Northwood House is a country manor house in

Cowes Cowes () is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina, facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east bank. The two towns are linked by the Cowes Floa ...

on the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. The current building dates back to 1799 and was built for the

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

businessman George Ward, remaining in his family for five generations. It is a

Grade II listed building 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 ...

, said to have a ground floor area of around 15,000 square feet. In 1929, Northwood House and its 26-acre "pleasure park", known as Northwood Park, were gifted by the Wards to Cowes Urban District Council. The gift was conditional upon the house being used as municipal offices and the grounds ‘as pleasure gardens for the people of Cowes’. In 2010, after 81 years of operating as council offices, the council withdrew and handed the house and estate over to a charitable trust to administer. Today this

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

manor house is looked after and run by the Northwood House Charitable Trust Co. Ltd. Their aim is to preserve the building and its grounds for the enjoyment of future generations. Its grounds are open to the public and its buildings are available to hire or to let by the general public as an events centre. This is typically for weddings, parties and conferences.

Current usage

There are currently seven main rooms in the house which are available for hire for events, conferences and special occasions. These are the ball room, the dining room, the drawing room, the morning room, the library, the rotunda and the house bar. Wedding ceremonies can be held in the first six of these rooms, with the ball room being able to seat 120 people. There are other smaller rooms available in the house to hire or to let for longer periods. There is also a converted

stable A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals and livestock. There are many different types of stables in use today; the ...

block in the grounds, which is now known as The Community Hall. As well as being available for private functions, the 26-acre estate also hosts a number of public events each year and still has its original tennis courts and bowling green. The original

icehouse Icehouse or ice house may refer to: * Ice house (building), a building where ice is stored * Ice shanty, a shelter for ice fishing also known as an ''Icehouse'' * Ice skating rink, a facility for ice skating. * Ice hockey arena, an area where ice ...

still remains, half buried in the grounds of Northwood House. There are thought to be about fifteen icehouses remaining on the

. There is also a war memorial in the grounds, dedicated to those who lost their lives in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. It was originally located at the junction of the High Street and Market Hill, but was itself damaged in an air raid during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The remains were relocated to Northwood Park and it now stands as a memorial to both wars. Surrounding the original entrance-way into the house, the tarmac area has now been converted into a pay short-stay car park, for public use.

History

The Ward family held the estate through six generations from 1793 until 1929. The road which runs in front of the house is named Ward Avenue in their honour. However, they also owned a huge amount of land across the Isle of Wight and also resided at Weston Manor in

Freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does include ...

. The successive owners of the estate are as follows:

The Ward family

George Ward (1793–1829)

In 1793, George Ward esq, a highly successful merchant banker from Broad Street in the city of London, bought at auction the Cowes estate of Bellevue, which consisted of Belle Vue House and seventeen acres of land. The house was described as a 'modern brick dwelling house', with four rooms on each floor and an excellent wine cellar. In 1799, he largely demolished Belle Vue House and built Northwood House on its site, with the grounds being renamed to Northwood Park. The only part of Belle Vue which still exists are the large cellars underneath Northwood House, said to have been originally built to hide smuggled goods. By this time, Ward had also acquired more land in Cowes, including Debourne Farm, bringing the estate up to 217 acres. The driveway, leading up to the house, was by that time almost a mile long. The changes to the house were designed by John Nash, the famous London architect. Nash also designed

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

as well as many other island properties, including

East Cowes Castle East Cowes Castle, located in East Cowes, was the home of architect John Nash between its completion and his death in 1835. Nash himself was the designer of the site, and began construction as early as 1798. It was completed in 1800 and was ...

, the IW County Club and

St Mildred's Church, Whippingham St Mildred's Church, Whippingham is the Church of England parish church of the village of Whippingham, Isle of Wight. History The village of Whippingham, and St Mildred's Church as its parish church, are best known for their connections wi ...

. The walls surrounding the estate were built from

Bembridge Bembridge is a village and civil parish located on the easternmost point of the Isle of Wight. It had a population of 3,848 according to the 2001 census of the United Kingdom, leading to the implausible claim by some residents that Bembridge ...

