I am gathering so much information about the Wilson family, (who are connected to the Breretons by marriage) that I have decided to have a 'snippets page' dedicated to recently found and researched information . Over time I will add this information to other posts. I will also be adding extra post further down this page.
In this first section I’m including the following quotes, because they give such an unique insight into the lives and selected events of the Wilsons of Stowlangtoft Hall, Suffolk. These extracts were taken from “Memoirs of Eighty Years” by Thomas Gordon Hake, originally published in 1892.
A family with which I was in close intimacy, indeed on affectionate terms, was the Wilsons, of Stowlangtoft Hall...
...The father of Henry Wilson resided on his estate at Highbury; he had been a great merchant, a calling from which so many great things have emanated in our country...
...Mr. Wilson purchased two baronets’ estates in Suffolk, one of Sir George Wombwell, the historic seat of Stowlangtoft; one, Langham Hall, the property adjoining, of Sir Henry Blake. He also held lands in Norfolk.
Henry Wilson, his son and my kindest and best of friends, resided always at Stowlangtoft; at one time he represented the county in Parliament.
He was educated at Oxford, where he made friends enough to last for a lifetime, all of whom, like himself, were thoroughly good men, and many of them fellow-students of Oriel. There was Rickards, who became his rector, a college-friend; and one of those who joined the set of Newman and Manning for a time. There was Porcher, Yarde Buller of Downs, Kindersley, Mozley; nearly all these were guests from time to time of Rickards and Wilson; in fact, the only one I do not recall as having met at the hall or rectory was Newman...
...Sir R. Kindersley was a most genial man, quiet and sensible, like most of those who rise to eminence. He gave his daughter in marriage to Wilson’s eldest son, and Wilson gave one of his daughters to Kindersley’s eldest son, and a daughter by this marriage is now Lady Herschell. Miss Wilson had been long adopted by the Porchers, who wished her and young Kindersley to be their heirs.
Henry Wilson had a large family by his first wife, who was a Maitland. He married a second time, the daughter of Lord Henry Fitz-Roy, a son of the Duke of Grafton. This lady brought him several children. She was a devoted mother to both families; as conscientious a lady as was ever born to fulfil great duties. She not only treated her stepchildren exactly as she did her own, but acquired for them the same affection as she felt for those which she had brought into the world.
Those who knew her may think themselves happy if they ever see her like again...
...Wilson was boundless in his hospitality to his neighbours, poor and rich. Could every parish be under the management of such a squire and such a rector, poverty would cease to be an evil. Wilson may have felt this organically; it may have been under its influence that he desired to establish his family on the soil during succeeding generations. He was an ardent admirer of enterprise and self-aid; he turned his own name into his motto Will son will.
He was bent on building a mansion on the Stowlangtoft estate, and this he did ultimately on a larger scale than had sufficed for the home of Sir George Wombwell or of Sir Simonds d’Ewes, his predecessors; but not before his father died, who left him a purse of twenty-four thousand pounds a year.
The old Wilson, the London merchant, told me that he met Sir George Wombwell at his bankers’ to pay him the ninety thousand pounds in notes which he gave for the Stowlangtoft estate, and that the baronet stuffed the money into his hinder coat pocket, and so walked away.
The old hall was a very comfortable one, commodious, picturesque. A man does no good to his family in replacing old mansions by new in country places, to which the owner resorts, often, only for the shooting season. This adding on to and rebuilding often ends in disappointment to those who follow later. I saw recently an advertisement in the paper “To be let, Stowlangtoft Hall, with the shooting over seven thousand acres of land.“ My friend Mr. Thornhill, of Riddlesworth Hall, Norfolk, enlarged his mansion, which had sufficed for his wealthy father; he wished his descendants to reside there for generations, but his son has thought differently. I saw an advertisement immediately under the above concerning Stowlangtoft, which ran thus ”To be sold, the property of Sir Thomas Thornhill, Bart., the well-known sporting estate of Riddlesworth Hall.” How little influence can the dead exercise over the living!
