Bishopswood House in Walford was until fairly recently called The Coppice or Coppice Vicarage, and was built in 1844 for John Partridge, a past High Sheriff of Monmouthshire when the parish of Bishopswood was created by combining Walford with Ruardean over the border in Gloucestershire. John funded the building of the church for the new parish.
Initially The Coppice was used as a vicarage until it was sold to Colonel Harry McCalmont
Colonel Harry Leslie Blundell McCalmont
In the late 18th century the house was owned by Colonel Harry Leslie Blundell McCalmont who came from an Irish family, and his ancestors were involved in Demerara British Guiana where their sugar plantations were worked by slaves. When slavery was abolished, the family was given compensation for the loss of their slaves.
Harry McCalmont’s Military Career
Harry went to Eton College, then aged just 20 he gained a commission in the 6th Regiment of Foot; he later transferred to the Scots Guards.
He became Colonel of the 6th Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment before retiring from the Regular Army in 1889, but then the Boer War broke out and he and his battalion went to South Africa – on his return home he was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath in recognition of his war service.
Harry McCalmont Spends His Inheritence
Harry became an Conservative MP for Newmarket in 1895, and was extremely wealthy thanks to being bequeathed a vast amount of money by his great uncle, and he was able to indulge in his passion for horse racing. He bought many racehorses, and won the Triple Crown with his prize horse, Isinglass, and also had a positive fleet of yachts built to his own specification – one of these eventually was used by the Spanish royal family. As well as buying horses and yachts like they were going out of fashion, and of course the house in Walford, Harry also bought a house in St. James’s Square in London and the Cheveley Park estate near Newmarket which he proceeded to tear down before building a massive mansion, and he did a fair job of spending much of the fortune left to him!
As far as I can tell, Harry never lived at Bishopswood House (still known as The Coppice) himself, but let it out until in 1898 when he put it up for sale by auction; the reserve price wasn’t reached, and the house was later sold privately to Sir George Bullough. Sir George was also keenly interested in the owning and breeding of racehorses, and one of his horses won the Grand National in 1917. He also had great success on the flat, including the Ascot Gold Cup. He was given the knighthood for transforming one of his boats into a hospital for use during the Boer War.
Harry McCalmont died at his London house of heart failure.
During the early 20th century, The Coppice was renamed Bishopswood House and was bought by Robert Holme Storey.
1851 – The Coppice Household
| William W. Wait |
40 |
Incumbent of All Saints Church in Walford |
b. Bristol |
| Lucy Wait |
42 |
Wife |
b. Hitchin, Hertfordshire |
| William Wait |
5 |
Son |
b. Canada |
| John Wait |
4 |
Son |
b. Stevenage, Hertfordshire |
| Robert Wait |
3 |
Son |
b. Gloucestershire |
| Lewis Wait |
3 |
Son |
b. Walford, Herefordshire |
| Rebecca Gardner |
50 |
Housekeeper |
b. Northleach, Gloucestershire |
| Emma Jaynes |
45 |
Nurse |
b. Monmouth |
| Mary Miller |
22 |
Housemaid |
b. Coleford, Gloucestershire |
| William Williams |
22 |
Groom |
b. Walford, Herefordshire |
1861 – Coppice Vicarage Household
| Thomas H. Edwards |
38 |
Perpetual Curate of Bishopswood |
b. Shropshire |
| Harriett Edwards |
40 |
Wife |
