Part 37
and at the base, “In memoriam Matris,” the following:—“This monument to the beloved memory of Harriet, Duchess of Sutherland, wife of George Granville, 2nd Duke of Sutherland, is erected, in the church which they rebuilt, as a loving tribute to her spotless life, A.D. mdccclxxi.” It was erected by her son, Lord Ronald Charles Sutherland Leveson-Gower, and a brass plate near it thus records the fact:—“The erection of the monument to our mother has been the thought and the act of my brother Ronald. I only share with him in the love and reverence which prompted it. SUTHERLAND, 1871.”
The present noble peer, George Granville William Sutherland Leveson-Gower, third Duke of Sutherland, Marquis of Stafford, Earl Gower, Viscount Trentham, Baron Gower of Sittenham, in the peerage of the United Kingdom; Earl of Sutherland and Lord Strathnaver in the peerage of Scotland; Knight of the Garter and a Baronet; Lord-Lieutenant of Cromartie and of Sutherland, was born December 19th, 1828, and succeeded his father in his titles and estates in 1861, having previously sat (as Marquis of Stafford) as M.P. for Sutherland from 1852 to 1861. He married in 1849 Anne (born 1829), daughter and only child of John Hay Mackenzie, Esq., created in her own right, in 1861, Countess of Cromartie, Viscountess Tarbat, Baroness Castle-Avon, and Baroness McLeod, all in the peerage of the United Kingdom, with remainder to her eldest surviving son. By this lady (who has held the appointment of Mistress of the Robes to the Queen) the Duke has issue, living, two sons and two daughters. These are—Cromartie Sutherland Leveson-Gower, Marquis Stafford, M.P. for Sutherlandshire (heir to the dukedom), who was born in 1851, educated at Eton, and is in the Life Guards; Francis Sutherland Leveson-Gower, Viscount Tarbat (heir to the earldom of Cromartie), born in 1852; the Lady Florence, born in 1855; and the Lady Alexandra, born in 1866. His grace (who accompanied H.R.H. the Prince of Wales to India in 1875-6) is patron of thirteen livings—viz. Trentham, Blurton, Sheriff Hales, Hanford, Barlaston, and Normacott, in Staffordshire; and Donnington Wood, Pains Lane, Kinnersley, Lilleshall, Longdon-upon-Terne, Ketley, and Donington, in Shropshire.
The arms of the Duke of Sutherland are—quarterly, 1 and 4, barry of eight, _argent_ and _gules_, a cross fleury, _sable_, for Gower; 2, _azure_, three laurel-leaves, _or_, for Leveson; 3, _gules_, three mullets, _or_, within a bordure, _or_, charged with a double tressure flory counter-flory, _gules_, for Sutherland. Crests—1st, a goat’s head erased, _ermine_, for Leveson; 2nd, a wolf passant, _argent_, collared and lined, _or_, for Gower; 3rd, a cat-a-mountain, _proper_, for Sutherland. Supporters—dexter, a wolf (locally called a “gower”), _argent_, collared and lined, _or_; sinister, a savage, wreathed about the temples and loins with laurels, holding in his dexter hand a club, resting on his shoulder, all _proper_, and supporting with his sinister hand an antique shield, charged with the arms of the ancient family of Sutherland in proper blazonry. Motto—“Frangas non flectes” (You may break, but shall not bend me). The arms of the Duke are engraved on our initial letter (page 32). The principal seats of the Duke are—Trentham, Staffordshire; Dunrobin Castle, Golspie, Scotland; Lilleshall, Shropshire; Loch Inver House, Sutherland; House of Tongue, Sutherland; Tarbat House, Ross-shire; Castle Leod, Dingwall; and Stafford House, St. James’s, London.
The old hall at Trentham, previously referred to, and which was usually called Trentham Priory, through having been built on the foundations of that religious house, was altered and enlarged, and in the main rebuilt, by the second duke. The work was intrusted to Sir Charles Barry, and was commenced in 1834, and carried out at a cost of about £150,000. It had, however, previously undergone much alteration at the hands of Mr. Tatham, who endeavoured to approximate it, in appearance, to the old Buckingham Palace.
