be a man of whom it was said that: 'His disposition was most amiable, open to all the charities of life and ruffled by few of its provocations; his manner was mild, his mind was highly cultivated and richly stored, he had the taste of a scholar and the feelings and deportment of a perfect gentleman. He could simplify or refine, as it suited the views and habits of those who had the happiness to know him. He endeared himself to the community by the interest with which he watched over their welfare' .25 Early in life he became a magistrate and was Deputy Lieutenant of Kent. In 1832, at only 23 years of age, he entered politics in the interesting and turbulent period following the Great Reform Bill. At a meeting at the Star Inn, Maidstone, on December 12th, 1832, the Friends of Sir William Geary decided to take steps to present him as a candidate. Although youthful Sir William had very well thought-out views which he expressed to the company: 24 P.R.O. Prob. 15. 24. 25 Maidstone and Kentish Journal, Obituary. 7.1.1878. 254 THE FAMILIES AND HOUSE OF OXENHOATH, WEST PECKHAM 'I am independent, I am conservative. I am most fervently attached to the ancient constitutions - but I am not blind to their defects - all their abuses I am sincerely anxious to remove.' He said that it had been the practice to send representatives to Parliament bound hand and foot with pledges. 'I consider that pledges argue a want of confidence and that the man who cannot be trusted without a pledge is equally unworthy of confidence when he has given one.' He considered that he who went to Parliament pledged to surrender his own judgement and, to be influenced only by that part of the whole constituency which supported him, is less worthy of confidence than the man who goes there free and independent. 'The only pledge I have ever given or shall give is this; on every local question affecting the interests of the county I will acquiesce in the majority of those whose local knowledge and experience entitle their opinions to great consideration, and whose interests being concerned must naturally give weight and importance to their advice; on all great public questions affecting the interests and welfare of the nation generally I will hear calmly and dispassionately and without being biased by party feeling, the arguements on both sides, and then relying alone on my own judgement, I shall give my support to such measures as shall appear most calculated to promote the honour, the welfare and happiness of our native country. (Loud and long continued cheering). On the subject of Church reform and the tithe question the incumbant has as much right to his income as I have to the rents of my farms, at the same time I will gladly promote any better method that can be devised for collecting the income.'26 He also promised support to those in agricultural distress. But his youth did not go unnoticed by the opposition who played upon the fact to their advantage in a letter to the editor of the newspaper. It was pointed out that, however estimable in private life, he was a novice in public affairs. A notice in the newspaper addressed to Sir William Geary's supporters played upon the seeming weakness of his trying to consolidate two points of view. Perhaps because of his youth, he was not supported in the contest of 1832 when he was bottom of the poll but two years later he again contested the seat against the same opponents, Thomas Rider, of Boughton Monchelsea, and Thomas Law Hodges, of Hempstead, and was returned by an overwhelming majority. From the first day of canvassing Sir William gained support: 26 Ibid., 16. 12.32. 21 Ibid., Jan. 1835. 255 M.LAWRENCE 'At the end of the first day Geary and his friends returned (from Pennenden Heath) in procession with bands playing and colours flying and the escort of horsemen being now increased to upward of 250. After passing through the principal streets of Maidstone they stopped at the Star Inn where Sir William appeared on the balcony.'27 Having fought this election he was obliged to contest it again in 1837 with Sir Edward Filmer replacing Thomas Rider. For a second time he came top of the poll. The declaration was made by the High Sheriff at Maidstone Town Hall. A most splendid procession was marshalled at Bower Mount to await the arrival of Sir William Geary to escort him into the town. The Blues had no procession - they had spent their time in occupying space in front of the hustings so that when Sir William and his friends arrived no one could get within hearing. The intention of the manoeuvre was soon apparent. Sir William Geary and Mr Hodges, having mounted the hustings in the costume of Knights of the Shire girt with swords, the High Sheriff gave the result. Sir William then attempted to address the crowd, but interruptions began and continued throughout the speech. Mr Hodges intervened on his behalf, but the interruptions began again and not many ears heard Sir William's declaration that 'My doors shall be open as they ever have been to all who come to me on public and county business whether they have voted for me or not, and although you will not hear me, I will endeavour to act and to do my duty as the representative of the whole of you.' As soon as Mr Hodges came forward to speak the Liberal crowd was hushed into attentive silence. He then began to accuse Sir William's organisers of intimidation but not, he hastened to add, the honourable baronet himself, whereupon the honourable baronet himself replied with spirit that indeed it was Mr Hodges' organisers who were guilty of 50 and more incidents of intimidation. When at last the exchanges were over, Sir William moved on to the Star where he appeared on the balcony making yet another speech to a more receptive audience, at the end of which he called for three cheers for the l a dies, three cheers for Lady Geary, and successively, for the Queen and Constitution, the Conservative member for east Kent, Sir Edward Filmer, Lord Marsham, and Mr Fairfax Best. As a finale to the excitement, the noise and the hysteria, the band played the National Anthem and the assembly dispersed.28 As he turned from the balcony how could Sir William have known that, having won a hard-fought election, he was from that moment fighting another contest which would end in utter defeat? 