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Charborough House, also known as Charborough Park, is a
Grade I listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
building, the
manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals w ...
of the ancient manor of
Charborough Charborough is an historic former parish and manor in Dorset, England. It survives today as a hamlet, situated on an affluent of the River Stour, 6 miles west of Wimborne Minster, but without any of its former administrative powers, and is today ...
. The house is between the villages of
Sturminster Marshall Sturminster Marshall is a village and civil parish in east Dorset in England, situated on the River Stour between Blandford Forum and Poole. The parish had a population of 1,895 at the 2001 census, increasing to 1,969 at the 2011 Census and in ...
and
Bere Regis Bere Regis () is a village and civil parish in Dorset, England, situated north-west of Wareham. In the 2011 census the civil parish had a population of 1,745. The village has one shop, a family-owned cheese barn, a post office, and two pubs ...
in
Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...
, England. The grounds, which include a deer park and gardens, adjoin the villages of
Winterborne Zelston Winterborne Zelston is a village and civil parish in north Dorset, England. It is situated in a winterbourne valley on the A31 road south of Blandford Forum and northwest of Poole. The parish had a population of 141 in 2001. In 2013 the estim ...
, Newton Peveril and
Lytchett Matravers Lytchett Matravers is a village and civil parish in Dorset, England. The 2011 census recorded the parish as having 1,439 households and a population of 3,424. History The name comes from the Brittonic ''litchet'' meaning "grey wood" and the ...
: they are Grade II* listed in the
National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens The Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England provides a listing and classification system for historic parks and gardens similar to that used for listed buildings. The register is managed by Historic England ...
, and have been called the most splendid parkland in Dorset.


Descent

The estate is listed as a manor in the
Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...
of 1086.


Erle

The Erle (''alias'' Earl, Earle, etc.) family originated in east
Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...
and moved to neighbouring Dorset in about 1500, but died out in the male line on the death of General Thomas III Erle (1650–1720) without male progeny. His daughter and sole heiress Frances Erle (d.1728) married Edward Ernle, to which family the estate passed. Female heiresses subsequently brought the Erle/Ernle estates to owners with different family names.


Walter I Erle (c.1520–1581)

Charborough was acquired during the reign of Queen
Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". El ...
(1558–1603) by Walter I Erle (c.1520–1581), an officer of the
Privy Chamber A privy chamber was the private apartment of a royal residence in England. The Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber were noble-born servants to the Crown who would wait and attend on the King in private, as well as during various court activities, f ...
to King Edward VI and to his sisters Queen Mary I and Queen Elizabeth I.
History of Parliament The History of Parliament is a project to write a complete history of the United Kingdom Parliament and its predecessors, the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of England. The history will principally consist of a prosopography, in w ...
biography of Walter Erle (1586–166

/ref> He married Mary Weekes, one of the 5 daughters and co-heiresses of Richard Weekes of Bindon, Axmouth, Bindon in the parish of Axmouth, Devon. Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries he purchased the manor of
Axmouth Axmouth is a village, civil parish and former manor in the East Devon district of Devon, England, near the mouth of the River Axe. The village itself is about inland, on the east bank of the Axe estuary. The parish extends along the estuary ...
, formerly a possession of
Syon Abbey Syon Abbey , also called simply Syon, was a dual monastery of men and women of the Bridgettines, Bridgettine Order, although it only ever had abbesses during its existence. It was founded in 1415 and stood, until its demolition in the 16th cen ...
.


Thomas Erle (d.1597)

