Westonbirt House is a country house in Gloucestershire, England. It belonged to the Holford family from 1665 until 1926. The first house on the site was an Elizabethan manor house. The Holfords replaced it first with a Georgian house, and then Robert Stayner Holford, who inherited Westonbirt in 1839, replaced that house between 1863 and 1870 with the present mansion which was designed by Lewis Vulliamy. He also remodelled the gardens, diverted the main road and relocated the villagers. The house is constructed of high quality ashlar masonry on a grand scale. The exterior is in an Elizabethan style, with a symmetrical main block and asymmetric wings, one of them containing a conservatory. The interiors are in a sumptuous classical style. The house was fitted with the latest technology such as gas lighting, central heating, fireproof construction and iron roofs. It is now a Grade I listed building.
Extensive formal terrace gardens were created around the house and 25 acres (100,000 m2) of ornamental woodlands were planted in the 19th century. Since 1928, the house has been occupied by the girls' boarding school, Westonbirt School. Westonbirt House is open to the public twice a year, in October and in June. The gardens are open more frequently, but only on certain dates during the school holidays. The house is also licensed to hold civil ceremonies and is used as a wedding venue.[1]
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Robert was born in 1808 to George Peter Holford and Anne Holford who was the daughter of Reverend Averell Daniell of Lifford, County Donegal, Ireland.[2] He was the only male born to this couple but he had three sisters. George Peter Holford was a lawyer and a Member of Parliament. He also wrote books which usually related to religion and Christianity.[3] He inherited a mansion at Westonbirt from his father. This house was the original manor which had been erected in the reign of Elizabeth or the early part of the time of James I.[4] This house was demolished by George in 1818 and a new house built in 1823.[5]
In 1829 at the age of 21, Robert graduated from Oriel College at Oxford University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree.[6] In the same year the Arboretum on the Westonbirt Estate commenced and Robert played a significant role in this project. In 1838 he inherited his uncle's fortune of over one million pounds. In the following year his father died and he became the owner of Westonbirt House. He was a keen lover of art and literature and his enormous wealth now allowed him to indulge this interest. He began collecting paintings and books for what was to become the famous "Holdford Collection". To accommodate this collection he built Dorchester House in Park Lane, London between 1851 and 1853 and employed Lewis Vulliamy as the architect.[7]
During this time he became a Magistrate for Gloucester and Wilts and in 1843 was the High Sheriff for Wilts. In December 1854 he was first elected as the Member for Gloucestershire East.[8] In August 1854 Robert at the age of 46 married Mary Anne Lindsay who was the 25 year old daughter of Lieutenant-General James Lindsay.[9]
Over the next five years the Holfords had three daughters - Margaret, Evelyn and Alice. It was not until 1860 that George Holford was born who was to become heir to the family fortune.
Between 1863 and 1870 Robert built the present Westonbirt house. It was reputed to be one of the most expensive houses constructed in the Victorian era.
Robert continued his work as a Member of Parliament until 1872 when he retired.[10] He continued to collect plants for the garden at Westonbirt House and also for the Arboretum. George also developed an interest in gardens and plants and assisted his father with this work.
After Robert's retirement, the couple spent time at both Westonbirt and Dorchester House. In 1875 Charles Gayard, a French diplomat visited Westonbirt and gave an account of his experience as follows.
The garden at Westonbirt House and the Arboretum continued to expand and in 1886 an extensive article was written about it in a notable publication called "The Garden". It said that "Mr Holford's aim has been to create variety without confusion, informality and picturesqueness without losing sight of that polish in the vicinity of the mansion which must always be regarded as in accordance with correct taste.".[11]
In February 1992 Robert died at Dorchester House.[10]
George was the only son of Robert and Mary Holford (see above). In 1873 he went to Eton and was there for four years. At the age of 20 in 1880 George obtained a commission with the 1st Life Guards where he remained for almost 30 years. During this time he was closely associated with royalty and court life. From 1888 to 1892 he was Equerry to Prince Albert, Duke of Clarence.
From 1892 George was Equerry to Prince Edward. Soon after the Boer War began in 1899, George decided to temporarily relinquish his post of Equerry and rejoin his regiment the 1st Life Guards who were at the front in South Africa. George's departure is mentioned in a publication of the time and he is praised for his decision. It said "it certainly speaks much for the patriotic spirit which is so rife in the country at the present time, when men like Captain Holford volunteer for active service."[12] The "New York Times" also made similar comments saying "Among the latest distinguished men going to South Africa is Captain Holford who is one of the closest friednds of the Prince of Wales and his equerry. The Captain sails January 6 to join his regiment, the First Life Guards.".[13]
When King Edward died in 1910, Holford was Equerry-in-Waiting to Queen Alexandra and was Extra Equerry to King George.[14] The photograph of the Royal Party of Edward and Alexandra shows George (far left) in uniform.
When Robert Holford died in 1892 George inherited Westonbirt House and Aboretum. He also inherited Dorchester House in London and the art and book collection that were housed within it. He did not have his father's interest in art and books but he did have a passion for gardens and orchids so he devoted much of his time to his property at Westonbirt.[15] The Times made the following comment about him.
"Country Life" magazine wrote extensive articles about Westonbirt Gardens and Arboretum in 1905[17] and again in 1907[18] when George was the owner of the estate. They outlined in detail the beauty of the gardens and made the comment.
Although he was always considered an eligible bachelor George did not marry until late in life and had no children. In 1912 he married the recently widowed Susannah Menzies. Susannah was the eldest child of Arthur and Mary Wilson. The Wilsons were an extremely wealthy family who had made their money from a shipping line. Susannah's grandfather Thomas founded the Wilson Shipping Line in about 1840.[20]
Her childhood appears to have been carefree and filled with the activities of wealthy British families. She was taught to ride and hunt at an early age as her father was very involved in this sport and became later the Master of the Holderness Hunt.[21] She was also involved in amateur dramatic productions.
Susannah married John Graham Menzies (Jack) in 1887 and they had three sons. Unfortunately their marriage did not appear to be a success. By 1903 Jack had made some disastrous financial investments principally in a diamond mine in South Africa. He also gambled heavily at cards and on the racetrack and was said to be an alcoholic. In 1906 Susannah left him and returned to Tranby Croft. It seems that in reality the marriage was over although there was no divorce or formal separation.[22] In 1911 Jack Menzies died of tuberculosis.[23]
In 1912 a year after Susannah was widowed she married George in the Chapel Royal, St James. She was 48 and he 52 years old. George V, Queen Mary, Queen Alexandra and Princess Victoria were present.[24] Although they had no children, it seems that George regarded her three adult sons with affection. They frequently stayed at Westonbirt and Stewart Menzies was allowed to use Dorchester House as his London residence. He also left them some money in his will.[25]
In 1926 George Holford died having suffered for some time with emphysema.[26] As he did not have any heirs his property passed to his blood relatives in accordance with the will of his father Robert Stayner Holford. The main part of the estate went to George's nephew the 4th Earl of Morley.[27] However Susannah was well provided for as George left her his personal goods such as jewellery and furniture and also an annuity of 10,000 pounds sterling per annum which was a very large sum of money at that time.[28]
Susannah remained at Westonbirt until it was sold in 1927. She then moved to London and lived in a very palatial townhouse in Upper Brook Street in Mayfair until 1940.[29] After that she moved to a large house called Dassett near Woking which still exists today. In 1943 she died at Dassett at the age of 80 and was buried at Brookwood Cemetery.[30] A Memorial service was held for her at St Marks Church, North Audley Street, London on 30 December 1943 and another a few days later at Westonbirt Church.[31]
Robert Stayner Holford, the rebuilder of Westonbirt, also founded the Westonbirt Arboretum on former common downland across the road from the house, a mile away. The arboretum was developed over the next few decades by him and his son Sir George Lindsay Holford. Since the younger Holford did not have children, the house and arboretum passed to his eldest sister's son the 4th Earl of Morley, who sold the house by 1928. The family gave the arboretum to the nation in 1956.[32] It is now one of the most important arboreta in the United Kingdom. It is in state ownership and is open to the public on a regular basis.