2s Ibid., 1.8.1837. 256 THE FAMILIES AND HOUSE OF OXENHOATH, WEST PECKHAM It was fortunate that he had the summer recess of Parliament in front of him to hide the exhaustion he suffered on account of the campaign. In September, he attended the Conservative dinner at Bromley. But when the Grand Conservative Festival at Tunbridge Wells took place on October 17th, he was reported as being absent on account of illness brought on by his fatiguing exertions at the election, and when the Weald of Kent Conservative dinner was held at Cranbrook on November 14th, brimming with excitement and self congratulatory speeches, it was reported that the only blight on the occasion was the absence of their member, Sir William Geary, whose indisposition they firmly believed was due to the exertions he had made on their behalf. In spite of his illness, Sir William insisted on being present at the opening of Parliament the following day, anxious that no personal indisposition should prevent him from being at his post. But, by December, the Maidstone newspaper reported that in spite of his attempt their excellent and respectable representative was not yet sufficiently recovered from his late severe attack to enable him to continue to discharge his parliamentary duties and had been compelled to leave town on the direction of his physician whose advice was that the honourable baronet should remain as free from exertion as possible. Although the editor sincerely hoped that Sir William would be fully recovered after the recess, this was not to be. In February 1833, Sir William formally accepted the Chiltern Hundreds in the House of Commons29 and the following day his notice to the freeholders and other electors of west Kent appeared in the Kentish Journal. He said that since his election to Parliament he had been prevented by severe illness from attending to his duties and 'under these circumstances although it is painful to me to relinquish the honourable situation which I now hold, yet as I cannot continue to retain it, without neglecting those duties which you sent me into Parliament to perform as your representative I return into your hands the trust you committed to me ... with the earnest hope that although I have had three contests ... I now retire without having made one personal enemy'. At only 28 years of age, he retired from public life which seems to have had the potential of brilliance. His portrait by Sir Francis Grant, the most fashionable portrait painter of the day, shows, even allowing for artistic licence, a man who could only be described as handsome; the sensitivity of his features showing him to be capable of enshrining all the qualities which had been attributed to him. With the companion portrait of his wife beside him they looked out on to a world to which 29 Journals of the House of Commons, 1837-38. 257 M.LAWRENCE they had been prepared to give much. As it was, he lived a very private life at Oxenhoath giving support to local events. As Chairman of the New Church Committee at East Peckham he showed great vigour and enthusiasm taking a very active part.30 Only a short time previously, he had married Louisa Bruce (1810-1870), the daughter of the Hon. Charles Bruce, brother of the 6th Earl of Elgin. They had but one daughter. This background makes it possible to appreciate the full shock of the tragedy which, in 1842, bursts from the pages of the Maidstone and Kentish Journal. His descendant, Sir William Geary, writing about his family merely refers to a serious accident and it is only in the newspaper that the horrifying story is recorded. 'We deeply lament the painful duty of recording our account of the most terrible kind which befell one of the brightest ornaments of our county - our universaly beloved neighbour Sir William Geary Bart early on T hursday morning last at Oxenhoath. It appears that the Honourable Baronet on emerging from his dressing room fell over a glass screen which was broken in pieces and a large fragment presenting a very sharp tapering point inflicted a frightful wound on the right side of Sir William's neck behind the lower jaw within the smallest possible distance from the carotid artery and dividing one of its principal branches. Lady Geary who was in the next room instantly ran to his assistance with her maid and the sight which presented itself to her agonised gaze may be more easily conceived than described. Sir William was stretched on the floor, his life's blood gushing out with fearful violence. In this dreadful extremity the presence of mind and fortitude of both her ladyship and her attendant were the means of preventing the unfortunate gentleman's instant dissolution and we