PURSUING the carriage-way to Trentham, the visitor passes to the house from the park through a pair of gates, the posts of which are surmounted with life-size bronze stags. In the centre of the circular drive is a fine bronze statue of Diana at the chase. The carriage porch, which, unlike the rest of the building, is of solid stone, forms a square, arched upon columns, with an entablature and attic surmounted with a balustrade, and piers and bases. Over the arches are the arms of the Duke, boldly carved in stone; the supporters, wolves, as large as life. From this porch the entrance door opens into an elegant semicircular corridor, which is one of the prettiest features of the place. To the left, on entering, the corridor leads to the Entrance Hall, Grand Staircase, Billiard, and other rooms; and, on the right, to the Private Conservatory, Drawing-room, the private rooms, &c.; while in front it encloses the West Court, with its shell-fountain, statue of “Venus rising from the Bath,” and other attractions.
It is not necessary to minutely describe the various rooms of this charming and purely domestic “Home,” nor to observe any consecutive arrangement regarding those upon which we may remark. All we need do is to briefly allude to some of the apartments, and then pass on to the charming grounds—the glory of Trentham.
Among the more notable rooms are the following:—The Venetian Room, or the Duchess’s Boudoir, is, without exception, the most perfect gem of a room which any mansion can boast. It, as well as the Duke’s Room and Private Dining-room, opens from the corridor to the private rooms, lined with presses of books, and is lighted by three windows in the south front. The walls are divided into five large panels, painted by Clarkson Stanfield, in his best and most brilliant style, with scenes in Venice; the panels being separated from each other, and surrounded by gilt reticulated work on a crimson velvet ground. Of the furnishing and decorations of this exquisite apartment it is enough to say that it is arranged with that refined and faultlessly pure taste, which can nowhere be expected to be better shown than in the surroundings of so good and amiable and accomplished a woman as the Duchess of Sutherland.
The Duke’s Room closely adjoins this apartment. It is fitted with presses filled with the choicest and most rare printed books and manuscripts, and contains some remarkably fine paintings. Among the literary treasures here preserved we cannot forbear noting the original manuscript of old John Gower’s poems, in his own handwriting, and, as shown by an inscription at the commencement, presented by the poet to King Henry IV., on his coronation, and given back to the family of Gower, some centuries later, by Sir Thomas Fairfax; and among the treasures of Art, of which there are many, is one of the original “first fifty” copies of the Portland vase by old Josiah Wedgwood, in perfect preservation. And here it may be well to note that through the kind thoughtfulness of the Duke on our visit, we were shown a fine and remarkably interesting old Wedgwood jasper chimney-piece in the Bath-room; it is one of the best remaining specimens. Adjoining the Venetian Room, on the other side, is the Private Dining-room, the walls of which are hung with a fine collection of landscapes by Penry Williams, and paintings by other artists. Leading to the corridor, at one end, is the Private Arcade, at the extremity of which, next to the Duke’s Room, has recently been placed Noble’s magnificent statue of the late duke—a work of Art which takes rank with any of that eminent sculptor’s productions.
The Dining-room, at the east end of the south terrace, contains some choice sculpture by Antonio Sola, Wolff, and others, and some gigantic vases of Minton’s creation. Adjoining this is the Marble Hall, or Ante Dining-room, lighted from the ceiling, and containing, besides a fine sculptured figure of Canning—copied from that by Chantrey in Westminster Abbey—a full-length life-size portrait of the late Harriet, Duchess of Sutherland, by Winterhalter. The Breakfast-room, among its other pictorial treasures, contains Wilkie’s “Breakfast,” painted for the first duke; Gainsborough’s “Landscape with Sheep;” Jackson’s “Infant Moses,” exhibited in 1818; Callcott’s “Italian Landscape,” and other paintings by Poussin, Stothard, Moulson, Frearson, Rogers, Wilson, &c.
