Hampton Court Castle in Herefordshire is not only exceptionally beautiful and well maintained, but also boasts history dating back to the 15th century, and is set in over 1000 acres of parkland, woodlands and pasture, with the river Lugg running close by.
Sir Rowland Lenthall
The estate was originally formed by the merging of the manors of Hampton Richard and Hampton Mappenor, and was granted by Henry IV to Sir Rowland Lenthall at the time of his marriage to Margaret Fitzalan, daughter of the Earl of Arundel, a cousin of the King. He built the manor house in 1427 and was granted a licence to crenellate the house by Henry V in 1434.
Sir Rowland’s daughter took over the manor, along with her husband the Baron of Burford, and their daughter married the fourth Earl of Essex – it was their son, George Capel Coningsby who sold the court in 1810 to Richard Arkwright.
Richard Arkwright
In the early 19th century, Hampton Court Castle was bought by Richard Arkwright, born 1755, who was the son of Sir Richard Arkwright (born 1732) – the celebrated inventor who is often erroneously credited with inventing the Spinning Jenny. It was actually a man called James Hargreaves who did this, but Arkwright did patent some improvements which produced a stronger yarn and needed less labour, although even these were claimed to have been copies of someone else’s work and the patents were later revoked. What is undisputed is that he was the first to make a horse driven spinning mill at Preston, and he greatly improved the efficiency of mills thereby increasing profits for the owners.
John Arkwright
John Arkwright set about rejigging the Court, he certainly had the money to do so as he was believed to be the most wealthy commoner in the whole of Europe. One of his sons, John, took over the Court and he too made huge changes and renovations – mainly to accommodate his twelve children – but the alterations changed Hampton Court to such an extent that the original medieval appearance was lost. He spent more than £46,000, an absolutely massive amount at the time, but by all accounts rather regretted it.
Johnny Arkwright
One of John Arkwright’s twelve children was Johnny, who at the age of 24 inherited the Castle and set about increasing the estate to a vast ten and a half thousand acres. He was something of a character, and lived life to the full but sadly fortunes failed, and after his death his son was forced to sell the Castle in 1912.
Mrs. Nancy Burrell
Nancy Burrell who hailed from Northumberland purchased Hampton Court Castle from the Arkwrights, running it as a hospital during WW1. She not only lost her husband during the war, but also lost her baby boy, and in 1924 she sold the Court on to the Devereux family who kept it until 1972. Unfortunately by this time the years had taken their toll and the whole house was in dire need of repair.
It still is – but a succession of owners have done their best to raise funds to enable vital work to be carried out, and it remains a hugely impressive and beautiful house.
Chapel
All pictures on this page are shown with the permission of the current owners of Hampton Court Castle.
The Chapel is one of the oldest parts of Hampton Court, and was originally built as a private Roman Catholic chapel for the family’s use. It is now used for civil weddings and cermemonies.
