THE DOVER EXPRESS AND EAST KENT NEWS-FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1901.

XIX. WALDERSHARE.

Waldershare is a small parish, and still smaller village, both of which are overshadowed by the greater interest of the Park and Mansion of the Earl of Guilford.

History of Parish and Village.

Notwithstanding that the Park and Mansion of Waldershare now take prominence, that seat of nobility is modern compared with the village and parish. Waldershare is not and never was largely populated, and the extent of the parish is 1245 acres. It is situated 5½ miles north by west from Dover, and about a mile and a half from the London road, while the main road to Sandwich skirts the parish; the boundaries extend about two miles from north to south, but crossways it is very narrow. There is also, on the eastern side, a part of the ancient parish, entirely isolated by the parishes of Northbourne and West Langdon. In the year 1801 the parish contained only nine houses, eight in the ordinary parish and one in the isolated part, called Appleton, and the population then numbered 65. In 1831 the number was 67, in 1841 it was 92. and now it is 140. Nearly the whole of the land belongs to the Waldershare estate, and the chief attraction of the place is the well-wooded and deer-stocked park. There is a school here that was built by the Earl of Guilford in 1824 for the education of the children of the poor, and as it has accommodation for 146, it is available for the children of the neighbouring parish of Whitfield. For several years the Dowager Countess of Guilford has taken very great interest in this school, and the children attending it have always received much encouragement from the successive Members of the Guilford family at Waldershare. Some twenty years ago, Waldershare Park was used for a race meeting, and on many occasions, by permission, summer fetes and pleasure parties have found enjoyment in Its pleasant groves and leafy shades, and there is a pleasant walk through a portion of the Park always open to the public.

Please note that it has been pointed out to me that part of the information written by John Bavington Jones below is incorrect. See the explanation in the footnote.

History of Waldershare.

The earliest history we have of Waldershare is that, at the time of the Conquest, the lands were held by Ralph de Curbespine under the Bishop of Bayeux, and after the Bishop’s disgrace the estate went to Gilbert Magminot for Knight’s service in connection with Dover Castle, afterwards to John de Malmaines, who came over with the Conqueror, and was a standard bearer at the Battle of Hastings. This family resided at Waldershare till the close of the reign of Edward III, and their mansion was at the corner of the Park opposite Malmains Barn. About that time the estate passed by marriage to the Goldwells, and about the beginning of the reign of Henry VI. part of the estate came to John Monins by purchase, and part by his marriage with a descendant of the Malmains. The Monins were the descendants of Sir Simon de Monyn, who attended William the Conqueror in his expedition to England, and John Monins built a new mansion at Waldershare on the site of the present one, and about a mile S.E. from the ancient residence of the Malmains. John Monins resided at the new mansion. His descendant Sir William Monins, of Waldershare, was created a baronet in 1611. His successor was Sir Edward Monins, who resided at Waldershare, held the office of Sheriff in the year 1646. Dying in 1663, the estate passed to his five daughters, who were co-heiresses, and eventually came into the possession of Peregrine Bertie, who married Sir Edward Monin’s daughter, Susan. On the death of Susan, in the reign of William and Mary, her children sold it to Sir Henry Furness, son of Sir Henry Furness, of Sandwich. Sir Henry Furness was Member of Parliament for Sandwich, and his son, Henry Furness, was elected Member of Parliament for Dover in 1721. This Henry Furness, in September 1720, a few months previous to his election for Dover, sent a letter to the Corporation, stating that he had determined to immediately erect a free school in Dover, for the education of the children of the poor, for which purpose he had agreed to purchase three houses, and he asked the Corporation to appoint a Committee to assist him in his benevolent design. The Corporation expressed their thanks, and in return conferred the Freedom of the Borough on Mr. Henry Furness. Mr. Furness was duly elected in 1721 as Member for Dover, but if his scheme for the education of the poor ever came to anything, it hung fire considerably, for it was not until 1789, more than 60 years later, that the Dover Charity School in Queen-street, was founded. Mr. Henry Furness also, while Member for Dover, erected the South Gallery in St. Mary’s Church. The estate at Waldershare, would have passed to Sir Robert Furness, but he died in 1735 under age, and the Waldershare estate passed to his three sisters, but eventually it became the possession of Catherine, wife of the Earl of Rockingham. He died in 1745, and Catherine married Francis, Earl of Guilford, to whom she bequeathed the estate, and it has remained in the Guilford family ever since.

The House of Guilford.