The Library, which contains a marvellous collection of choice and valuable books, is enriched by a frieze from the Elgin and Phigalean marbles, and is a charming and highly interesting room. In the Saloon, or Music-room, a pretty apartment whose ceiling is supported on pilasters, are some exquisite family busts, a charming bust of the late duchess by Noble, and other attractions. The carpet is characterized by the same pattern as the terrace garden. The Drawing-room, with its sweetly pretty painted ceiling, contains many good pictures: among these are Hofland’s “Storm off the Coast at Scarborough;” Sir Thomas Lawrence’s portraits of Lord Francis Leveson-Gower (Egerton), and of the second Duke of Sutherland; Vandyke’s “Children of Charles I.;” Charles Landseer’s “Benediction,” and others. The Billiard-room has a lofty coved ceiling, and was the Great Hall of the old mansion. In it are Winterhalter’s grand full-length figure of Queen Victoria, presented by her Majesty to the late duchess; a copy of Reynolds’s portrait of George III.; Romney’s portrait of Queen Charlotte, Lord Chancellor Thurlow, and the first Marquis of Stafford, and others.
In the Entrance Hall is a copy of Michael Angelo’s statue of “Thought;” and on the Grand Staircase is a rich assemblage of family and other portraits. In the various bed-rooms and other apartments, too, are contained a vast number of valuable paintings and works of Art.
The Private Conservatory, however, is one of the “gems” of Trentham, and is as elegant in its arrangements and decorations as the most fastidious taste can desire or Art accomplish. Of this miniature “world of flowers” we give an engraving, from a special photograph taken by Harrison, but of its Eastern splendour of rich colours we can offer no idea. It is a square apartment, with Italian windows and trellised walls, and is also trellised between the lights of the ceiling. In the centre is a fine figure of “Venus at the Bath.” The noble ferns and the exotic and other plants are of the choicest kinds, and the arrangement of colour, especially when all are lighted from the number of lamps suspended from the roof, is exquisitely beautiful.
A pleasant feature of Trentham is the Bowling Alley—formerly the Orangery Arcade—which affords an almost unique and very pleasing indoor pastime for the family and friends. This feature, we believe, was much enjoyed by the Shah on his visit to Trentham, which was rendered lavishly enjoyable to him in every conceivable way.
From the Entrance Hall a doorway opens into the Church, which thus becomes not only the parish church, but the private chapel of the Duke. The Church thus forms a part of, or at all events is attached to, the house; and the transition from the elegances of modern life to the grand old house of prayer is very striking and solemn. The Church, which was restored in 1842 at the cost of the Duke, by Sir Charles Barry, is the nave of the old abbey of Trentham, the chancel having extended considerably beyond the present east wall of the churchyard. The Church, as it now exists, consists of a nave with clerestory, north and south aisles, and chancel, with a mortuary chapel at the east end of the south aisle. The pillars which divide the aisles from the nave are Norman, and are the original pillars, carefully replaced and restored, of the old priory; from them now spring acutely pointed arches of a later, and consequently incongruous, character. The chancel is divided from the nave by an elaborate oak screen of late but good character, the altar-piece, by Hilton, being the “Taking down from the Cross.” There is an eagle lectern at the east end of the nave; and the pulpit is hung with a fine Moorish horsecloth, elaborately worked in silver on crimson velvet. At the west end is a gallery forming the family pew. At the back of this, beneath the window, is a bust of the late duke; on the south side, a bust, by Noble, of a son of the present duke, who died young; and, on the north side, a tablet to Lord Frederick Leveson-Gower, who lost his life during the Crimean war. At the same end of the Church is a poor’s box, bearing date 1698. The font, the gift of the parishioners, is also at the west end.