Wall mounted candles, a later addition, showing the coat of arms of the Coningsby family
Household and servants 1841 Census
| John Arkwright | 55 | Landowner |
| Sarah Arkwright | 33 | Wife |
| Caroline Arkwright | 10 | Daughter |
| Mary Arkwright | 9 | Daughter |
| John Arkwright | 7 | Son |
| Richard Arkwright | 6 | Son |
| George Arkwright | 4 | Son |
| Henry Arkwright | 3 | Son |
| Edwyn Arkwright | 2 | Son |
| Hungerford Hoskyn | 35 | |
| James Milbank | 35 | |
| Mary Nichols | 47 | |
| Charlotte Evans | 30 | |
| Eliza Morgan | 20 | |
| Jane Jones | 24 | |
| Sarah Williams | 22 | |
| Mary Parry | 19 | |
| Eliza Hall | 26 | |
| Mary Jones | 21 | |
| Margaret Evans | 23 | |
| Harriett Williams | 16 | |
| William Dean | 26 | |
| Lazarus Fenton | 18 |
Household and servants 1851 census
| John Arkwright | 65 | Magistrate b. Bakewell, Derbyshire |
| Caroline Sarah Arkwright | 20 | Daughter b. Hampton Court Castle, Herefordshire |
| Mary Arkwright | 18 | Daughter, b. Hampton Court Castle, Herefordshire |
| Frances Catherine Arkwright | 9 | Daughter b. Hampton Court Castle, Herefordshire |
| Arthur Chandos Arkwright | 8 | Son, b. Hampton Court Castle, Herefordshire |
| Emily Sophia Arkwright | 6 | Daughter, b. Hampton Court Castle, Herefordshire |
| Charles Leigh Arkwright | 4 | Son, b. Hampton Court Castle, Herefordshire |
| Alice Arkwright | 2 | Daughter, b. Hampton Court Castle, Herefordshire |
| Eliza Ward | 36 | Governess b. Blackfriars, Middlesex |
| Harriette Cabron | 41 | Housekeeper b. London |
| Mary Tugman | 35 | Cook b. Dorking, Surrey |
| Elizabeth Watts | 55 | Nurse b. Devon |
| Mary Jones | 30 | Laundry Maid b. Dormington, Herefordshire |
| Catherine Taylor | 34 | Lady’s Maid b. Herefordshire |
| Harriet Jackson | 26 | Housemaid b. Wellington Heath, Herefordshire |
| Sarah Bryen | 26 | Nurse b. Herefordshire |
| Mary Wargent | 24 | Housemaid b. Herefordshire |
| Elizabeth ? | 45 | Kitchenmaid b. Herefordshire |
| Margaret Grainger | 19 | Housemaid b. Herefordshire |
| Eliza Grainger | 23 | Laundry Maid b. Herefordshire |
| Charlotte Williams | 23 | Kitchenmaid b. Weobley, Herefordshire |
| James Tallon | 38 | Butler b. Derbyshire |
| Mary Ann Elsden | 16 | Kitchenmaid b. Essex |
| Thomas Chandler | 35 | Coachman b. Eastington, Gloucestershire |
| William Gann | 22 | Footman b. Kent |
Household and servants 1861 census
| John H. Arkwright | 27 | Landowner and J.P. b. Hampton Court Castle, Herefordshire |
| Sarah Arkwright | 52 | Mother b. Hampton Court Castle, Herefordshire |
| Mary Arkwright | 28 | Sister b. Hampton Court Castle, Herefordshire |
| Fanny C. Arkwright | 19 | Sister b. Hampton Court Castle, Herefordshire |
| Emily S. Arkwright | 16 | Sister b. Hampton Court Castle, Herefordshire |
| Alice E. Arkwright | 12 | Sister b. Hampton Court Castle, Herefordshire |
| Richard Arkwright | 26 | Brother, Barrister in Practice b. Hampton Court Castle, Herefordshire |
| Edwyn Arkwright | 21 | Brother, Undergraduate at Oxford b. Hampton Court Castle, Herefordshire |
| Arthur C. Arkwright | 18 | Brother, Scholar at Eton, b. Hampton Court Castle, Herefordshire |
| Charles L. Arkwright | 14 | Brother, Scholar at Harrow b. Hampton Court Castle, Herefordshire |
| Eliza J. Ward | 45 | Governess b. London |
| Sarah Yates | 49 | Housekeeper b. Stoke, Staffordshire |