We must now speak of old Rickards, a name he had gone by all his life, with the many who loved him. His hair had always been white, his complexion red, and he always blushed heartily when he laughed. He had been a Fellow of Oriel till he wedded Miss Wilmot, a daughter of Sir Robert Wilmot, of Chadsden Hall, Derbyshire, the liveliest, brightest, tenderest, sweetest of women; a girl to the last; and I hope still alive, though all this was fifty years ago. But every one is dead nowadays...
...Mrs. Rickards was a pretty creature, her husband was plain, her daughter was plainer, but when one looked at them, in the magic of the moment, they all looked alike, happy and good. One forgot that beauty existed elsewhere, save as an art.
They were of course constant guests at the hall. Miss Rickards herself painted, baked, and glazed every window in Stowlangtoft Church...Full text can be found here: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/57738/57738-0.txt
Post Two
This section is taken from 'Bishop Chase's Reminiscences'.
22nd of May 1824 page 375 and 376.
Bishop Chase was visiting England from America in 1823. He wrote the following account on 22nd May 1824.
“ At six we dined at Mr. Joseph Wilsons, in Highbury place, [sic] about four miles from the city, yet all the way as if a city. It is a lovely place, and blossomed in trees. Young Mr. Wilson, from Oxford, was there; young Mr. Wilberforce, Mr. Butterworth, and many others, both gentlemen and ladies. Young Mr. Wilson, was as I walked out, civilly conducted me to his room, and showed me a marble statue of Jesus Christ, representing him in the very act of yielding up the ghost,- the most affecting I ever saw. It is said to be the same which Louis XVI. possessed. “
Although Highbury Place was nearby, Joseph Wilson was living at 'Highbury Hill'.
I'm assuming the 'young Mr. Wilberforce,' was one of the sons of William Wilberforce, as at least two of his sons were at Oriel College, Oxford where Henry Wilson was an undergraduate.
Bishop Chase's Reminiscences
Post Three
In 2011 I visited the National Portrait Gallery and Archives, looking for more information about a painting by Sir David Wilkie. While I was there I was shown copies of engraved images of Joseph Wilson (silk merchant) of Clapham, a relative of my gt, gt, gt grandfather Joseph Wilson (also a silk merchant) of ‘Highbury Hill’.
I was also shown a black and white photo (a much better copy than one held in our family) of the Wilkie painting of my 3 x gt grandfather, Joseph Wilson and his grandson, (my gt grandfather) Joseph Brereton, of Lt Massingham, Norfolk. Having discovered this painting was sold on 7th July 1967, I realised I might never be able to see the original.
I contacted Agnew’s, who, I discovered did acquire a portrait by Wilkie, entitled 'Joseph Wilson and Grandson' from a Christie’s sale on 7th July 1967 (lot 115), this was a commissioned purchase for a private collector in America. Agnew's were kind enough to say if I'd like to write a letter they would forward it to the buyer. This I did, but sometime later I was informed they were unable to contact the buyer.
I contacted Christie's hoping they had a coloured photo of the painting, but unfortunately they only had a black & white copy. They were very helpful and sent me a scanned image of the catalogue and the price the painting realized.
The Royal Academy displayed this painting and it was listed in their catalogue.
Sir David Wilkie painting
'263 the grandfather; Being portraits of Joseph Wilson, Esq., and his grandson, Joseph Lloyd Brereton. Sir D Wilkie RA
“So let us welcome peaceful evening in .” '
Some years ago I found the following link to paintings which were once held at Stowlangtoft Hall.
Title '19. Joseph Wilson and Charles [sic] Joseph Brereton.' This information does give details of the colours of the sitters clothes and the other details correspond with black and white photo!
Perhaps this description will have to satisfy my curiosity until the day I can see the original in all it's glory.
Paintings once held at Stowlangtoft Hall
More Wilson information on my other posts:
Joseph Wilson - Silk Merchant
Fitzroy Wilson born Stowlangtoft.
Emma Wilson nee Welford
If you have enjoyed reading this article you might consider donating to www.fosalm.org which will help restore St Andrew's Church Little Massingham. This church has been very important to the Brereton family.