Thomas Erle (d.1597), eldest son, whose large effigy dressed in full-armour and kneeling on one knee in prayer, survives (re-positioned) in St Mary's Church,
Morden, Dorset Morden (otherwise Moreden) is a civil parish in the Purbeck district of south Dorset, England. Morden is about north-west of Poole. At the 2011 census the civil parish had 141 households and a population of 323. As well as the village of Morde ...
, the parish church of Charborough House. In 1581 at Shute in Devon, he married Dorothy Pole, a daughter of his father's near neighbour
William Pole William Pole FRS FRSE MICE (22 April 181430 December 1900) was an English engineer, astronomer, musician and an authority on Whist. Life He was born in Birmingham on 22 April 1814, the son of Thomas Pole. Pole was apprenticed as an engineer t ...
(1515–1587), Esquire, MP, of Shute House in the parish of Shute, near
Colyton, Devon Colyton is a town in Devon, England. It is located within the East Devon local authority area, the river River Coly runs through it. It is from Seaton and from Axminster. Its population in 1991 was 2,783, reducing to 2,105 at the 2011 Censu ...
. Dorothy's brother was the Devon
antiquary An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifact (archaeology), artifac ...
and historian Sir
William Pole William Pole FRS FRSE MICE (22 April 181430 December 1900) was an English engineer, astronomer, musician and an authority on Whist. Life He was born in Birmingham on 22 April 1814, the son of Thomas Pole. Pole was apprenticed as an engineer t ...
(1561–1635) whose principal seat was Colcombe House in the parish of Colyton, the former residence of Walter Erle of which mansion house and deerpark a lease had been granted to him by Queen
Catherine Parr Catherine Parr (sometimes alternatively spelled Katherine, Katheryn, Kateryn, or Katharine; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen of England and Ireland as the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 12 July 1543 until ...
. Pole describes various of the Erle family's landholdings in his work ''Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon''. Dorothy's mother was Katherine Popham (died 1588), the sister of John Popham (1531–1607), Lord Chief Justice. Dorothy survived her husband and remarried to Sir Walter Vaughan (c.1572–1639), of Falstone (''alias'' Fallersdon) in the parish of Bishopstone, Wiltshire,
Sheriff of Wiltshire This is a list of the Sheriffs and (after 1 April 1974) High Sheriffs of Wiltshire. Until the 14th century, the shrievalty was held '' ex officio'' by the castellans of Old Sarum Castle. On 1 April 1974, under the provisions of the Local Go ...
in 1599–1600 and a
Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
for
Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...
in 1606. Thomas Erle commenced building a pier at
Axmouth Axmouth is a village, civil parish and former manor in the East Devon district of Devon, England, near the mouth of the River Axe. The village itself is about inland, on the east bank of the Axe estuary. The parish extends along the estuary ...
, which manor had been acquired by his father.


Col. Sir Walter Erle (1586–1665)

Col. Sir
Walter Erle Sir Walter Erle or Earle (22 November 1586 – 1 September 1665) was an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1614 and 1648. He was a vigorous opponent of King Charles I in the Parliamentary c ...
(1586–1665) of Charborough, eldest surviving son and heir, a
Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
and a vigorous opponent of King Charles I in the
Parliamentary A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democracy, democratic government, governance of a sovereign state, state (or subordinate entity) where the Executive (government), executive derives its democratic legitimacy ...
cause both before and during the
English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...
. he married Ann Dymoke, a daughter of Francis Dymoke, and sister of Sir Henry Dymoke, and through her acquired the manors of Erckington and Pipe, Warwickshire, which he sold to Sir Walter Devereux, Baronet.


Thomas Erle (1621–1650)

Thomas Erle General Thomas Erle PC (1650 – 23 July 1720) of Charborough, Dorset, was a general in the English Army and, thereafter, the British Army. He was also a Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons of England and of Great Britain from 16 ...
(1621–1650), son, an MP in the Long Parliament with his father. he served as a
Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
for
Milborne Port Milborne Port is a village, electoral ward and civil parish in Somerset, England, east of Sherborne, and in the South Somerset district. It has a population of 2,802. The parish includes the hamlets of Milborne Wick and Kingsbury Regis. The vill ...
in the
Short Parliament The Short Parliament was a Parliament of England that was summoned by King Charles I of England on the 20th of February 1640 and sat from 13th of April to the 5th of May 1640. It was so called because of its short life of only three weeks. Aft ...
and for Wareham (a
pocket borough A rotten or pocket borough, also known as a nomination borough or proprietorial borough, was a parliamentary borough or constituency in England, Great Britain, or the United Kingdom before the Reform Act 1832, which had a very small electorat ...
controlled by his family) for the
Long Parliament The Long Parliament was an English Parliament which lasted from 1640 until 1660. It followed the fiasco of the Short Parliament, which had convened for only three weeks during the spring of 1640 after an 11-year parliamentary absence. In Septem ...
in November 1640. He married Susanna Fiennes, a daughter of William Fiennes, 3rd Viscount Saye and Sele.