It will be appropriate here to trace the House of the Guilfords, which was honourable, noble, and distinguished, many generations before their connection with Waldershare. The founder of the family was Edward North, who was born about the year 1496, was brought up to the profession of the Law, and in the year 1531 was appointed a Clerk of Parliament, subsequently he became Sergeant at Law, and finding favour with King Henry VIII he was made Treasurer of the Court of Augmentations, which had to do with the funds derived from the suppression of Monasteries. Subsequently, he was made Chancellor of that Court, was Knighted and entered the House of Commons as representative of the County of Cambridge. The King’s favour continuing, he was made a Privy Councillor, and enriched by various grants of land from the Crown. Either the King did not keep in mind all the gifts, or he simulated a little to frighten his favourite, for one day the King summoned Sir Edward North to his presence, and looking on him with angry eyes said “We are informed that you have cheated us of certain land in Middlesex,” and receiving no other than a humble negation from Sir Edward, who was in fear he had lost the royal favour, the King after some little pause replied, “How was it then, did we give these lands to you?," whereupon Sir Edward answered “Yes Sir, your Majesty was pleased to do so.” The King then took Sir Edward to his closet, and after that interview he rose still higher in the King’s favour, and at his death was made one of his executors with a legacy of £300. This founder of the North family was evidently a pliant courtier. He was sworn in of the Privy Council of Edward VI, he subsequently espoused the cause of Lady Jane Grey, but was so successful in making his peace with Queen Mary, that he was sworn in of her Privy Council and elected to the Peerage in the first year of her reign, as Baron North of Kirtling, a Cambridgeshire Manor, which he purchased about the time of his being appointed Clerk of Parliament. Still retaining place and power, in the reign of Elizabeth, Baron North was made Lord Lieutenant of the County of Cambridgeshire and of the Isle of Ely. Thus, from a very ordinary beginning in the course of a little more than thirty years, this nobleman won the favour of four successive Monarchs, and advanced from a very modest Clerkship to the rank of a Peer of the Realm. Such was the founder of the North family. A notable man he must have been, and he might have risen to higher distinctions had he lived to the age that many statesmen do, for he died at the age of 68. His son, Roger, the second Baron North, was an Ambassador to the King of France, and was described by Camden as “a person of great business and vivacity.” He, dying in 1600, was succeeded, by his grandson, Dudley North, who was the third Baron, described by Camden as, “a person full of spirit and flame, yet after he had consumed the greater part of his estate in the gallantry of King James’s Court, retired and lived more honourably in the country upon what was left than ever he had done before.” Dying in 1666, his son, Dudley, became the fourth Baron, and he, marrying Anne, a niece of the Earl of Manchester, had two sons, the second, Francis North, was another very able man, who revived the somewhat declining fortunes of the family. He became one of the greatest law luminaries in England. By rapid strides he emulated the brilliancy of his ancestor, Edward North, became Solicitor General, Attorney General, Lord Chief Justice, and ultimately Lord Chancellor, being raised to the Peerage as Baron Guilford, of Guilford, in the County of Surrey. The North Barony still continued. Baron Guilford’s elder brother, Charles, became the fifth Baron and his son, William, became the sixth Baron, but his lordship having had his hand shot off at the battle of Blenheim, died leaving no issue. Meanwhile, the first Baron Guilford dying in 1685, was succeeded by his eldest son, Francis as the second Baron Guilford, and his son, also named Francis, became the third Baron Guilford and also inherited the Barony of North, on the decease of the sixth Baron North, who was wounded at Blenheim. This third Baron Guilford was thrice married, taking for his third wife, Anne, daughter of Sir Henry Furness and widow of the Earl of Rockingham, who, in her own right, owned the Waldershare estate, which she bequeathed to her husband, who, in 1752, had been elevated in the peerage from Baron to Earl of Guilford. Of this, the first Earl of Guilford, the most noteworthy facts recorded are his rise in the Peerage, and the enlargement of his estate by marriage, but his son Frederic Lord North, stands out in history as another bright and particular star. Entering Parliament at the age of 22, owing to the longevity of his father, he had in the House of Commons a career of forty years as member for Banbury. Taking office as a Lord of the Treasury in 1759, he became Post-master General in 1766, and in 1770 on the fall of the Duke of Grafton, he became Prime Minister, his tenure of office which lasted 12 years, covering one of the most momentous periods in English history. Although Lord North had a long and brilliant career as a statesman, he was Earl of Guilford but for two years, dying in 1792, two years after his father. Edmund Burke described this distinguished member of the North family as “A man of admirable parts; of general knowledge, of a versatile understanding, fitted for every sort of business, of infinite wit and pleasantry, of a delightful temper, and with a mind most disinterested.” His eldest son, George Augustus, was the third Earl, who made no great figure in the world, and although he married twice had no male heir, hence the Earldom of Guilford went to his brother, Francis, who was the fourth Earl. He married once, but dying without offspring, his brother Frederick became the fifth Earl. He also dying without issue, the honours of the House of Guilford devolved on his cousin, the Rev. Francis North, who was the sixth Earl. He was married twice, and his eldest son, Dudley North, dying just one year before his father the seventh Earl was Dudley Frances North, son of Dudley, and grandson of the sixth Earl. The seventh Earl was unfortunately killed by a fall from his horse while hunting with the Cattistock Hounds, Devonshire, on the 18th of December, 1885. The eighth and present Earl, then a minor, succeeded to the Earldom, but the estates remained in the hands of trustees till his lordship’s coming of age in 1897. His lordship, who is the owner of about 11,000 acres, and the patron of four livings, is now 25 years of age. His lordship was married on the 25th of June, 1901, to Miss Violet Pawson, daughter of the late Mr. W. Hargrave Pawson, and of the Hon. Mrs. Howard, of Sibton Park, Kent. The marriage was celebrated with great rejoicings at Waldershare. The Earl, who is popular with his neighbours, has before him the possibilities of a great career, and to stimulate his ambition he can look back upon at least three of his ancestors who were amongst the most eminent statesmen of their time.

Waldershare Church.

The Church at Waldershare is dedicated to All Saints. It is a building of flints and stone, some portions of which are Norman, and consist of a chancel with north and south chapels, a nave, south porch, and western bell cot, containing one bell. The two chancel chapels are in the late perpendicular style, and have been added to accommodate the tombs and monuments of the Monins and the Furness families. There is a stained glass window inserted by the now Dowager Countess of Guilford in memory of her infant son, Dudley Francis Ford North, born and died 3rd May, 1874. There is also a brass, subscribed by the members of the Devonshire Hunt, in memory of the Seventh Earl, who died 18th December, 1885. This Church was restored by Mr. Ewan Christian, the chapels having been new roofed and the arcades separating them from the chancel re-built, and furnished with carved oak screens. The Church affords 200 sittings, and the Churchyard was enlarged in 1886. The living is a Vicarage jointly with Whitfield and West Langdon. It is in the gift of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury, but formerly the Church was appendant to the Manor, and continued so till one of the family of the Malmains gave it to the neighbouring abbey of West Langdon, where it continued till the suppression of monasteries. In the year 1588 it is recorded that there were in this parish 33 communicants, and 33 in 1640. The Rev. Walter Hamilton, who was very much esteemed, was for 42 years Vicar of Waldershare, having held the living from 1865 until 1898.

Features of the Parish.

The parish of Waldershare has no features to be noted beyond the operations of agriculture, the charming scenery of the Park and its vicinity. From the tower of the Belvedere commonly called the Monument, within the Park, very extensive views of sea and land are obtainable.

I have been informed by David File about some inaccuracies in the validity of the above information, so please note the following observations sent to me from David:-

I've just found the article entitled XIX Waldershare in the Dover Kent Archive. Might I suggest you add a header or footnote to the item to indicate it's erroneous because it has confused Sir Henry Furnese (1658-1712) of Waldershare with Henry Furnese (aft. 1688 - 1756) of Middlesex, consequently, the overwhelming majority of the information given about activities in Dover is incorrect as it does not relate to Sir Henry Furnese of Waldershare. It would be a shame if a future researcher were to use this information, believing it to be correct, so whilst I support publishing the article verbatim as the work of John Bavington Jones, I do feel its inaccuracy should be clearly documented.

That part of the article which does apply to Sir Henry Furnese of Waldershare still contains several errors. It states that Sir Henry's son, Sir Robert Furnese died in 1733, before reaching the age of majority and consequently, ownership of Waldershare passed to his three sisters. It's a bit surprising the author didn't pick this ambiguity up seeing as Sir Henry's son, Sir Robert Furnese, had been a noted member of Parliament since 1708 and succeeded to the baronetcy and the estate at Waldershare in 1712 on the death of his father, Sir Henry. Bavington wrongly states than on Sir Robert's death, because he'd died under age, possession of Waldershare fell to one of his sisters, Catherine, wife of the Earl of Rockingham. That is incorrect - Sir Robert was 46 when he died in 1733 and had owned Waldershare for 21 years. His son, Sir Henry Furnese, had briefly succeeded to the title, but he died in 1735 and in 1736, ownership of Waldershare was passed by decree of the Court Of Chancery to Sir Robert's daughter (not his sister), Lady Katherine, widow of Lewis Watson, 2nd Earl of Rockingham.

Regards, David File.