fervently pray may prove to have been the primary source of his preservation to this county and his friends. At her ladyship's suggestion, her maid courageously seized the wound and tightly compressed it with both hands and stayed the frightful effusion of blood. In the meantime a messenger had been despatched for Messrs. Starling and Vine of Hadlow and Dr. Taylor of Maidstone. On their arrival it was found that the only chance of saving their patient was by performing the important and difficult operation of tying the carotid artery in order to prevent haemmorage - the least renewal of which would have been fateful. T he operation was skillfully performed by Dr. Starling assisted by Dr. Vine and Dr. Taylor and was borne with extreme fortitude by the previously well nigh exhausted sufferer.' The newspaper continued that for several days Sir William's condition was 'as low as it was possible to be and alive', and it was their painful duty to add that he lay in that extremely critical state as almost to preclude the light hope their deep respect for him had induced them to express. They echoed most fervently the emphatic prayer w hich had burst from thousands of lips that a gracious providence might mercifully spare the life of one so widely beloved, so universally and deservedly respected. Reports on the patient's slow progress continued for several weeks and included the great news that even Queen Victoria and Prince Albert had made anxious enquiries. 30 M. Lawrence, The New Church. Holy Trinity, East Peckham 1840 onwards (1988) 258 THE FAMILIES AND HOUSE OF OXENHOATH, WEST PECKHAM But in spite of the best medical treatment of the day and the general concern, it is sad to record that Sir William never recovered from the accident and even sadder to know that this young man who had shown such promise suffered the decay of his mind and, in 1858, was made a Ward of Court. With Sir William unable to manage the estate his affairs were conducted by his brother Francis Geary who succeeded to the title under the terms of his father's will, on December 18th, 1877. The entry in the West Peckham burial register reads simply, 'Sir William R.P. Geary Bart. of Oxenhoath age 67 years.' giving no hint of the sorrow which had surrounded his life. His wife whose burden had been equally heavy had died in 1870 at an address in Harley Street, London, and was brought back to West Peckham for burial. Sir William was buried by her side. With this background to the mid-Victorian period, it would be unreasonable to look for any major alterations to the house. Yet, a drawing by Salvin, dated 1846-47, shows that some work was carried out and this was the building of the garden tower on the south-east corner of the house. The bottom of the tower is open for seating and was built in harmony with the rose garden by W.A. Nesfield, dated 1847 on a plan entitled 'Plan of Parterre and Rosearium at Oxenhoathe - the details of the former having been revised for construction stone curbs' .31 Bearing in mind that the garden surrounding the house had been swept away leaving the house in open view and that there was an invalid in the house who needed privacy, it needs little imagination to conclude that the garden tower and rose garden were provided for Sir William's outdoor privacy and refreshment. It is in the late Victorian period that the next alterations took place. Sir Francis Geary, 1811-1895. Fourth Baronet Sir Francis was perhaps the quietest Geary but, none the less, he played an important part at Oxenhoath. He complemented the popularity and brilliance of his brother by graduating from Oxford and becoming a Barrister at Law. Being born less than a year after his brother, he probably had a very close relationship with him and, no doubt, endured great sorrow after the accident. The circumstances may have accounted for his late marriage at the age of 41 years, which was to bring more sorrow in that his wife died from a long illness after only two years. 31 In private possession. 259 M.LAWRENCE Knowing the atmosphere, which had pervaded the house for 35 years, it is understandable that Sir Francis should feel the need for the fresh air of change and only a year later he made plans for altering the house. Because of the circumstances, Oxenhoath was a little late in updating to the fashion of the period. The years around 1870 are known as the height of the golden age of Victorian house building. In his classic study of Victorian architecture, Girouard remarks that the curious feature of the Victorian country house was the increasingly large and sacrosanct male domain. This was not seen in terms of male domination, but rather in terms of chivalry to protect the lady from the unpleasantness of the world. The nucleus of the male domain was the absolute requirement for a billiard room placed next to the owner's room or study with access to toilet facilities and cloak-r oom arrangements. A smoke room was another fashionable innovation since smoking had been introduced into royal circles by Prince Albert. The lady's boudoir was usually tucked away upstairs for the lady's security from the impurities of the world and was usually approached by a separate lobby or passage. These arrangements were built into new houses and adapted into the old.32 Sir Francis' plans for Oxenhoath, by Burn and McVitie 1878, are particularly valuable because they show the plan of the earlier John Meadows house, parts of which were lost in the Victorian adaptation, as well as showing the alterations now to be made. Basically, they show a plan of the principal floor with indications of walls to be removed and walls to be inserted. They mainly concern the billiard room, a new window in the smoke room and toilets and give a separate elevation of the new billiard room on the east side. There were also alterations to the principal bedroom floor and to the windows on the east front. In the domestic quarters there was a new scullery and a new staircase leading from the west of the entrance hall to the cellars.33 Sir Francis died a Victorian still in 1895 as did his second wife in 1901 having faithfully carried out their responsibilities to their family and to their home of Oxenhoath. Their only child, born 1859, inherited the baronetcy. Sir William Montgomery Geary, 1859-1944. Fifth Baronet Sir William was born at a time when the facts surrounding his uncle were well established. He grew up with the knowledge that he would inherit Oxenhoath by the terms of his grandfather's will, that is that the 32 Girouard, The Victorian Country House. 1979 edition. 33 C.K.S. U606 P4. 260 THE FAMILIES AND HOUSE OF OXENHOATH, WEST PECKHAM estate would pass to the second son, if the first should die, which Sir William did in 1877. He inherited the baronetcy on his father's death. True to the Geary ideal, he had a record of public service. After being educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, he was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple in 1884 and later became Attorney-General of the Gold Coast Colony from 1895 to 1897. He also travelled in India, Japan and Australia and served in Simla and Mesopotamia during the First World War. At home, he became interested in county and local affairs. He was Deputy Lieutenant for Kent and Justice of the Peace. He served the community as a member of the Malling D i strict Council and represented it on the Kent County Council for many years. He was an early advocate of conservation and presented Gover Hill, a part of his estate, to the National Trust to be kept as an open space, and his interest in forestry led to his planting extensively at Oxenhoath. The Local Association of Boy Scouts benefited from his leadership and interest as District Commissioner, a post which he only relinquished in 1939 when wartime duties had first claim on his time. It may have been the threat of war which in 1938 made him deposit his family papers in the newly established County Archives Office for safe-keeping. Before he did so, however, he had a task to carry out. He was conscious that he had no heir although he had married at the late age of 4 7 years. He was also conscious of the long history of Oxenhoath, in particular of the unbroken family ownership of 319 years since its purchase by Nicholas Miller in 1626. Reflecting on this long family history and knowing that it was soon to be brought to a conclusion, he sat down in his closing years to record its history with a sense of pride, surely coupled with sadness. He wrote in a book entitled The Oxenhoath Estate Book, Notes by Sir William Geary. This book, however, is not with the family papers and is a missing document. The knowledge of its existence is owed to Mr W.B. Dumbreck, of Hadlow, a much respected historian (d. 1967), who had access to the document and made the copy which is with his own deposited papers.34 Sir William consulted the bundles of parchment documents and wrote out details of the 2,428 acre estate, most of which had come to him by linear descent, together with details of family history. The final lines, which he could not write himself, were written in the South-Eastern Gazette, describing the funeral as it took place in West Peckham Church on January 2nd, 1945. 34 C.K.S. TR 1335/2. 261 M.LAWRENCE 'A tall negro, the personal servant of Sir William headed the procession of servants that followed the coffin into the church and to the family grave in the churchyard where Sir William was buried next to his father.'35 The family line and the baronetcy were extinct. POSTSCRIPT Sir William was said to have been a kindly, if rather eccentric, personality and a great advocate of economy, so it is not surprising to find no evidence of building work during his period and the house which was sold by the executors in 1952 was the Victorian house incorporating centuries of architectural adaptation, which makes it an intriguing mystery to unravel. At this point the Oxenhoath estate underwent its most radical historical change when the house and land became separated. Lord Falmouth bought the estate and subsequently resold the house to Mr and Mrs. Bayne-Powell, necessitating the making of new deeds. From the time of the Jutish forest the story of Oxenhoath has been one of continuous adjustment to the social and economic needs of the time. The twentieth century can be no exception. Internally, the house has been adapted to smaller economic units, without affecting the whole appearance and atmosphere. The changes have been implemented with the same love and pride, which has typified the efforts of the many people who have lived there over the centuries. Set against the background of the historical house the beautiful 10- acre gardens are open to the public under the National Gardens Scheme (see current brochure). Landscaped with fine trees, rhododendrons, azaleas and woodland, it is an apt place to reflect on the research, preservation and enjoyment of local history. 35 South-Eastern Gazette, 2.1.45. Obituary. 262