Lt-Gen. Thomas Erle (1650–1720)

Lieutenant-General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
Thomas Erle General Thomas Erle PC (1650 – 23 July 1720) of Charborough, Dorset, was a general in the English Army and, thereafter, the British Army. He was also a Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons of England and of Great Britain from 16 ...
(1650–1720), PC, son, Governor of Portsmouth and a
Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance The Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance was a member of the British Board of Ordnance and the deputy of the Master-General of the Ordnance. The office was established in 1545, and the holder was appointed by the crown under letters patent. It w ...
. He was elected a
Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
for Wareham (a
pocket borough A rotten or pocket borough, also known as a nomination borough or proprietorial borough, was a parliamentary borough or constituency in England, Great Britain, or the United Kingdom before the Reform Act 1832, which had a very small electorat ...
controlled by his family) in 1679 (twice), 1681, 1685 and 1689 and in 1685 he was made Deputy Lieutenant of
Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...
. He was a main promoter of the
Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution; gd, Rèabhlaid Ghlòrmhor; cy, Chwyldro Gogoneddus , also known as the ''Glorieuze Overtocht'' or ''Glorious Crossing'' in the Netherlands, is the sequence of events leading to the deposition of King James II and ...
as in 1686 he hosted a group of conspirators who met at Charborough House to plan the overthrow of "the tyrant race of Stuarts". This meeting led to the
Invitation to William The ''Invitation to William'' was a letter sent by seven notable English nobles, later called "the Immortal Seven", to stadtholder William III, Prince of Orange, received by him on 30 June 1688 (Julian calendar, 10 July Gregorian calendar). In ...
, signed by the ''Immortal seven''. In 1675 he married Elizabeth Wyndham (died 1710), a daughter of
Sir William Wyndham, 1st Baronet Sir William Wyndham, 1st Baronet (''ca.'' 1632 – 29 October 1683) of Orchard Wyndham, Somerset, was Member of Parliament for Somerset in 1656 and twice for Taunton in 1659 and 1660. He was Sheriff of Somerset in 1679–80. Origins Willia ...
of
Orchard Wyndham Orchard Wyndham is a historic manor near Williton in Somerset, centred on the synonymous grade I listed manor house of Orchard Wyndham that was situated historically in the parish of Watchet and about two miles south of the parish church of ...
in Somerset. After his retirement from the military he made alterations to Charborough House, including the addition of a new staircase hall with mural paintings by Sir James Thornhill, and the laying out of a formal garden on the west side. He died without male progeny, when his heiress became his daughter Frances Erle (d.1728), who married
Sir Edward Ernle, 3rd Baronet Sir Edward Ernle, 3rd Baronet (c. 1673 – 1729) of Charborough in Dorset, of Brimslade Park and Etchilhampton, both in Wiltshire, was an English Whig politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1695 and 1729. He had m ...
(c.1673–1729). Charborough House thus passed to the Ernle family.


Ernle


Sir Edward Ernle, 3rd Baronet (c.1673–1729)

Sir Edward Ernle, 3rd Baronet Sir Edward Ernle, 3rd Baronet (c. 1673 – 1729) of Charborough in Dorset, of Brimslade Park and Etchilhampton, both in Wiltshire, was an English Whig politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1695 and 1729. He had m ...
(c.1673–1729) of Etchilhampton, married Frances Erle (d.1728), heiress of Charborough, but died without male progeny, leaving a daughter and heiress Elizabeth Ernle, wife of Henry Drax (c.1693–1755).


Drax

Henry Drax Henry Drax (c. 1693–1755) of Ellerton Abbey, Yorkshire and Charborough, near Wareham, Dorset was a British Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1718 and 1755. Drax was the eldest son of Thomas Drax (formerly Shatterden) of P ...
(c.1693–1755) of
Ellerton Abbey Ellerton Abbey is a civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It is located on the River Swale in lower Swaledale, south-west of Richmond. The population of the parish was estimated at 20 in 2016. The parish c ...
in Yorkshire, a
Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
, in about 1719 married Elizabeth Ernle, his first cousin and heiress of Charborough. He was the son of Thomas Shatterden, of Pope's Common, Hertfordshire, by his wife Elizabeth Drax. Thomas changed his surname to Drax, having become the heir of his wealthy childless uncle Col.
Henry Drax Henry Drax (c. 1693–1755) of Ellerton Abbey, Yorkshire and Charborough, near Wareham, Dorset was a British Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1718 and 1755. Drax was the eldest son of Thomas Drax (formerly Shatterden) of P ...
, a sugar planter of Drax Hall in
Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...
and of Ellerton Abbey. Henry Drax was a favourite of Frederick,
Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...
, whose secretary he became. Drax built a new wing onto Charborough House to accommodate the Prince during his visit in 1741.


Thomas Erle Drax (c.1721–1789)

Thomas Erle Drax Thomas Erle Drax (1721 – December 1789) was an English Tory politician. He served as a Member of Parliament for constituencies in Dorset in the 18th century. He was the son of Henry Drax, British MP and owner of slave plantations in Barbados an ...
(c.1721–1789), son, a
Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
for Wareham and
Corfe Castle Corfe Castle is a fortification standing above the village of the same name on the Isle of Purbeck peninsula in the English county of Dorset. Built by William the Conqueror, the castle dates to the 11th century and commands a gap in the P ...
. In 1754 he married Mary St. John, a daughter of John St John, 11th Baron St John (d.1757) of Bletso, but died without progeny and was succeeded by his brother Edward Drax.Burke's Landed Gentry, 1937 In 1775 he rebuilt the parish church next to Charborough House.


Edward Drax

Edward Drax of Charborough, brother, who in 1762 married Mary Churchill, a daughter of Awnsham Churchill of Henbury. He died without male progeny, leaving as his heiress his daughter Sarah Frances Drax, wife of Richard Grosvenor. In 1790 he built the pagoda-like ornamental tower, originally 80 feet high, extended in height after 1838.


Grosvenor ("Erle-Drax")


Richard Erle-Drax (d.1819)

Richard Grosvenor (d.1819), a
Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
for
West Looe West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some R ...
in Cornwall, married Sarah Frances Drax (1769–1822), heiress of Charborough, and in consequence of his marriage he assumed the surname and arms of "Erle-Drax". He was a nephew of
Richard Grosvenor, 1st Earl Grosvenor Richard Grosvenor, 1st Earl Grosvenor (; 18 June 1731 – 5 August 1802), known as Sir Richard Grosvenor, Bt between 1755 and 1761 and as The Lord Grosvenor between 1761 and 1784, was a British peer, racehorse owner and art collector. H ...
of
Eaton Hall, Cheshire Eaton Hall is the country house of the Duke of Westminster. It is south of the village of Eccleston, in Cheshire, England. The house is surrounded by its own formal gardens, parkland, farmland and woodland. The estate covers about . The fi ...
. In about 1810 he remodelled the house, probably to the designs of John Nash and laid out new gardens on the south side.


Richard Edward Erle-Drax (1797–1828)

Richard Edward Erle-Drax (1797–1828), only son, of Charborough and Ellerton Abbey, who died unmarried aged 31 and was succeeded by his sister Jane Frances Erle-Drax, wife of John Samuel Wanley Sawbridge.


Sawbridge ("Erle-Drax")

John Samuel Wanley Sawbridge (d.1887), of Olantigh Towers in Kent, and Holnest House in Dorset, MP for Wareham, who in 1827 married Jane Frances Erle-Drax (d.1853), heiress of Charborough. He was descended from Jacob Sawbridge (d.1748) a director of the
South Sea Company The South Sea Company (officially The Governor and Company of the merchants of Great Britain, trading to the South Seas and other parts of America, and for the encouragement of the Fishery) was a British joint-stock company founded in Ja ...
in the year of the
South Sea Bubble South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...
of 1720, a Member of Parliament for Cricklade in Wiltshire, who purchased the estate of Olantigh from the Thornhill family. In consequence of his marriage he assumed the surname and arms of "Erle-Drax". He was Master of the Blackmore Vale Hunt and ordered its members to dress in yellow coats with blue collars instead of the usual scarlet, and mounted the hunt staff on grey horses. He spent money prodigiously on Charborough, including the building of the famously long boundary wall of the park, said to incorporate about two million bricks; he also built the "Stag Gate" and the "Lion Gate" entrances to the park. In 1838 he rebuilt the ornamental tower which had been struck by
lightning Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during which two electric charge, electrically charged regions, both in the atmosphere or with one on the land, ground, temporarily neutralize themselves, causing the instantaneous ...
and extended its height from 80 to 120 feet. At Olantigh he built large picture galleries for his art collection, and added Venetian-style towers and a grand fountain in the gardens. He built for himself a huge
mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be consid ...
next to Holnest Church in Dorset, since demolished by his descendants due to its high maintenance costs. He died without male progeny, when his paternal estates descended by
tail male In English common law, fee tail or entail is a form of trust established by deed or settlement which restricts the sale or inheritance of an estate in real property and prevents the property from being sold, devised by will, or otherwise aliena ...
to his nephew, but his wife's Charborough estates descended to his two daughters as co-heiresses: *Maria Caroline Sawbridge-Erle-Drax, eldest daughter, who died unmarried, having inherited her mother's estates. Her heir was her younger sister: *Sarah Charlotte Elizabeth Ernle-Erle-Drax, who in 1853 married Col. Francis Augustus Plunkett Burton. John Samuel Wanley Sawbridge Erle Drax, profited significantly from slavery. In 1834 one hundred and eighty-nine enslaved persons were registered at Drax-Hall in Barbados by Forster Clarke, as the attorney to B. (J. ?) S. W. Sawbridge Erle Drax, which on 16 May 1836 resulted in the payment of £4,293 in compensation under the 1833 Slavery Abolition Act.


Burton


Col. Francis Augustus Plunkett Burton (d.1865)

Col. Francis Augustus Plunkett Burton (d.1865) married Sarah Charlotte Elizabeth Ernle-Erle-Drax, the heiress of Charborough. He was the son of Admiral
James Ryder Burton Admiral James Ryder Burton, KH (1795 -– 2 August 1876) was a British Royal Navy officer. He was the son of Edmund Burton, the Dean of Killala. He progressed on the Reserved List to the rank of Admiral on 14 November 1863. In 1823, he marr ...
by his wife Anne Maria Plunkett, daughter of Randal Plunkett, 13th Baron of Dunsany (1739–1821). He died without male progeny leaving as his heiress his only daughter Ernle Elizabeth Louisa Maria Grosvenor Burton (d.1916), who married her cousin
John William Plunkett, 17th Baron of Dunsany John William Plunkett, 17th Baron of Dunsany (31 August 1853 – 16 January 1899) was an Anglo-Irish Conservative politician and peer. Early life and career Plunkett was the second son of Edward Plunkett, 16th Baron of Dunsany (1808–1889), and ...
and was the mother of
Lord Dunsany Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany (; 24 July 1878 – 25 October 1957, usually Lord Dunsany) was an Anglo-Irish writer and dramatist. Over 90 volumes of fiction, essays, poems and plays appeared in his lifetime.Lanham, M ...
and Sir
Reginald Drax Admiral Sir Reginald Aylmer Ranfurly Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax, KCB, DSO, JP, DL ( Plunkett; 28 August 1880 – 16 October 1967), commonly known as Reginald Plunkett or Reginald Drax, was an Anglo-Irish admiral. The younger son of the 17th Ba ...
. In 1871, she married as her second husband Lt. John Lloyd Egginton, of the 3rd Dragoon Guards, of Cheltenham, eldest son of Rev. John Clemson Egginton of Bilbrook, Staffordshire.


Egginton ("Ernle-Erle-Drax")


Lt. John Lloyd Egginton

Lt. John Lloyd Egginton married Ernle Elizabeth Louisa Maria Grosvenor Burton (d.1905), heiress of Charborough. On 6 August 1887 the couple assumed by royal licence the surname and arms of "Ernle", and by a further royal licence on 27 September 1887 assumed the additional surnames of "Erle" and "Drax". he died without male progeny, leaving as his heiress his only daughter Ernle Elizabeth Louisa Maria Grosvenor Plunkett Ernle-Erle-Drax (d.1916), heiress of Charborough, of Bere Regis in Dorset, of Ellerton Abbey, of Maddington House in Wiltshire, of Swell Court in Somerset, and of Caesar's Camp in Surrey. In 1877 she married her distant cousin
John Plunkett, 17th Baron of Dunsany John William Plunkett, 17th Baron of Dunsany (31 August 1853 – 16 January 1899) was an Anglo-Irish Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician and peer. Early life and career Plunkett was the second son of Edward Plunkett, 16th Baron of Du ...
(1853–1899).


Plunkett (Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax)


John William Plunkett, 17th Baron of Dunsany (1853–1899)

John Plunkett, 17th Baron of Dunsany John William Plunkett, 17th Baron of Dunsany (31 August 1853 – 16 January 1899) was an Anglo-Irish Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician and peer. Early life and career Plunkett was the second son of Edward Plunkett, 16th Baron of Du ...
(1853–1899) married Ernle Elizabeth Louisa Maria Grosvenor Plunkett Ernle-Erle-Drax (d.1916), heiress of Charborough. In 1905 having succeeded her mother in the Charborough estates she assumed by royal licence dated 1905 the additional name and arms of "Ernle", and by a further royal licence dated 20 December 1905 assumed the name and arms of "Erle" and "Drax" in addition to and after those of Plunket-Ernle. Her eldest son was Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany (1878–1957), an officer in the
Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the monarchy; due to this, it often participates in state ceremonia ...
, who in 1904 married Lady Beatrice Child Villiers, a daughter of
Victor Child Villiers, 7th Earl of Jersey Victor Albert George Child Villiers, 7th Earl of Jersey, (20 March 1845 – 31 May 1915) was a British banker, Conservative politician and colonial administrator from the Villiers family. He served as Governor of New South Wales between 1891 and ...
(1845–1915), by whom he had issue. However his mother bequeathed Charborough and her other estates to her second son Reginald Aylmer Ranfurly Plunkett.


Sir Reginald Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax (1880–1967)

Admiral the Hon. Sir Reginald Aylmer Ranfurly Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax (1880–1967), of the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
, who inherited Charborough and Ellerton Abbey and other estates, including Drax Hall in Barbados, from his mother. By royal licence dated 4 October 1916 he assumed the additional surnames and arms of "Ernle", "Erle" and "Drax". He married Kathleen Chalmers, only daughter of Dr. Quintin Chalmers, MD.


Henry Walter Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax (1928–2017)

Henry Walter Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax (1928–2017), eldest son and heir, of Charborough. He married Hon. Pamela Weeks.


Richard Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax

Richard Drax Richard Grosvenor Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax (born 29 January 1958) is a British Conservative politician, journalist and landowner, serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dorset since 2010. Early life Drax was born on 29 January 1958 ...
(born 1958) of Charborough, son and heir,
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
for
South Dorset South Dorset is a List of United Kingdom Parliament constituencies, constituency represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, UK Parliament since 2010 by Richard Drax, a Co ...
since 2010.


Mansion house

The surviving mansion house is in the centre of the
park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...
and incorporates parts of the original house built by Sir Walter II Erle (1586–1665) (grandson of Walter I),
Military Governor A military government is generally any form of government that is administered by military forces, whether or not this government is legal under the laws of the jurisdiction at issue, and whether this government is formed by natives or by an occup ...
of Dorchester and a Parliamentarian commander during the
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, whose forces besieged
Corfe Castle Corfe Castle is a fortification standing above the village of the same name on the Isle of Purbeck peninsula in the English county of Dorset. Built by William the Conqueror, the castle dates to the 11th century and commands a gap in the P ...
in 1646. Stone and timber were taken from Corfe for use in the house's construction. He fought for the international Protestant cause as a volunteer in the
Dutch Army The Royal Netherlands Army ( nl, Koninklijke Landmacht) is the land branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. Though the Royal Netherlands Army was raised on 9 January 1814, its origins date back to 1572, when the was raised – making the Dutc ...
, and was present at the
Siege of 's-Hertogenbosch The siege of 's-Hertogenbosch also known as the ''siege of Bois-Le-Duc''Markham pp. 435-38 was an action in 1629, during the Eighty Years' War and the Anglo–Spanish War in which a Dutch and English army captured the city of 's-Hertogenbosch. ...
in 1629. He was impressed by the Dutch fortifications and on his return home had the garden at Charborough "cut into
redoubt A redoubt (historically redout) is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, although some are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldi ...
s and works" as he had seen. He also employed a Dutchman to make a decoy pool for duck shooting.


Estate wall and entrances

Charborough Park is surrounded by one of the longest
brick wall Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and mortar. Typically, rows of bricks called '' courses'' are laid on top of one another to build up a structure such as a brick wall. Bricks may be differentiated from blocks by si ...
s in England, comprising more than two million bricks and built between 1841 and 1842 by the then owner of the park John Samuel Wanley Sawbridge-Erle-Drax. He succeeded in having the new
Wimborne Wimborne Minster (often referred to as Wimborne, ) is a market town in Dorset in South West England, and the name of the Church of England church in that town. It lies at the confluence of the River Stour and the River Allen, north of Poole ...
/ Dorchester
turnpike Turnpike often refers to: * A type of gate, another word for a turnstile * In the United States, a toll road Turnpike may also refer to: Roads United Kingdom * A turnpike road, a principal road maintained by a turnpike trust, a body with powers ...
moved further away from his house, a detour of over , but unfortunately for Sawbridge-Erle-Drax — who was also its chief promoter and investor — the
turnpike Turnpike often refers to: * A type of gate, another word for a turnstile * In the United States, a toll road Turnpike may also refer to: Roads United Kingdom * A turnpike road, a principal road maintained by a turnpike trust, a body with powers ...
lost money, mainly because the railway between Wimborne and Dorchester opened shortly afterwards. The park wall runs alongside the
A31 road The A31 is a major trunk road in southern England that runs from Guildford in Surrey to Bere Regis in Dorset. Route of road The road begins in Guildford at the start of Farnham Road near Guildford Station, coming out of the town and passing ...
and is punctuated by Stag Gate at the northern extremity and Lion Lodge at the easternmost entrance, with heraldic symbols in ''Lithodipyra'' ( Coade stone) created by
Eleanor Coade Eleanor Coade (3 June 1733 – 18 November 1821) was a British businesswoman known for manufacturing Neoclassical architecture, Neoclassical statues, architectural decorations and garden ornaments made of ''Lithodipyra'' or Coade stone for ov ...
's Artificial Stone Manufactory. These gateways are Grade II listed, as is a third one, East Almer Lodge, further to the west. A fourth gateway, Peacock Lodge, which is inside the current bounds of the estate, is Grade II* listed. The
stag Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindeer ...
on top of 'Stag Gate' appears to have five legs, though one of these is instead an integral 'tree stump' that enhances the strength of the sculpture. The Drax estate is thought to consist of nearly , and the private grounds are open to the public once or twice a year, when local villagers sell tea and cakes. File:Stag Gate - geograph.org.uk - 37779.jpg, The Stag Gate on the A31 road to Dorchester File:Drax Wall, Charborough Park - geograph.org.uk - 1200307.jpg, The estate boundary or "Drax Wall" along the A31 road File:Charborough Park, Lion Lodge - geograph.org.uk - 503833.jpg, The gate at Lion Lodge File:Entrance to deer park, Charborough Park - geograph.org.uk - 294647.jpg, The Peacock Lodge gate, inside the estate boundary File:Round Lodge Charborough Park.jpg, The Round Lodge gate on the southwest of the estate, by the B3075 road


Thomas Erle

Thomas Erle c 1650–1720, served as MP for Wareham and a DL for
Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...
. In 1686 he hosted a group of conspirators who met at Charborough House to plan the overthrow of "the tyrant race of Stuarts", which resulted in the overthrow of
James II of England James VII and II (14 October 1633 16 September 1701) was King of England and King of Ireland as James II, and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II, on 6 February 1685. He was deposed in the Gloriou ...
in 1688 by a union of Parliamentarians and the Dutch stadtholder
William III of Orange-Nassau William III (William Henry; ; 4 November 16508 March 1702), also widely known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of County of Holland, Holland, County of Zeeland, Zeeland, Lordship of Utrecht, Utrec ...
(Prince William of Orange). The meeting was effectively the start of the build-up to the Invitation to William, Prince of Orange, signed by the ''Immortal Seven'', which resulted in the
Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution; gd, Rèabhlaid Ghlòrmhor; cy, Chwyldro Gogoneddus , also known as the ''Glorieuze Overtocht'' or ''Glorious Crossing'' in the Netherlands, is the sequence of events leading to the deposition of King James II and ...
of 1688 which overthrew King James II in favour of the Dutch
stadtholder In the Low Countries, ''stadtholder'' ( nl, stadhouder ) was an office of steward, designated a medieval official and then a national leader. The ''stadtholder'' was the replacement of the duke or count of a province during the Burgundian and H ...
Prince William III of Orange-Nassau, subsequently King
William III William III or William the Third may refer to: Kings * William III of Sicily (c. 1186–c. 1198) * William III of England and Ireland or William III of Orange or William II of Scotland (1650–1702) * William III of the Netherlands and Luxembourg ...
of England. Erle also served as
Lord Justice of Ireland The Lords Justices (more formally the Lords Justices General and General Governors of Ireland) were deputies who acted collectively in the absence of the chief governor of Ireland (latterly the Lord Lieutenant) as head of the executive branch of ...
; MP for
Cork Cork or CORK may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container ***Wine cork Places Ireland * Cork (city) ** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
in the Irish Parliament;
Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance The Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance was a member of the British Board of Ordnance and the deputy of the Master-General of the Ordnance. The office was established in 1545, and the holder was appointed by the crown under letters patent. It w ...
in
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
and
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
; and Governor of Portsmouth.


Parliamentary representation

Family members who served as
Members of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
for the family's
pocket borough A rotten or pocket borough, also known as a nomination borough or proprietorial borough, was a parliamentary borough or constituency in England, Great Britain, or the United Kingdom before the Reform Act 1832, which had a very small electorat ...
of Wareham include:
1679–1698, 1701–1718,
Thomas Erle General Thomas Erle PC (1650 – 23 July 1720) of Charborough, Dorset, was a general in the English Army and, thereafter, the British Army. He was also a Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons of England and of Great Britain from 16 ...
(born c. 1650, died 23 July 1720)
1701, 1704, 1710, 1722 Sir Edward Ernle (born c. 1673, died 31 Jan 1729)
1718, 1734, 1751,
Henry Drax Henry Drax (c. 1693–1755) of Ellerton Abbey, Yorkshire and Charborough, near Wareham, Dorset was a British Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1718 and 1755. Drax was the eldest son of Thomas Drax (formerly Shatterden) of P ...
(born c. 1693, died 24 May 1755)
1747, 1754, 1761,
Thomas Erle Drax Thomas Erle Drax (1721 – December 1789) was an English Tory politician. He served as a Member of Parliament for constituencies in Dorset in the 18th century. He was the son of Henry Drax, British MP and owner of slave plantations in Barbados an ...
(born c. 1721, died December 1789)
1755,
Edward Drax Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sa ...
(born c. 1726, died April 1791)
1841, 1859, 1868, John Samuel Wanley Sawbridge Erle-Drax (born 6 October 1800, died 7 January 1887);
The current owner,
Richard Drax Richard Grosvenor Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax (born 29 January 1958) is a British Conservative politician, journalist and landowner, serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dorset since 2010. Early life Drax was born on 29 January 1958 ...
(born 1958), has sat as Member of Parliament for
South Dorset South Dorset is a List of United Kingdom Parliament constituencies, constituency represented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, UK Parliament since 2010 by Richard Drax, a Co ...
since
2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
.www.parliament.uk
/ref>


Further reading

*For a full description of Charborough House and church see: ''An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Dorset'', Volume 2, ''South East'', London, 1970, pp. 160–173, ''Morden'

*Drakes, Chris
''Drax, Dracas, Dracass & Drakes: Ellerton, Charborough & Olantigh''


References


Notes

* Burke's Peerage, ''Burke's Peerage & Baronetage'' * John Newman and
Nikolaus Pevsner Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner (30 January 1902 – 18 August 1983) was a German-British art historian and architectural historian best known for his monumental 46-volume series of county-by-county guides, ''The Buildings of England'' (1 ...
, ''The buildings of England: Dorset''. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1972, p. 140.
Letter from Hardy to Bertram Windle, transcribed by Birgit Plietzsch, from CL, vol 2, pp 131–133

General Thomas Erle at www.janus.lib.cam.ac.uk


External links


Lion Gate photo from Geograph British Isles



Stag Gate photo from Geograph British Isles

Charborough Park photo from Geograph British Isles

Charborough House and Tower photos from Geograph British Isles


{{Coord, 50.7805, -2.1068, format=dms, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Gardens in Dorset Country houses in Dorset Grade I listed houses Grade I listed buildings in Dorset Grade II* listed parks and gardens in Dorset Houses completed in 1837 Ernle family Drax family