Mary Crewe-Milnes, Duchess of Roxburghe, (1915-2014) was a god-daughter of Queen Mary, after whom she was named. Her mother, Peggy Primrose, was the daughter of the British prime minister the Earl of Rosebery. In 1935, Mary [Crewe-Milnes] married the dashing, eligible Duke of Roxburghe, known as Bobo, and moved to the massive Floors Castle, not far from Edinburgh. She was living there in 1953 when Bobo served divorce papers on her and told her to leave the castle. But her solicitor advised her not to go quietly, pointing out that in Scottish law the size of the alimony depended on how willing or unwilling the wife had been to leave. So on his instructions she sat out a ten-day ordeal which became a sensation in the national press. First the duke sacked all the servants he could, leaving her only one – her lady’s maid paid by herself. The huge empty castle was eerie for the two women alone. And their nights were soon lit only by oil lamps when he disconnected the electricity. But when he cut off the water, the solicitor said her point was made. And it had been worth it. The alimony was excellent.
Mary moved south and, with her mother’s death in 1967, she became châtelaine of West Horsley Place, living there for more than 40 years and playing an enthusiastic part in local activities.
‘Legends’- After the death of Sir Walter Raleigh, it is said, his embalmed head was kept by his devoted wife within its walls.
Among them are the sumptuous jewels and tiaras used for high society balls, gifts from the Royal family, and the gown worn by the Duchess when she bore the train of Queen Elizabeth at the coronation of George VI. The auction house said the “exquisite” collection revealed a “portrait of an England that no longer exists but was reserved, untouched for almost half a century” after two of the “most powerful British dynasties” were united by marriage.
After passing through a dozen of England’s finest families since 1086, it was purchased by the Marquis of Crewe in 1931 and inherited by his daughter - after the premature death of two sons – in 1973.
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| Duchess of Roxburghe |
The Duchess, one of the great beauties of her age and the goddaughter of George V, was born Mary Evelyn Hungerford Crewe-Milnes in 1915, and grew up in the splendour of Mayfair society at Crewe House.
A familiar figure at glittering society balls thrown by her family, who had introduced Sir Winston Churchill to his wife Clemmie, she spent time in Paris where her father worked as an ambassador and captivated her generation with her glamour.
Married at 19 to the dashing Duke of Roxburghe, in a Westminster Abbey ceremony broadcast in cinemas across the country, she rose to the heart of the British establishment before becoming chatelaine of Floors Castle in Scotland.
She is recorded as one of the five plucky wives who, tired of waiting out the war at home, followed their husbands to Palestine and recreated high society in the Middle East until the government lost patience with their antics and send them home.
MANOR
The earliest mention of WEST HORSLEY occurs in the 9th century, when a certain Dux Alfred granted it to Werburg his wife. Bricsi held it in the time of Edward the Confessor, and at the time of the Survey it was in the possession of Walter son of Other, from whom the family of Windsor descended. Hugh de Windsor, grandson of Walter, held a knight's fee in West Horsley in 1166. Hamo de Wudecote in 1232 brought a suit against Hugh de Windsor, who seems to have been a younger son of the Hugh last mentioned, concerning services which Hugh claimed from him. Some ten years later Hugh de Windsor bought the right of common pasture in eighty acres of land in West Horsley. In 1271 Hugh son of Hugh de Windsor granted the manor to Ralph de Berners and Christina his wife in return for an annual rent of £10 during the life of Hugh. This Christina was probably the daughter of Hugh de Windsor; most of the old historians agree in asserting that the manor passed to the Berners family by reason of the succession of heirs female. The manor still continued to be held of the main line of the Windsor family. In 1297 Ralph de Berners died, leaving a son and heir Edmund, who was reported to be in Normandy at the time of his father's death, although it was uncertain whether he were alive or dead. Christina wife of Ralph survived both her husband and her son, and in 1317 was party in a fine with Richard de Berners touching lands held by him in West Horsley and elsewhere. In 1325 another fine was levied: Christina had died in the meanwhile, and the manor had passed to her grandson John son of Edmund. A final conveyance of these lands was not made until some ten years later, when Thomas son of Richard released all his right to John. In 1332 John settled the manor on himself and his wife Elizabeth, probably on the occasion of their marriage. He died in 1361, and the manor passed to his grandson James, who was then a minor. James de Berners grew up to be a person of some influence in the government, but was accused of taking advantage of the youth of Richard II for his own purposes, and was beheaded in 1388. His lands were forfeited to the Crown, but his widow Anne secured West Horsley by a special grant from the king. Henry IV confirmed this grant, while deprecating the fact that his predecessor had alienated the manor without the consent of Parliament. Anne de Berners married a second husband, John Bryan, who seems to have held the manor jointly with her until her death in 1403, when her son Richard de Berners came into possession. Bryan released his right in the manor to Richard in 1406. Three years later Richard enfeoffed trustees of his estate to the use of himself and his wife Philippa, with remainder to their heirs. He died in 1417. Philippa married a second husband, Thomas Leukenore, but did not live long afterwards, and at her death Margery daughter of Richard de Berners was found to be her heir. Margery while still a child was married to John Fereby, who held his first court at West Horsley in 1420. He died in 1441, and she then became the wife of Sir John Bourchier. In 1442 certain trustees released the manor to Sir John Bourchier, called Berners, summoned to Parliament in 1455 as Baron Berners, and to Margery his wife, which was probably a form of marriage settlement. By her second husband Margery had issue Humphrey, who, however, died before his mother, being killed at Barnet in 1471, so that at her death in 1475 the manor passed to her grandson John Bourchier, Baron Berners, then a child of eight. John, known as the translator of Froissart, was also a distinguished soldier and courtier in the expensive court of Henry VIII, and in 1518 he mortgaged the manor to Thomas Unton and others. He died in 1522.
Thomas Unton was probably father of Alexander Unton who married Mary, Lord Berners' daughter, who died childless. Joan, his other daughter, married Edmund Knivett and had livery as heiress to the estate in 1534. The Lady Knivett's steward is referred to in a document at about this date. The manor afterwards passed into the possession of Henry, Marquis of Exeter, who was seised of it at his attainder in 1539. His estates were forfeited to the king, who in 1547 granted West Horsley to Sir Anthony Browne. His widow, daughter of the Earl of Kildare, Surrey's 'Fair Geraldine,' married Lord Clinton, afterwards Earl of Lincoln, and held West Horsley for life. She and her husband resided here till her death, which took place after 8 December 1589. Her stepson Viscount Montagu succeeded and died here in 1592. His grandson and heir succeeded. His son, who made great sacrifices for the king in the Civil War, apparently mortgaged some of his estates to Sir John Evelyn and sold West Horsley in 1656 to Carew Raleigh son of the great Sir Walter, who conveyed it to Sir Edward Nicholas in 1664. Sir Edward died in 1669 and was succeeded by his son John. John, clerk to the council, married Penelope daughter of the Earl of Northampton, and died in 1704. He left three sons: Edward, who died unmarried in 1726, John, who left daughters and died in 1742, and William, who succeeded his brother and died in 1749. He left West Horsley by will to Henry Weston, son of John Weston of Ockham. Weston died in 1759, and was succeeded by his son Henry Perkins. After Henry's death in 1826 the manor passed in turn to his sons Ferdinand Fullerton and Charles Henry Samuel. The latter died in April 1849, leaving his nephew Henry Weston, father of the present owner, as his heir. The manor is now in the possession of Mr. Henry Macgregor Weston, of the ancient Surrey family of Weston of Weston in Albury and Ockham, not to be confounded with Weston of Sutton who held land in West Clandon (q.v.).
West Horsley Place, lately the residence of Mrs. Fielder, is also the property of Mr. H. M. Weston, who himself resides at Cranmere. West Horsley Place used to be commonly known as the Sheep Leze, from the flat meadow in front of it next the road; but West Horsley Place is the name in the 16th century. It is a large red-brick building which has been much altered from time to time. Some parts of the back are of timber, and possibly of 16th-century date, but the front was rebuilt in 1749. It faces south-east, and it has projecting wings at each end, which, however, have been shortened. The west wing originally had a long gallery, which has since been divided up into rooms. The front is of two stories, separated and crowned with large moulded brick cornices. The upper story is divided into bays by projecting pilasters with moulded bases and Ionic capitals. Over the centre is a large gable, and the wings have smaller and plainer gables. All the windows have square heads and wood frames.
It appears to have been largely rebuilt in the early 17th century by the second Lord Montagu, who resided there. The two wings formerly projected farther than they do now: foundations exist outside them. Probably Montagu built the gallery in the west wing. Henry Weston who succeeded in 1749 is said to have made alterations. He probably cut down the wings, destroying the gallery, and built the present 18th-century brick façade. It was again altered in the 19th century.
Note (Jody Gray): the information (below) varies a little from the above entry; and, confuses me when it mentions that in 1562, Richard Dennis conveyed [through purchase] part of the estate to Edward Stephens, and sold the manor to Edward in 1564, who enlarged the manor-house at Chavenage - was the 'part of the estate' referring to West Horsley Place or just the Chavenage Estate ???