In the Memorial Chapel, besides the exquisitely beautiful altar-tomb to the late duchess by Noble, to which we have already referred, are monuments and tablets to the Levesons and Gowers; and here, too, is placed a memorial bust to Lord Albert, recently deceased. Of the beautiful monument to the late duchess we have given an engraving on page 40, copied from a clever photograph by M. De Tejada, taken from the admirable picture by Mr. John O’Connor, painted, we believe, for Lord Ronald Gower, and in his lordship’s possession. In the north wall of the Church is a recessed arched tomb, on which lie the fragments of a highly interesting effigy in chain-mail, dug up in the churchyard a few years ago; and over the north door are the royal arms, dated 1663, pierced with Parliamentarian bullets.[40]
One feature yet remains to be noted; it is the introduction on the north wall of encaustic wall-tiles, each one of which, enclosed in a reticulated pattern, bears a memorial of some departed parishioner, in manner following:—
These, which are many in number, are arranged above the oak lining on the seats, and have appropriate texts, &c., also in tiles, running above and below the series. It is a pretty and very lasting, as well as inexpensive, kind of memorial, and one that might with advantage be adopted in many churches. In the churchyard are the remains of a cross, and some other interesting matters.
The great features of Trentham are, as we have before said, its grounds and its matchless lake. To these, however, we have but little space to devote, though a bare enumeration of their points of beauty would fill a volume. To the park the public are, thanks to the liberality of the Duke of Sutherland, and which is one of the innate features of himself and the noble family of which he is the head, freely admitted. The gardens and pleasure-grounds (which, until the great alterations made some years ago, was simply a sheep pasture railed off from the park) can only, however, and very rightly, be seen by special permission. To these we must devote a few words. The principal or south front of the house—two charming views of which we have given on pages 45 and 46—looks across the grounds and lake to the distant wooded hills skirting the horizon, and crowned in one place by the colossal statue of the first duke, to which we have already alluded. A part of this view, as seen from the windows of this front, we have depicted in the accompanying engraving. First comes the Terrace (not included in our view), studded with statues and vases; next, the Terrace Garden, with its central fountain, its grand bronze vases and sculptures, its flower-beds laid out in the form of a letter S for Sutherland, its recessed alcoves, and its Grecian temples, containing marvellous examples of antique sculpture; next, beyond, come the Italian Gardens (approached by a fine semicircular flight of steps), about ten acres in extent, with their parterres and borders and sunk beds, their statues, fountain, and busts, and their thousand and one other attractions; then the Lake Terrace, with its balustrade, its line of vases, its magnificent colossal statue of “Perseus and Medusa” (which cost its noble owner £1,600), its descending steps for landing, its boat-houses, and other appliances; then, next beyond, the Lake, eighty-three acres in extent, on which sailing and rowing boats and canoes find ample space for aquatic exercise; then the Islands—one of which alone is four acres in extent, and the other a single acre—beautifully planted with trees and shrubs; and, beyond this again, the woods of Tittensor, with the crowning monument. To the left are the grand wooded heights of King’s Wood Bank, a part of the ancient forest of Needwood, and consequently the remains of the old hunting-grounds of the Kings of Mercia; and, to the right, the American Grounds, planted with a profusion of rhododendrons and other appropriate shrubs and plants; while the Italian Garden is skirted on its east side by a deliciously cool and shady trellised walk—a floral tunnel, so to speak, some two hundred yards long, formed of trellised arches the whole of its length, overgrown with creeping plants and flowers, and decorated with busts, ornamental baskets, &c., forming a vista of extreme loveliness.
Near this is a pleasant glade, having the Orangery, now the Bowling Alley, at its extremity; and near here is the iron bridge—one hundred and thirty years old, and one of the _chefs-d’œuvre_ of the old Coalbrookdale Works—crossing the river Trent, which flows through the grounds. Standing on this bridge, the view both up and down the Trent is strikingly beautiful. Looking up the stream, the “solemn Trent” is seen crossed by the old stone bridge, while, to the left, a view of the house is partially obtained through the trees, the original course of the river, before it was altered, being distinctly traceable, and presenting a broader surface and a more graceful sweep than at present. Looking down the stream, the view is more charming still, and embraces the river, the lake (into which, until a few years back, the Trent flowed), the islands, the American and other gardens, and the wooded heights that skirt the domain.
Crossing the bridge, a little to the right is the Conservatory, filled with the choicest trees and flowering plants, and kept, as all the rest of the gardens and grounds are, in the most perfect order. In front of this Conservatory is a pretty feature—the poetical idea of the late duchess—consisting of the names of her daughters (the sisters of the present Duke of Sutherland) planted in box on a ground of white spar. The words as they appear are—
ELIZABETH LORNE. EVELYN BLANTYRE. CAROLINE KILDARE. CONSTANCE GROSVENOR. VIRET MEMORIA.
Thus the “memory” of the four daughters of the late duchess—viz. the present Duchess of Argyll, the Lady Blantyre, the Duchess of Leinster, and the Duchess of Westminster—is kept “ever green.”
Near by are the Kitchen Gardens, Conservatories, Vineries, Peach-houses, Pine-houses, Orchid-houses, and all the usual appliances of a large and well-devised establishment; and it is a notable feature that all round the Kitchen Gardens, some thirteen acres in extent, is carried what is known as the Trentham Wall-Case—a glass-sided and covered passage, filled with peaches and nectarines, and forming an enclosed walk all round the place. Near the garden entrance is the pleasant residence of the head-gardener, shown in the preceding engraving. It was erected from the designs of Sir Charles Barry; and near it is another excellent building, a “bothie” for the young gardeners, erected from the designs of Mr. Roberts, the Duke’s architect and surveyor at Trentham. In this cottage the young gardeners, several in number, board and lodge, and have a reading-room, healthful and amusing games, and other comforts provided for them. The Children’s Cottage, with the grounds around, is also a pretty little spot, and, indeed, the whole of the grounds are one unbroken succession of beauties.
Just outside the park is the Mausoleum—the burial-place of the family—behind which is the present graveyard of the parish.
Of the Poultry-houses (the finest in existence), the Stables, the Kennels, and the Estate Offices and Works it is not our province to speak. They are all that can be desired in arrangement, and are lavishly fitted with every convenience.
We reluctantly take our leave of Trentham, congratulating alike its noble owner on the possession of so lovely an estate, and the Pottery district in having in its midst a nobleman of such refined taste as his Grace the Duke of Sutherland, of such liberal and kindly disposition, and of such boundless wealth, which he has the opportunity of disposing in an open-hearted and beneficial manner; and this it is his pride to do.
KNOLE.
KNOLE HOUSE adjoins the pleasant and picturesque town of Sevenoaks, in the fertile and beautiful county of Kent—the “garden of England”—and is situate in its most charming and productive district, neighbouring the renowned Wealds, and distant but an hour from the metropolis of England.
The principal approach to the mansion is by a long and winding avenue of finely grown beech-trees, through the extensive park—the road sloping and rising gradually, and presenting frequent views of hill and dale—terminated by the heavy and sombre stone front of the ancient and venerable edifice. Passing under an embattled tower, the first or outer quadrangle is entered; hence there is another passage through another tower-portal, which conducts to the inner quadrangle, and so to the
“Huge hall, long galleries, spacious chambers,”
for which Knole has long been famous.
Of Knole, as with most of our grand old mansions, it is impossible to fix, with any degree of certainty, the date of its original foundation; “but the evident connection between the several properties of Knole and Sevenoaks with Kemsing, Otford, and Seale, coupled with the gifts of certain lands in Kemsing to the royal abbey at Wilton, appears to identify those manors with the _terra regia_ of the Saxon Kings of Kent, who had, it is supposed, one of their palaces at Otford, to which place Sevenoaks and Knole have always been esteemed appendant, and were for some time after Domesday survey held by the same owners.” Early in the reign of King John, the manor and estates of Knole, with those of Braborne (Bradborne), Kemsing, and Seale, were held by Baldwin de Bethun, or Betune, Earl of Albemarle.
The first Earl of Albemarle was Odo, Count of Champaigne, a near relative by birth to William the Conqueror, and the husband of his sister, Adeliza. He was succeeded by his son, surnamed _Le Gros_, who was also made Earl of Yorkshire. This nobleman appears to have had an only child, a daughter named Hawise, who espoused William Mandeville, Earl of Essex, who, on her father’s death in 1179, succeeded to the title and estates. After his death without issue, his widow, Hawise, married William de Fortibus, who enjoyed the title, as did also her third husband, Baldwin de Betune, or Bethun. On his death the earldom reverted to William de Fortibus, the son of Hawise by her second husband.