CHOLMONDELEY CASTLE GARDENS
Grid Ref. SJ 544 515
Date: 19 July 2000 & 8 June 2023
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Cholmondley Castle in June 2023 |
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Garden with iron gate leading to the castle at top left |
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Ornate iron gate |
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Ornamental lake with discus thrower on the iland |
Cholmondeley Castle was built between 1801 and 1830. The earlier hall, dated from 1571 was demolished about 1801. It was a mixture of brick and half-timber and had been remodelled by Sir John Vanbrugh between 1713 and 1715. The Marquess of Cholmondeley designed part of the castle built between 1801 and 1804. In 1817, Robert Smirke was the architect for new work involving the turrets on the east front. He built the large round tower and left corner tower on the south side in 1819. The park around the castle covers 500 acres and there are two lakes.
THE CHOLMONDELEY FAMILY
The Cholmondeleys of Cholmondeley trace their ancestry
to William Le Belward, Lord of a moiety of the Barony of Malpas, who married
Tanglust, the natural daughter of Hugh Kevelioc, Earl of Chester. Although
no dates are quoted on the family tree in Ormerod's History of Cheshire, William
Le Belward lived five generations before the time of Edward 1 in the late
11th or early 12th century. For the purposes of my study of the Cheshire gentry
in the 18th and early 19th century I begin the family tree with Sir Hugh Cholmondeley
because of his marriage to Mary Holford, discussed
under Holford Hall. The tree goes to 1882 and is drawn from Ormerod's History
of Cheshire, 2nd Edition. The heirs are shown in bold type.
Following enquiries by Peter
Chomley in Melbourne I have examined several additional sources of information
on Sir Hugh Cholmondeley (the elder), the father of Sir Hugh Cholmondeley (the
younger) who is shown in the first generation of the tree reproduced below.
Sir Hugh Cholmondeley (the elder)
was born before 1513 and died 6 Jan 1596/97. He was the second son of Richard
Cholmondeley (born c 1474, died 1518) and his wife Elizabeth, the daughter
of Sir Randall Brereton of Malpas. He succeeded his elder brother, who died
without issue in 1539 and was knighted in 1544. Sir Hugh married first Ann
or Amy Dorman in 1540/41. She was the coheiress of Sir George Dorman of Malpas.
She was buried at Malpas on 18 April 1571. All the children of Sir Hugh the
elder are from this marriage. Subsequently Sir Hugh married Mary, the daughter
of Sir William Griffiths or Gruffydd of Penrhyn. She was the widow of Sir
Randall Brereton of Malpas but this union produced no further issue. Mary
was buried at Malpas on 21 October 1588. (Note that there were seven Randall
Breretons in succession at Malpas.) Sir Hugh the
elder was five times sheriff of Cheshire and died on 6 January 1596/7 (tomb
at Malpas). He was succeeded by his son, Hugh the younger. There is scope
for some confusion between Sir Hugh the elder and the younger and indeed the
Dictionary of National Biography has Sir Hugh the elder married to Mary Holford.
The monument at Malpas indicates that it was Sir Hugh the elder who was Sheriff
of Cheshire again in 1588.
-
1. Sir Hugh Cholmondeley (the younger)
of Cholmondeley, Knt., born 1552, MP for Cheshire in 1585, knighted on the
Spanish Invasion, 1588, Sheriff of Cheshire in 1589, died at Cholmondeley
on 23 July 1601 and buried at Malpas
-
+ Mary, sole daughter and heiress of Christopher
Holford, Esq., born at Holford, baptised at Nether Peover on 20 January
1562/3, died at Vale Royal on 15 August 1625 and buried at Malpas. They
had five sons and three daughters: Mary, wife of George Calveley of Lea,
Knt.; Lettice, wife of Sir Richard Grosvenor of Eaton, and Frances, wife
of Peter Venables, Baron of Kinderton. We follow below the four sons, Robert,
Hatton, Hugh, Thomas. According to Burke's Peerage there were five sons.
- 2. Robert Cholmondeley of Cholmondeley, Esq., born
Crouchend, Middlesex 26 June 1584, created a baronet on 29 June 1611,
Sheriff of Cheshire 1620-21, MP for Cheshire, 1625, created Viscount Cholmondeley
of Kells in Ireland in 1628, Baron Cholmondeley of Wich Malbank in England
on 1 September 1645, and Earl of Leinster in Ireland on 5 March 1646.
He died at Cholmondeley on 8 October 1659 and was buried at Malpas. No
legitimate issue so the estate passed to a nephew, Robert Cholmondeley,
son of Hugh.
