John Coke

John Coke built the original Hall Court at Kynaston, Much Marcle in the early 1600s, almost certainly on or near the site of an earlier building.

This is just a brief outline of John Coke’s life, but any amount of detailed information on his political journey can easily be found online.
John Coke was born in 1563, his father being a rather wealthy lawyer, and was educated first at Westminster before attending Trinity college, Cambridge in 1576. He gained a scholarship in 1580 going on to take his BA. On the death of his father, his time at Cambridge might have been curtailed, but with the generous help of his brother he managed to finish his studies; he was to later return as a lecturer.
John Coke became friends with Fulke Greville, and worked with him for some time, gaining a reputation for being trustworthy and capable. The pair enjoyed a rise in office in both Parliament and Royal circles, but also fell hard after Queen Elizabeth’s death.

There was a rather unpleasant side to John Coke, in that during the war of the 1620s he managed to avoid using any of his own money to help with the cost of military action, whilst others around him were digging deeply into their pockets. He used  money gained from his office to buy estates.
Ironically, during his time as chief Clerk to Greville, treasurer of the navy, he found out that many naval officials were only concerned with lining their own pockets, and he and Greville did their best to bring about reforms. Unfortunately Greville was forced to resign and Coke went too.
At this time he was 40 and with time on his hands he married Marie Powell in Herefordshire; they lived with her father for a while whilst Hall Court was being built.
It wasn’t too long though before he and Greville were on the rise again and he became very well thought of and respected, being elected MP for Warwick in 1621 – it seems that he and his wife then spent little time at Hall Court and it was put out for rent.
John Coke died in 1644 in Tottenham

Hall Court becomes a Rental Property

In 1781 Hall Court was advertised for let – boasting orcharding, meadow pasture and arable land amounting to two hundred and forty acres, together with another adjoining farm called The Porch.

For many years, Hall Court was tenanted by William Smith, a man who on his death aged in 1861 aged 71 was described as highly respected.
Shortly afterwards, an auction was arranged to sell all William’s farming stock and implements, all the household furniture and livestock.

1841 – Hall Court Household

1861 – Hall Court Household

1881 – Hall Court Household

1901 – Hall Court Household

1911 – Hall Court Household

Homme House has been owned since the 17^th century by the Kyrle family,  but during the second World War was used as a hospital.

In 1674  John Ernle of Burytown, Wiltshire, son of Sir John Ernle who was a Privy Councillor and also Chancellor of the Exchequeir between 1676 and 1689. married Vincentia Kyrle of Much Marcle in Herefordshire and this united the names – their daughter Constantia married but had no children, so she gave her estates to the son of her cousin, James Money.

James Money became Major in the Army, and eventually gained the post of Lieutenant Colonel;  he married Eugenia Stoughton.  Of their children, only one, William Money, survived and he married Mary Webster – they went on to have a whopping family of 13 children, only losing two along the way!  Of these children, the eldest son James Money took over the estates in 1808.  He followed the family tradition and went into the army, eventually becoming Major

Major General Sir James Money Kyrle

James was born in 1775, the son of William Money and Mary Webster;  he was given the name James Money at birth but in 1809 this was changed to James Money Kyrle by Royal Licence.  He succeeded to his father’s estates in 1808 and married in 1811, and in the same year gained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.  James went on to become Colonel in 1825 and Major General in 1838 before his death in 1843.  His marriage was childless, and  so the estates passed to his brother William.

William Money Kyrle

William Money was born in 1776 and his birth name was changed to William Money Kyrle by Royal Licence in 1844.  He was ordained as Deacon in 1799, and priest in 1801.  He and his wife Emma had 8 children

William Money Kyrle

William Money Kyrle was born in 1801 at Homme House, and was the son of Reverend William Money Kyrle and Emma Down;  he was admitted to the Inner Temple and entitled to practice as a barrister, but suffered from constant ill health and was possibly a hypochondriac.  Although born William Money, he changed his name by Royal Lincence in 1843 to William Money Kyrle.  He never married and died in 1868.

John Ernle Money Kyrle

John Ernle Money Kyrle was born in 1812, the son of Reverend William Money Kyre and Emma Down and was given the name John Ernle Money at birth, this was changed to John Ernle Money Kyrle by Royal Licence.    He married twice – first Harriet Louisa Sutton in 1842 and secondly Ada Frances Simons in 1865, and eventually gained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel as well as holding the office of Deputy Lieutenant of Herefordshire.

The Sudden Death of Colonel John Money Kyrle

In 1894 82 year old Colonel John Money Kyrle collapsed and died whilst dressing one Monday morning.

He had just come back from a holiday at the seaside with his family, and everyone thought that his previously poor health and greatly improved, but just before his death he once again complained of feeling unwell.

Heart disease was determined as the cause of death.

He had been a county magistrate for many years and was also Deputy Lieutenant for Herefordshire;  he was strongly Conservative in his politics and was well respected by friends and tenants alike.  He married twice, and had children by both marriages, with his son Major Audley Walter Washbourne Money Kyrle inheriting the estate.

Audley Walter Washbourne Money-Kyrle

In 1905 Major Audley Money Kyrle rented Homme House to the Dowager Lady Beauchamp for many years, and she stayed there with her two daughters, Lady Agnes and Lady Maud Lygon;  she herself was the sister of Lord Manvers.

Three years later the Major was in Much Marcle, and took the opportunity to join a shooting party at Homme House, where he unfortunately fell down dead.  He was fifty five, and left a widow and four children.

Unsolved Child Murder at Homme House

In 1863 some workmen spotted something floating in the pond at Homme House, and on investigation they discovered a baby boy.  The inquest revealed that the child was about two weeks old and had been born alive;  he seemed of healthy appearance and had been in the water some ten days, but it was strange that no effort had been made to weigh the child down.  A verdict of wilful murder was returned against some person or persons unknown.

Fatal Burning at Homme House

Agnes Jones, a 16 year old kitchen maid at Homme House was at work when a cinder feel from the range and landed on her clothing which immediately caught fire.  She immediately ran in a panic out into the hall, and Colonel Money Kyrle tried to help her by throwing her to the floor and smothering the flames.

Medical help was called for, but she was so severely burned that she was take to Ledbury Cottage Hospital, where she died from her injuries

1851 – Homme House Household

Ten years later, it was the Butler who was in charge on census day, and there are some anomalies…….Elizabeth Dew for example was 35 in 1851, and 36 in 1861;  this could have been the fault of the enumerator.   Although her place of birth appears to vary, the area is the same, as is the case with Sophia Schurven.

1861 – Homme House Household

1871 – Homme House Household

1881 – Homme House Household

1891 – Homme House Household

1901 – Homme House Household

1911 – Homme House Household

1921 – Homme House Household