| Mary Ann Briscoe | 57 | Nurse b. Suffolk |
| Susan Newman | 39 | Lady’s Maid b. Southminster, Essex |
| Eliza Preece | 24 | Housemaid b. Withington, Herefordshire |
| Mary Morgan | 26 | Laundry Maid b. St. Martins Herefordshire |
| Eliza Matthews | 17 | Housemaid b. Monkland, Herefordshire |
| Mary Ann Herbert | 19 | Nursemaid b. Crickhowell, Brecon |
| Fanny Stevens | 18 | Laundry Maid b. Herefordshire |
| Martha Price | 20 | Kitchenmaid b. Crickhowell, Brecon |
| Ann Watson | 19 | Still Maid b. Cheshire |
| Charlotte Rogers | 16 | Scullery Maid b. Kington, Herefordshire |
| James Tatlow | 48 | Butler b. Derbyshire |
| Alfred Howells | 30 | Valet b. Calne, Wiltshire |
| Joseph Morrell | 25 | Footman b. Derbyshire |
| Charles H. Footitt | 23 | Footman b. Nottinghamshire |
| William Woolnough | 30 | Coachman b. Carlton, Suffolk |
| Thomas Chapman | 22 | Groom b. Suffolk |
| Charles Coward | 21 | Groom b. Bristol |
Household and servants 1871 census
| John H. Arkwright | 37 | J.P. b. Hampton Court Castle, Herefordshire |
| Charlotte L. Arkwright | 30 | b. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire |
| Caroline Tulitt | 46 | Housekeeper b. Brighton, Sussex |
| Annie Childs | 24 | Lady’s Maid b. Eversholt, Bedfordshire |
| Priscilla Phillips | 27 | Cook b. Pimlico, Middlesex |
| Priscilla Dakin | 27 | Laundry Maid b. Elton, Derbyshire |
| Rosabel Turner | 29 | Housemaid b. Surrey |
| Alice M. Clewes | 22 | Still Room Maid b. Birmingham |
| Elizabeth Pugh | 20 | Housemaid b. Whitney, Herefordshire |
| Caroline Hillier | 17 | Laundry Maid b. Wiltshire |
| Mary A. Dean | 18 | Housemaid b. Ross on Wye, Herefordshire |
| Sophia Diplock | 23 | Kitchenmaid b. Sussex |
| Helen Hill | 17 | Scullery Maid b. Richards Castle, Shropshire |
| Thomas Shephard | 35 | Butler b. Garforth, Yorkshire |
| Richard Palmer | 28 | Valet b. Weymouth, Dorset |
| Colin McColl | 22 | Footman b. Scotland |
| Joseph T. Collins | 23 | Footman b. Dorset |
| Alfred Gilbert | 23 | Coachman b. Stamford, Northampton |
Household and servants 1901 census
| John H. Arkwright | 67 | b. Hampton Court Castle, Herefordshire |
| Charlotte L. Arkwright | 60 | Wife b. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire |
| Geraldine M. Arkwright | 25 | Daughter b. London |
| Evelyn Arkwright | 24 | Daughter b. London |
| Olive M.R. Arkwright | 18 | Daughter b. London |
| Jane Edwards | 49 | Cook/Housekeeper b. Anglesea, North Wales |
| Annie Reay | 38 | Lady’s Maid b. Cumberland |
| Georgina A. Webb | 24 | Lady’s Maid b. Poonah, India |
| Elizabeth Hobday | 34 | Housemaid b. Battle, Sussex |
| Laura Griffiths | 22 | Housemaid b. Monmouthshire |
| Gertrude M. Smith | 18 | Housemaid, b. Gloucestershire |
| Ellen E. Apperley | 17 | Kitchenmaid b. Kington, Herefordshire |
| Jerusa Picfinch | 15 | Scullery Maid b. Yarpole, Herefordshire |
| Elizabeth Gatehouse | 19 | Laundrymaid b. Ivinghoe, Herefordshire |
| William Childs | 55 | Butler b. Dorset |
| William Paul | 27 | Footman b. Lyme Regis, Devon |
| John Ree | 16 | Hall Boy b. Newtown, Herefordshire |
| Charles F. Chilman | 34 | Coachman b. Northamptonshire |
In 1911 Arthur Charles Arkwright aged 68 and his wife Agnes Mary aged 67 were residing at Hatfield Place, Hatfield Peverel, Essex, along with their servants: