Wessington Court, Woolhope
The original house was 17th century, built before the Reformation, and much improved by the Gregory but it was demolished and rebuilt in the 19th century by Henry William Booth.
1851 – Wessington Court Household
| Henry William Booth | 35 | Landed Proprietor | b. Stanstead Abbotts |
| Augusta Hope Booth | 36 | Wife | b. Monmouthshire |
| Mary Georgina Booth | 13 | Daughter | b. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire |
| Alice Elizabeth Booth | 7 | Daughter | b. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire |
| Frances Agnes Booth | 6 | Daughter | b. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire |
| William Cowper Cooper | 40 | Visitor, Magistrate and Barrister | b. Middlesex |
| Georgina Cowper Cooper | 40 | Wife of above | b. Monmouthshire |
| W.P. Cowper Cooper | 14 | Son of above | b. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire |
| Mary Dawes | 40 | Governess | b. Clarendon, Wiltshire |
| Louisa Haville | 35 | Housekeeper | b. London, Middlesex |
| Margaret Francis | 30 | Nurse | b. Brampton Bryan, Herefordshire |
| William Pawley | 40 | Butler | b. Devonshire |
| Phebe Smith | 25 | Cook | b. Guiting Power, Gloucestershire |
| Kitty East | 17 | Nursemaid | b. Guiting Power, Gloucestershire |
| Alice Turner | 39 | Housemaid | b. Lugwardine, Herefordshire |
| George Bowler | 27 | Coachman | b. Wiltshire |
Shortly after the above census was taken, the Booth family left the estate and many of the contents of Wessington Court were put in an auction on 15th September 1851:
“Costly town made furniture in rosewood and mahogany; lofty four post and French canopy bedsteads, clothed in moreen and chintz; hair and wool mattresses; feather beds; mahogany winged wardrobes; chests with drawers; wash hand and dressing tables; telescope dining tables; Spanish mahogany sideboard with marble top; mahogany side tables; dining room chairs with loose seats; sofas stuffed with horse hair; library tables; Brussels carpets; Druggetts; cocoa fibre matting and Dutch carpets; splendid carved oak furniture, comprising sideboard, sarcophagus, sofa, chairs and tables; oil paintings in gilt frames by Carlo Dolce, Backhuysen, Brughel, G. Morland, Vangoen, Bort, Stork, Campion.
Handsome model fenders with stags and chains, rosewood drawing room furniture, handsome china vases, chimney glass in gilt frame, chintz and moreen window curtains; dinner, breakfast and coffee services of china; kitchen requisites, barrels, tubs, garden tools, saddles and bridles, single harness, a George the 4th pony phaeton, a well built dog cart by Collins of Oxford. Four well bred short horn cows.”
I think that such a list makes it possible almost to imagine how the house would have looked at the time.
Thomas P. Williams bought the estate, but in 1859 went on to rent it out, selling much of the contents, as follows:
“Elegant and costly furniture, including a magnificent suite in walnut. Spanish mahogany and rosewood made to order, carved oak cabinet, plate chimney glass, splendid piano forte, arabian bedsteads etc. Also, double and single barrel guns, a superior swiss rifle; air gun; brace of high bred pointers; horses; full sized clarence and dog cart, phaeton, harness, one pig and other valuable effects.”
At one point in the 1860s, the MP for Herefordshire, Mildmay and his wife, stayed at Wessington Court and when forcibly reminded of the plight of the poor in that area, Mrs. Mildmay lost no time in distributing food and clothing which was gratefully received.
In 1862 the Wessington Court estate was put up for sale and was described as a substantial Mansion, planned with great taste and beautifully placed on a hill with wonderful views.
1871 – Wessington Court Household
| Burchall Helme | 35 | Retired from Army | b. Standish, Gloucestershire |
| Mary Helme | 24 | Wife | b. London |
| Evelyn Helme | 1 | Daughter | b. St. Georges, London |
| Susannah Helme | 63 | Widow, Visitor | b. Walthamstow, Essex |
| Harold Helme | 21 | Visitor | b. Stroud, Gloucestershire |
| Emily Collyer | 21 | Visitor | b. Hertfordshire |
| Margaret Barrow | 49 | Visitor | b.Lancashire |
| John Knight | 36 | Butler | b. Norfolk |
| Thomas Hancock | 28 | Coachman | b. Devonshire |
| Henry Stovell | 16 | Footman | b. Surrey |
| Ellen Tomsett | 24 | Cook | b. Challock |
| Eliza Goodgame | 33 | Housemaid | b. Oxfordshire |
| Sarah Weston | 23 | Nurse | b. Hertfordshire |
| Elizabeth Jones | 18 | Kitchenmaid | b. Kinnersley, Herefordshire |
| Susan Jackson | 16 | Housemaid | b. Herefordshire |
| Sarah Telling | 55 | Lady’s Maid | b. Cirencester, Gloucestershire |
1881 – Wessington Court Household
| Ann Jane Keates | 50 | widow | b. Everton, Lancashire |
| Gertrude Mary Keates | 22 | Daughter | b. Liverpool, Lancashire |
| Lucia Frances Keates | 19 | Daughter | b. Liverpool, Lancashire |
| Lucy Burdock | 34 | Lady’s Maid | b. Surrey |
| Elizabeth Cross | 14 | Kitchenmaid | b. Woolhope, Herefordshire |
| Lucy Grocock | 20 | Kitchenmaid | b. Leicestershire |
| Mary Ann Patterson | 23 | Housemaid | b. Yatton, Herefordshire |
| John Stainsby | 23 | Footman | b. Yorkshire |
| Margaret Moody | 35 | Housekeeper | b. Salop |
| George Fiander | 35 | Butler | b. Dorset |
1911 – Wessington Court Household
| William Kendal | 45 | Caretaker | b. Ferryside, Carmarthen |
| Ellen Maud Kendal | 42 | Wife | b. Devonport |
| Arthur James Kendal | 17 | Son, farm labourer | b. Hereford |
The singer Roger Whittaker lived from some time in half of the Wessington Court house.