- + Catherine, dau. of John, Lord Stanhope of Harrington.
She died at Cholmondeley on 15 June 1657 and was buried at Malpas.
- 3. Thomas Cholmondeley of Holford, Esq. was the illegitimate
son of Robert Cholmondeley by a Mrs. Goldston,
and his father gave him the Holford lands that he had obtained from
his mother.
- 2. Hatton Cholmondeley, 2nd son, born
Islington on 17 August 1587. Died without issue.
- 2. Hugh Cholmondeley of Knight's Grange,
Esq., 3rd son, born at Holford and baptised at Nether Peover on 24 July
1591, died at Bodville Castle, 11 September 1655 and buried at Malpas.
- + Mary, dau. of Sir John Bodville, Knt.,
of Bodville Castle, Caernarvonshire.
- 3. Robert Cholmondeley of Cholmondeley,
Esq., inherited the family estates on the death of his uncle, and
was created Viscount Cholmondeley of Kells on 29 March 1661. He died
in 1681.
- + Elizabeth, dau. and co-heiress
of George Cradock of Caverswall Castle in Staffordshire, Esq. She
was buried at Malpas on 28 February 1691/2. This couple had
four sons and one daughter, Elizabeth, who became the 2nd wife of
John Egerton of Egerton and Oulton, Esq., but died without issue.
- 4 Hugh Cholmondeley, eldest
son and heir, was created Lord Cholmondeley of Nantwich on 10 April
1689 and Viscount Malpas and Earl of Cholmondeley on 27 December
1706. He died without issue on 18 January 1724/5 and was buried
at Malpas.
- 4. Robert Cholmondeley, 2nd son,
died young and was buried at Westminster Abbey on 14 February
1678/9.
- 4. George Cholmondeley,
3rd son, succeeded his elder brother and became 2nd Earl of Cholmondeley.
He was created Baron of Newborough in Ireland on 15 March 1714/5
and Baron Newburgh in Anglesea on 2 July 1716. He died at Whitehall
on 7 May 1733 and was buried at Malpas.
- + Elizabeth, dau. of the Baron
Ruytenburgh, naturalised by act of parliament 1703-4. This couple
had three sons and three daughters. The latter were: Mary, born
9 March 1713/4, died without issue and buried Malpas on 23 April
1783; Elizabeth, born 28 May 1705 and married Edward Warren of
Poynton, buried Stockport on 22 December 1762; Henrietta, born
26 November 1701, died without issue and buried at Malpas on 21
May 1769.
- 5. James Cholmondeley, eldest
son, born 30 November 1700, died young.
- 5. George Cholmondeley, 2nd son and subsequently heir,
born 2 January 1702/3, 3rd Earl of Cholmondeley and KB, died
10 June 1770 and buried at Malpas.
- + Mary, only dau. of Sir Robert Walpole, KG, 1st Earl of
Orford, married 14 September, 1723, died 21 February 1731/2
at Aix in France, aged 26. This couple had three sons and
a daughter, the latter died soon after birth.
- 6. George Cholmondeley, Lord Viscount Malpas, born 17
October 1724 and died before his father on 15 March 1764
and so never succeeded to the Earldom.
- + Hester, dau. of Sir Francis Edwards of Grete and Shrewsbury
College in Shropshire, on 19 January 1746. This couple
had one son and a daughter. The latter, Hester, born in
Surrey in 1755 married William Clapcot Lisle, Esq., by
whom she had one daughter.
- 7. George James Cholmondeley, K.G., 4th Earl
of Cholmondeley, lord steward of the household and
chamberlain of Chester, only son and heir, born 11
May 1749 and created 1st Marquess of Cholmondeley and
Earl Rocksavage
22 November 1816, died 10 April 1827 and buried at
Malpas. Inherited Savage family property from his
great aunt, Penelope Barry, who had married James
Cholmondeley, third son of George 2nd Earl Cholmondeley,
as shown below in generation 5.
- + Georgiana Charlotte Bertie, dau. of Peregrine,
3rd Duke of Ancaster, sister and co-heir of Robert
4th Duke of Ancaster. She was born 7 August 1764,
married 25 April 1791, died 23 June 1838.
- 8. George Horatio Cholmondeley, 2nd Marquess
of Cholmondeley, Earl of Rocksavage, joint hereditary
great chamberlain of England, eldest son and heir,
born 16 January 1792 died 8 May 1870 and buried
at Malpas, no issue.
- + 1st wife, Caroline, dau. of Lieut. General
Colin Campbell, Governor of Gibraltar, on 20 October
1812, died on 12 October 1815, buried at Malpas.
- + 2nd wife, Susan Caroline Somerset, 4th dau.
of Henry Charles, 6 Duke of Beaufort, on 11 May
1830.
- 8. William Henry Hugh Cholmondeley, 3rd
Marquess of Cholmondeley, hereditary grand chamberlain
of England, and heir to his brother, formerly
MP for Castle Rising and South Hants from 1852-1857,
born 31 August 1800 and alive at the time of the
second edition of Ormerod's History of Cheshire
in 1882.
- + Marcia Emma Georgiana, dau. of the Right Hon.
Charles Arbuthnot, married London 28 Feb. 1825.
- 9. Charles George Cholmondeley, Earl of Rocksavage,
born 9 July 1829 and died 7 December 1869.
- + Susan Caroline, dau. of George Dashwood,
Bart., married 31 October 1854.
- 10. George Henry Hugh Cholmondeley, Earl
of Rocksavage, born 3 July 1858.
- 10. Susan Marian Emma
- 10. Marcia Charlotte Sophia
- 10. Marcia Frances Georgiana
- 10. Eva Harriet.
- 9. Henry Vere Cholmondeley, born 4 October
1834.
- + Frances Isabella, 2nd dau. of Lieut. Col.
the Hon. G. A. Spencer on 17 July 1860.
- 10. George Vere Hugh Cholmondeley
- 10. Edith Charlotte Francis Cholmondeley
- 10. Caroline Marcia Cicely Cholmondeley.
- 9. Charlotte Georgiana Cholmondeley, married
Rev. Edward Gladwin Arnold, rector of Barrow
on 27 April 1852.
- 9. Marcia Susan Harriet Cholmondeley
- 9. Caroline Rachel, died unmarried 11 March
1863.
- 8. Charlotte Georgiana, only daughter, married
18 May 1818 to Lieut. Col. Hugh Seymour, son of
Lord Henry Seymour and died 24 June 1828.
- 6. Robert Cholmondeley, 2nd son, born 1 November 1727,
in holy orders, rector of St. Andrew's Hertford and Hertingfordbury
in the same county and auditor general of his majesty's
revenues in America, died 6 June 1804.
- + Mary Wolfingham on 30 November 1746. She died 4 April
1811. This couple had four sons and five daughters: George
James, born 1752; Horace, born 1753; Robert Francis, born
1756; Frederick, died in infancy; Mary Harriet, born 1754,
Jane Elizabeth, born 1758, Margaret, born 1761 died in
infancy; Hester Francis, born 1763; Charlotte, died in
infancy.
- 6. Frederick Cholmondeley, 3rd son, died 27 April 1734
and buried at St. Martin's in the Fields.
- 5. James Cholmondeley, 3rd son, a general in the army. He
died without issue, 13 October 1775, aged 67 and buried in
Westminster Abbey.
+ Penelope, sole dau. and heiress of James, 4th Earl of Barrymore,
by his wife Elizabeth, dau. and heiress of Richard Savage,
Earl Rivers.
- 4. Richard Cholmondeley, 4th son,
died aged 12 on 5 June 1680 and buried at Westminster Abbey.
- 2. Thomas Cholmondeley of Vale Royal,
Esq., 4th son, born at Holford on 2 March 1594/5, Sheriff of Cheshire
in 1638, died at Vale Royal on 3 January 1652/3 and buried at Minshull.
- + Elizabeth, sole dau. and heiress of
John Minshull Esq., by Frances dau. of John Egerton of Egerton and Oulton,
Knt., died at Vale Royal and buried at Minshull on 25 September 1661.
It is from this couple that the Cholmondeleys
of Vale Royal descend.
Sources:
1. The History of the County
Palatine and City of Chester, incorporated with a republication of King's
Vale Royal and Leycester's Cheshire Antiquities, 2nd Ed., revised and
enlarged by Thomas Helsby, Esq., published by George Routledge and sons, Ludgate
Hill, London, 1882. This is now available from the Family History Society
of Cheshire on CD ROM. A reprint of the work was published by Eric Morten
of Didsbury.
2. Burke's Peerage, 106th edition, 1999.
3. The House of Commons 1509-1558, by S. T. Bindoff,
Secker and Warburg, London, 1982. This has an article on Sir Hugh Cholmondeley
the elder.
4.
The Buildings of England, Cheshire, by Nikolaus Pevsner and Edward Hubbard, Yale University Press, 2003, ISBN 0 300 09588 0
5. Old Cheshire Churches, with a supplementary survey of the lesser old chapels of Cheshire, completely revised and enlarged by Raymond Richards, first published in 1947 and reprinted by E. J. Morten, Didsbury, 1973.
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