Charles Paget Wade
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Charles Paget Wade (born 1883 at Yoxford, Suffolk, England; died 1956) was an architect, artist-craftsman and poet; today he is perhaps best remembered for the eclectic collection he amassed during his life, a collection which can be seen at Snowshill Manor, his former home in the village of Snowshill, Gloucestershire, which he gave to the National Trust in 1951.
From an early age, Wade wanted to become an architect. After he qualified as an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1907, he joined the architectural firm of Parker & Unwin, at the time a major proponent of the Arts and Crafts Movement. There he worked with Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott, to whom he would later turn for help designing the gardens at Snowshill Manor.
In 1911 Wade inherited the family fortune, based on sugar estates on the island of St Kitts in the West Indies. This freed Wade from the necessity of work.
In 1919 he purchased the estate at Snowshill Manor. He laid out the gardens from 1920 to 1923.
Starting in 1900 Wade began amassing a collection of objects that reflected his interest in craftsmanship. He housed this collection in the Manor House at Snowshill, choosing to live himself in the small cottage in the garden. He continued to add to his collection over the years.
Wade married in 1946, having met his wife when she was lost and knocked on his door at Snowshill Manor, and went to live with her in the West Indies.
He gave the estate to the National Trust in 1951. He died in 1956 during a visit to Snowshill Manor and is buried in the village churchyard.