b. Dudley, Worcestershire |
| Edith Edwards |
9 |
Daughter |
b. Benthall, Shropshire |
| Henry Edwards |
7 |
Son |
b. Herefordshire |
| Harriett |
5 |
Daughter |
b. Herefordshire |
| Charles |
3 |
Son |
b. Walford, Herefordshire |
| Emma M. Edwards |
38 |
Sister in Law, Solicitor’s Wife |
b. Guildford, Surrey |
| Emily Baron |
33 |
Governess |
b. London, Middlesex |
| Harriett Stranford |
35 |
Cook |
b. Herefordshire |
| Elizabeth Gwilliam |
17 |
Housemaid |
b. Walford, Herefordshire |
1871 – Coppice Vicarage Household
| Thomas H. Edwards |
49 |
Vicar of Bishopswood |
b. Shropshire |
| Mary A. Edwards |
29 |
Second Wife |
b. India |
| Edith Edwards |
19 |
Daughter |
b. Benthall, Shropshire |
| Charles Edwards |
13 |
Son |
b. Walford, Herefordshire |
| Ethel Edwards |
1 |
Daughter |
b. Walford, Herefordshire |
| Anne Thomas |
31 |
Cook |
b. Radnor, Wales |
| Mary A. Bigg |
16 |
Nurse |
b. Walford, Herefordshire |
| Mary Worthing |
14 |
Housemaid |
b. Gloucestershire |
1881 – The Coppice Vicarage Household
| Charles Constance |
46 |
Vicar of Bishopswood |
b. Norfolk |
| Phebe Constance |
34 |
Wife |
b. Huddersfield, Yorkshire |
| Anne E. Watts |
18 |
Cook |
b. Norfolk |
| Elizabeth Mally |
16 |
Parlour Maid |
b. Elton, Herefordshire |
1901 – The Coppice Household
| William O.N. Shaw |
54 |
JP Living on own means |
b. Cheshire |
| Marie O. Shaw |
39 |
Wife |
b. France |
| Henry O.N. Shaw |
11 |
Son |
b. Cheshire |
| Corvine O.E. Shaw |
9 |
Daughter |
b. Cheshire |
| John R.N. Shaw |
7 |
Son |
b. Cheshire |
| Charles Moth |
41 |
Cook |
b. West Cowes, Isle of Wight |
| Tom Wood |
20 |
Footman |
b. Bridstow, Herefordshire |
| Mary J. Matthews |
49 |
Nurse |
b. Totnes, Devon |
| Jessie Morley |
21 |
Nursemaid |
b. Birmingham, Warwickshire |
| Susan Sallaize |
28 |
Lady’s Maid |
b. Guernsey |
| Clara A. Morris |
30 |
Housemaid |
b. Gloucester |
| Elsie Lewis |
18 |
Under Housemaid |
b. Crow Hill, Herefordshire |
| Lizzie Shills |
21 |
Kitchenmaid |
b. Eastington, Gloucestershire |
1911 – The Coppice Household
| Robert Holme Storey |
38 |
Barrister at Law |
b. Grange, Westmoreland |
| Beatrice Maud Storey |
27 |
Wife |
b. Woolton, Lancashire |
| Thomas William Storey |
1 |
Son |
b. London |
| Mary Jane Jones |
57 |
Cook |
b. Bangor, Caernarvenshire |
| Mary Elizabeth Heroll (?) |
27 |
Lady’s Maid |
b. Newstead, Nottinghamshire |
| George Ernest August Ludwig Reinhault |
43 |
Butler |
b. Germany, German Citizen |
| Mary Younie |
27 |
Laundress |
b. Elgin |
| Katharine Jones |
24 |
Parlour Maid |
b. Denbyshire |
| Annie Williams |
24 |
Housemaid |
b. Llangollen, Denbyshire |
| Beatrice Annie Jones |
18 |
Housemaid |
b. Walford, Herefordshire |
| Margaret Pollitt |
47 |
Nurse |
B. Redcliffe,Lancashire |
| Mary Kettle |
21 |
Kitchen Maid |
b. Winsford, Cheshire |
| Annie Jones |
23 |
Scullery Maid |
b. Denbyshire |
| Margaret Ellen Hughes |
17 |
Laundry Maid |
b. Anglesey, North Wales |
| Hannah Griffiths |
16 |
Housemaid |
b. Denbyshire |
1921 – The Coppice Household
| Roy Frederick Storey |
b. Ross on Wye, Herefordshire 1913 |
Son |
| Ellen Maud Hill |
b. Cheddar, Somerset 1881 |
Governess |
| Mary Jane Jones |
b. Wales 1853 |
Housekeeper |
| Edith Susan Haines |
b. Yatton, Herefordshire 1890 |
Housemaid |
| Edith Mary Vaughan |
b. Hildersley, Ross on Wye, Herefordshire 1904 |
Scullery Maid |
| Louisa Mary Richardson |
b. Walford, Herefordshire 1879 |
Parlour Maid |
| Elizabeth Mary Phillips |
b. Foy, Herefordshire 1886 |
Laundress |
| Eva Myrtle Yemm (?) |
b. Ruardean, Gloucestershire 1900 |
Kitchen Maid |
| Edith May Yemm (?) |
b. Ruardean, Gloucestershire 1902 |
Housemaid |