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

, taken from

Brading The ancient 'Kynges Towne' of Brading is the main town of the civil parishes in England, civil parish of the same name. The ecclesiastical parish of Brading used to cover about a tenth of the Isle of Wight. The civil parish now includes the town ...

Harbour. Ward's wealth originated from his Grandfather, John Ward and his father, who was also called John Ward. Both of whom were highly successful businessmen. However, aside from this, in 1783, his father also won a half-share of a £20,000 state-run lottery win. This is worth over a million pounds today. George Ward was also the older brother of

Robert Plumer Ward Robert Ward, or from 1828 Robert Plumer Ward (19 March 1765 – 13 August 1846), was an English barrister, politician, and novelist. George Canning said that his law books were as pleasant as novels, and his novels as dull as law books. Life He ...

, the barrister, politician and novelist who was MP for

Cockermouth Cockermouth is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England, so named because it is at the confluence of the River Cocker as it flows into the River Derwent. The mid-2010 census estimates state that Cocke ...

between 1802 and 1806. Amongst other things, George Ward made his own fortune by lending money to the government during the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

at highly beneficial rates of interest. He used his money to buy more and more land on the Isle of Wight, eventually amassing around 20,000 acres, said to be one fifth of the island's area. Due to the enormous amounts of land that he owned by this time, his nickname was 'King Ward'. Ward was also a director of the

East India Docks The East India Docks were a group of docks in Blackwall, east London, north-east of the Isle of Dogs. Today only the entrance basin and listed perimeter wall remain visible. History Early history Following the successful creation of the We ...

in London. In 1798, George Ward was nominated as a new

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

in the Court of Exchequer In 1803, his wife Mary had a baby daughter, born at the house. However, in 1813, she died of a paralytic stroke. In 1813, George Ward started the first paddle steamer service between Cowes and

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

. The Isle of Wight Royal Mail Steam Packet Company would eventually become the company now known as

Red Funnel Red Funnel, the trading name of the Southampton Isle of Wight and South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Company Limited, In 1817, a duel took place at Northwood House between Major Orlando Lockyer and Lieutenant John Sutton, after Lockyer took offense to a comment made by Sutton, whilst both were drinking one night. In the morning, at the agreed duelling place, it was said that Sutton apologised and informed Lockyer that he would not return fire against him. Lockyer still asked for the signal to fire and when the handkerchief was dropped, shot Sutton through the heart without Sutton even unstopping his pistol. Before dying, Sutton staggered forward and held out his hand, which Lockyer took. Lockyer and his seconds then fled the scene. At the

Coroner A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into Manner of death, the manner or cause of death, and to investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within th ...

inquest An inquest is a judicial inquiry in common law jurisdictions, particularly one held to determine the cause of a person's death. Conducted by a judge, jury, or government official, an inquest may or may not require an autopsy carried out by a coro ...

, the jury returned a verdict of 'Wilful Murder' against Lockyer and his two

seconds The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds ...

, who at that time had still not been apprehended. In their subsequent trial at the

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

Assizes The courts of assize, or assizes (), were periodic courts held around England and Wales until 1972, when together with the quarter sessions they were abolished by the Courts Act 1971 and replaced by a single permanent Crown Court. The assizes e ...

, they were charged with murder. Lockyer said that he had been under the most gross provocation and that he had asked for Sutton to make a concession which would make the duel unnecessary, but that Sutton refused and was obstinate to the last. The defendants were found guilty of manslaughter and given three months' imprisonment each. John Sutton is buried in the next door St Mary's Church graveyard. In 1821, to celebrate the

coronation A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a coronation crown, crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the ...

George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...

, a grand celebration for the poor people of Northwood and Cowes was held at Northwood House. A feast for 2,000 people was prepared and it was seen as an opportunity for them to testify their loyalty and joy to the new king. As well as giving use of his estate, Ward donated 50 guineas towards the total cost of 200 guineas, for the food and the entertainment. In 1823, Ward was commended for his 'munificent' generosity in distributing six bullocks and ten

chaldron A chaldron (also chauldron or chalder) was an English measure of dry volume, mostly used for coal; the word itself is an obsolete spelling of cauldron. It was used from the 13th century onwards, nominally until 1963, when it was abolished by th ...

s of coals amongst the 'poor and deserving objects' of Cowes. George had a famous and talented son, the

cricketer Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

William Ward. Following in the family footsteps, William was also a noted financier. But as a cricketer, he scored the first-ever first-class double-century and his score of 278 for the MCC v Norfolk in 1820, remained the highest ever first-class score for 56 years, until it was finally beaten by

W. G. Grace William Gilbert Grace (18 July 1848 – 23 October 1915) was an English Amateur status in first-class cricket, amateur cricketer who was important in the development of the sport and is widely considered one of its greatest players. He played ...

in 1876, with a score of 344. The ball that Ward played with is held in the MCC Museum and is thought to be the oldest in existence. William Ward can also be thanked for saving the famous

Lord's Lord's Cricket Ground, commonly known as Lord's, is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and ...

cricket ground from being sold to a housing developer in 1825. He stepped in and bought the lease, to prevent this from happening. In 1817, William was elected as a director of the

Bank of England The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694 to act as the English Government's banker, and still one of the bankers for the Government of ...

and was an expert on foreign exchanges. In 1826, William Ward became MP for the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...

. William Ward missed out on inheriting the estate by just three months, dying just before his older brother, George Henry Ward. However, his son inherited the estate in his place. George Ward died at the age of 78 in 1829, leaving an estate said to be worth upwards of £700,000 at the time.

George Henry Ward (1829–1849)

In 1829, following the death of George Ward, his first-born son George Henry Ward inherited the estate. In 1837, he vastly renovated the house, incorporating a new western wing, entrance pavilion and classical side wall. As well as inheriting the estate, he also inherited his father's nickname, 'King Ward'. In 1835, Ward contested the election for

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 ...

of the

, but was ultimately defeated by Sir Richard Simeon, both being important Isle of Wight land-owners. Sir Richard Simeon had directed his tenants to vote for whoever they liked. However, it was said that you couldn't find one person on George Ward's estate that would dare to vote against him. It was a very acrimonious campaign, with some violent outbreaks. During the official nomination, events got very heated and another fight broke out. One elector asked Ward if it was true that he had promised a local family that he would arrange for the release from prison of several members of their family in return for them voting for him. Ward replied by saying that he wouldn't answer that question. Ward was described as a man of 'retired habits who seldom took part in the affairs of Cowes'. He was in fact also a County

Magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...

, although he refused to act in that capacity. In 1845, Northwood House received a visit by Prince Albert and Sir

Edward Bowater General Sir Edward Bowater KCH (1787 – 14 December 1861) was a British soldier and courtier. Background and education Born in St James's Palace, Bowater descended from a Coventry family and was the only son of the Admiral Edward Bowater. Hi ...

, who spent two hours viewing the house and its grounds. G H Ward had recently spent £20,000 on 'embellishments by foreign artists' and had spared no expense in laying out the grounds. It was considered that they contained the finest collection of evergreens in England. In 1846, he entertained Sir

George Hamilton Seymour Sir George Hamilton Seymour (21 September 1797 – 2 February 1880) was a British diplomat. Seymour was the son of Lord George Seymour and his wife Isabella, daughter of Rev. George Hamilton. In 1831 he married Gertrude, daughter of Henry Trev ...

, the Minister at Brussels. Sir George was the son of

Lord George Seymour Lord George Seymour-Conway (21 July 1763 – 10 March 1848), known as Lord George Seymour, was a British politician. A member of the Seymour family headed by the Duke of Somerset, Seymour was the seventh son and youngest child of Francis Seymo ...

, who owned the nearby

Norris Castle Norris Castle is located on the Isle of Wight. It was designed by James Wyatt for Lord Henry Seymour. The estate adjoins Osborne House, country home to Queen Victoria. On the other side of Norris Castle sits the Spring Hill estate, bought by ...

. George Henry Ward married Mary Saunders, daughter of Mr Richard Saunders esq. However, she died in 1938, having had no children, leaving George Henry Ward with no immediate heir. The next in line to the estate was

William George Ward William George Ward (21 March 1812 – 6 July 1882) was an English theologian and mathematician. A Roman Catholic convert, his career illustrates the development of religious opinion at a time of crisis in the history of English religious though ...

, the son of George Henry Ward's younger brother, the famous cricketer, William Ward. William Ward only just missed out on inheriting the estate himself, as he died on 30 June 1849, just three months before his older brother George Henry Ward, who died on 29 September 1849. This did not prevent his son from inheriting the estate, as still the next in line.

William George Ward (1849–1882)

Following his uncle's death, the estate passed to

, a

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

and

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change. History On ...

. In 1834 he was awarded an open fellowship at

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the f ...

, for his work in mathematics. He also published many articles on ethics, religion and

moral philosophy Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns ma ...

, having converted from the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

to the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

in 1845. In 1851, he became a professor of moral philosophy at

St Edmund's College, Ware St Edmund's College is a coeducational independent day and boarding school in the British public school tradition, set in in Ware, Hertfordshire. Founded in 1568 as a seminary, then a boys' school, it is the oldest continuously operating and ...

and in 1863 he became

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...

of the Dublin Review, a Catholic Periodical. In 1852, it was reported that Northwood House had been leased for a period of ten years, to be used as a Catholic

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...

. However, by 1853, it was written that the house was occupied by Robert White Esq, as an educational establishment. Later, by 1858, the house was again occupied by its rightful owner, William George Ward. In 1858, William ward gave part of the grounds to the people of Cowes, to be used as public walks and a playground. It was proposed that the lower part be used for walks and the upper part as a cricket ground. His father had of course been an eminent first-class cricketer. In 1858, Ward was visited by

Cardinal Wiseman Nicholas Patrick Stephen Wiseman (3 August 1802 – 15 February 1865) was a Cardinal of the Catholic Church who became the first Archbishop of Westminster upon the re-establishment of the Catholic hierarchy in England and Wales in 1850. Born ...

. By 1864, the House was occupied by a Mr Stephenson, but this must have been for a relatively brief period. By 1867, it was occupied by a James Dunkin Lee, after laying vacant for a long time. In 1871, Ward moved the family seat to

Totland Totland is a village, civil parish and electoral ward on the Isle of Wight. Besides the village of Totland, the civil parish comprises the western tip of the Isle of Wight, and includes The Needles, Tennyson Down and the hamlet of Middleton. The ...

, building Weston Manor and Headon Hall, at

Alum Bay Alum Bay is a bay near the westernmost point of the Isle of Wight, England, within close sight of the Needles rock formation. Of geological interest and a tourist attraction, the bay is noted for its multi-coloured sand cliffs. The waters and adj ...

. His nickname was 'Ideal' Ward.

Edmund Granville Ward (1882–1915)

Following his father's death, the estate passed to his eldest son, Edmund Granville Ward. He went on to marry Gertrude Jane Mary Dormer, daughter of Hon. Hubert Francis Dormer on 28 May 1885. However, the marriage was annulled in 1896. He died on 2 September 1915. However, Edmund's family home was Egypt House, Egypt Hill, Cowes and so the house lay empty for some years. However, shortly after acquiring it, Edmund did allow the house to be used by the

Royal Yacht Squadron The Royal Yacht Squadron (RYS) is a British yacht club. Its clubhouse is Cowes Castle on the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom. Member yachts are given the suffix RYS to their names, and are permitted (with the appropriate warrant) to we ...

in 1882 to hold a grand ball in honour of HRH Prince of Wales, who had recently been appointed

commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ''Kommodore'' * Air commodore, a ...

of the squadron. In attendance were his wife, the

Princess of Wales Princess of Wales (Welsh: ''Tywysoges Cymru'') is a courtesy title used since the 14th century by the wife of the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. The current title-holder is Catherine (née Middleton). The title was firs ...

and many of the noblemen of the day. The guest list included Marquis, Viscounts, Earls, Lords, Counts, Knights, many men of military rank and their partners. Entertainment was provided by The Hungarian Band and all the men attending had to wear man-of-war jackets of blue cloth with brass buttons, blue trousers, white waistcoats with a black tie. This uniform was said to be a revival of an even older fashion, which was said to be 'very becoming for men who are not too square built'. In 1884, Northwood House was used by

Lord Petre Baron Petre (), of Writtle, in the County of Essex, is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1603 for Sir John Petre. His family has since been associated with the county of Essex. He represented Essex in parliament and served a ...

to accommodate the forty to fifty boys of his Woburn school, after his school in

Weybridge Weybridge () is a town in the Borough of Elmbridge in Surrey, England, around southwest of central London. The settlement is recorded as ''Waigebrugge'' and ''Weibrugge'' in the 7th century and the name derives from a crossing point of the ...

was sold. Shortly afterwards in 1885, a football match was held at Northwood House, between the boys of Woburn House and Cowes Football Club, which resulted in a 1–1 draw. Not long after this, the school failed, like his Weybridge school before it. In 1886, the Royal Yacht Squadron again held their annual ball at Northwood House, with The Hungarian Band again supplying the music. It was a truly royal event. Amongst the attendees were the

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

and

, the

Crown Prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...

and Princess of Germany, Princesses

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

Margaret Margaret is a female first name, derived via French () and Latin () from grc, μαργαρίτης () meaning "pearl". The Greek is borrowed from Persian. Margaret has been an English name since the 11th century, and remained popular througho ...

and Sophia of Germany, the

Duchess of Edinburgh Duchess of Edinburgh was the principal Courtesy titles in the United Kingdom, courtesy title held by the wife of the Duke of Edinburgh. There have been four Duchesses of Edinburgh since the title's creation. Following the accession of Charles I ...

, Princess Louise, Princess Henry of Battenberg,

Prince Albert Victor Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale (Albert Victor Christian Edward; 8 January 1864 – 14 January 1892) was the eldest child of the Prince and Princess of Wales (later King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra) and grandson of the re ...

, Prince George, the Princesses

Louise Louise or Luise may refer to: * Louise (given name) Arts Songs * "Louise" (Bonnie Tyler song), 2005 * "Louise" (The Human League song), 1984 * "Louise" (Jett Rebel song), 2013 * "Louise" (Maurice Chevalier song), 1929 *"Louise", by Clan of ...

and

Maud of Wales Maud of Wales (Maud Charlotte Mary Victoria; 26 November 1869 – 20 November 1938) was the Queen of Norway as the wife of King Haakon VII. The youngest daughter of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom, she was known as P ...

, Princess Irene of Hesse and the

Maharaja Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great king" or " high king". A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Empire, an ...

Cooch Behar Cooch Behar (), or Koch Bihar, is a city and a municipality in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Cooch Behar district. It is in the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas at . Cooch Behar is the only planned city in the ...

. In 1889, the

Isle of Wight County Council Isle of Wight County Council was the county council of the non-metropolitan English county of the Isle of Wight from 1890 to 1995. History County councils were first introduced in England and Wales with full powers from 22 September 1889 as a re ...

sold off its remaining Toll Houses. The Northwood House Toll House was sold for £30 to the West Council Local Board. Granville Ward also generously gave all of the tenants of his Ward Estate, a rent reduction of 15%. In August 1889, a grand Garden Party was held at Northwood House, which was again attended by the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Princesses Victoria and Maud. It was held to raise money for the organ and vestry fund of the Cowes Holy Trinity Church. Other attendees included Princess Louise, the Marquis of Lorne, Prince Hermann of Saxe-Weimar and his

wife A wife (plural, : wives) is a female in a marital relationship. A woman who has separated from her partner continues to be a wife until the marriage is legally Dissolution (law), dissolved with a divorce judgement. On the death of her partner, ...

and many Lords and Ladies of their day. Music was provided by the band of the

Oxfordshire Light Infantry The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry was a light infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1881 until 1958, serving in the Second Boer War, World War I and World War II. The regiment was formed as a consequence of th ...

. Lord Colville's black poodle received much praise for collecting money for the appeal, by wandering appealingly amongst the guests with a money-box around its neck. Regretfully the party was abruptly curtailed when a deluge of rain spoiled the proceedings. In 1891, Northwood House was placed at the disposal of

Prince Henry of Battenberg Prince Henry of Battenberg (Henry Maurice; 5 October 1858 – 20 January 1896) was a morganatic descendant of the Grand Ducal House of Hesse. He became a member of the British royal family by marriage to Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom ...

and his wife Beatrice, daughter of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

. They held a grand ball there, attended by several members of the royal family and 300 notable inhabitants of the Isle of Wight. Amongst those present were the

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...

and

Duchess of Connaught Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia (Louise Margaret Alexandra Victoria Agnes; 25 July 1860 – 14 March 1917), later Duchess of Connaught and Strathearn Royal Order of Victoria and Albert, VA Order of the Crown of India, CI Royal Red Cross, RRC ...

and the

Duke of Clarence Duke of Clarence is a substantive title which has been traditionally awarded to junior members of the British Royal Family. All three creations were in the Peerage of England. The title was first granted to Lionel of Antwerp, the second son ...

, once rumoured to be a candidate for being

Jack the Ripper Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in the autumn of 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer wa ...

. Others included the

Marquis of Lorne John George Edward Henry Douglas Sutherland Campbell, 9th Duke of Argyll, (6 August 1845 – 2 May 1914), usually better known by the courtesy title Marquess of Lorne, by which he was known between 1847 and 1900, was a British nobleman who wa ...

, Count Mensdorff and

Lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or ar ...

and

Lady The word ''lady'' is a term for a girl or woman, with various connotations. Once used to describe only women of a high social class or status, the equivalent of lord, now it may refer to any adult woman, as gentleman can be used for men. Inform ...

Tennyson. The event was described as the most brilliant gathering that has ever taken place on the island. The purpose for the event was to celebrate Prince Henry being named

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

of the Isle of Wight and keeper of

Carisbrooke Castle Carisbrooke Castle is a historic motte-and-bailey castle located in the village of Carisbrooke (near Newport), Isle of Wight, England. Charles I was imprisoned at the castle in the months prior to his trial. Early history The site of Carisbro ...

, in succession to the late

Viscount Eversley A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...

. Although she did not attend the event,

visited the house beforehand to witness the preparations. The event was to be held at

Osborne House Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom. The house was built between 1845 and 1851 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a summer home and rural retreat. Albert designed the house himself, in t ...

, but for the fact that the new banqueting hall had not been completed there. But, between 1901 and 1906, Northwood House became a convent for 80

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

nuns, who were expelled from

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 ...

when a new law was passed. The law enabled the French government to close any religious establishments which were

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

, Dominican or Benedictine. Among many internal alterations, the ballroom was turned into a chapel, being the largest room in the building. Their life at Northwood was very insular and they were said to never leave its grounds, except in the case of utmost necessity. One of the nuns was Princess

Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg , house = Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg , father = Constantine, Hereditary Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg , mother = Princess Agnes of Hohenlohe-Langenburg , birth_date = , birth_place = Kleinheubach, Kingdo ...

, widow of the

Duke of Braganza The title Duke of Braganza ( pt, Duque de Bragança) in the House of Braganza is one of the most important titles in the peerage of Portugal. Starting in 1640, when the House of Braganza acceded to the throne of Portugal, the male heir of the ...

, who died in 1866. It was the generosity of the Princess that allowed the nuns to settle in their former home in Solesmes, France. Around the same time in 1901, Benedictine monks also settled in to

Appuldurcombe House Appuldurcombe House (also spelt Appledorecombe or Appledore Combe) is the shell of a large 18th-century English Baroque country house of the Worsley family. The house is situated near to Wroxall on the Isle of Wight, England. It is now managed b ...

on the Isle of Wight, before eventually moving to

Quarr Abbey Quarr Abbey ( French: ''Abbaye Notre-Dame de Quarr'') is a monastery between the villages of Binstead and Fishbourne on the Isle of Wight in southern England. The name is pronounced as "Kwor" (rhyming with "for"). It belongs to the Catho ...

where they still reside today. The nuns at Northwood House were visited in 1902 by the new

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

and

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

, whilst touring the Isle of Wight. They visited the new convent there and its chapel. In 1905, the nuns were visited by more royalty, entertaining the

Queen of Saxony This is a list of the Duchesses, Electresses and Queens of Saxony; the consorts of the Duke of Saxony and its successor states; including the Electorate of Saxony, the Kingdom of Saxony, the House of Ascania, Albertine, and the Ernestine Saxony ...

. Then in 1906, Princess Ena who was soon to be married to the

King of Spain , coatofarms = File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Spanish_Monarch.svg , coatofarms_article = Coat of arms of the King of Spain , image = Felipe_VI_in_2020_(cropped).jpg , incumbent = Felipe VI , incumbentsince = 19 Ju ...

, was a regular visitor, attending mass with the nuns. In 1906, the nuns secured a college in

Ryde Ryde is an English seaside town and civil parish on the north-east coast of the Isle of Wight. The built-up area had a population of 23,999 according to the 2011 Census and an estimate of 24,847 in 2019. Its growth as a seaside resort came af ...

as their permanent home and left Northwood House. Later, in 1909, Northwood Park was turned into a nine-hole golf course.

Wilfrid Philip Ward (1915–1916)

Lacking an heir, the estate then briefly passed to Edmund's younger brother,

Wilfrid Philip Ward Wilfrid Philip Ward (2 January 1856 – 1916) was an English essayist and biographer. Ward and his friend Baron Friedrich von Hügel have been described as "the two leading lay English Catholic thinkers of their generation". Life Wilfrid Ward wa ...

, an essayist and biographer. At the time, he was a lecturer at

Lowell Institute The Lowell Institute is a United States educational foundation located in Boston, Massachusetts, providing both free public lectures, and also advanced lectures. It was endowed by a bequest of $250,000 left by John Lowell Jr., who died in 1836. ...

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

and like his father, he also became editor of the Dublin Review. He also wrote at least four biographies, including that of his

father A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. An adoptive fathe ...

Aubrey Thomas de Vere Aubrey Thomas de Vere (10 January 181420 January 1902) was an Irish poet and critic. Life Aubrey Thomas Hunt de Vere was born at Curraghchase House (now in ruins) at Curraghchase, Kilcornan, County Limerick, the third son of Sir Aubrey de Vere, 2 ...

and

Cardinal Newman John Henry Newman (21 February 1801 – 11 August 1890) was an English theologian, academic, intellectual, philosopher, polymath, historian, writer, scholar and poet, first as an Anglican priest and later as a Catholic priest and cardi ...

. He was also one of the founders of the 'Synthetic Society', a Knowledge community that was formed from a lunchtime discussion that he had with the former

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

Arthur Balfour Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, (, ; 25 July 184819 March 1930), also known as Lord Balfour, was a British Conservative Party (UK), Conservative statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1902 to 1905. As F ...

in 1896. The community discussed issues such as

agnostic Agnosticism is the view or belief that the existence of God, of the divine or the supernatural is unknown or unknowable. (page 56 in 1967 edition) Another definition provided is the view that "human reason is incapable of providing sufficient ...

tendencies and religious belief. Ward was described as being one of "the two leading lay English Catholic thinkers of their generation" and was a prominent member of the

Oxford Movement The Oxford Movement was a movement of high church members of the Church of England which began in the 1830s and eventually developed into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose original devotees were mostly associated with the University of O ...

. Wilfrid Ward was married to Josephine Mary Hope-Scott, daughter of

James Hope-Scott James Robert Hope-Scott (15 July 1812 – 29 April 1873) was a British barrister and Tractarian. Early life and conversion Born at Great Marlow, in the county of Buckinghamshire, and christened James Robert, Hope was the third son of Gene ...

and Lady Victoria Howard, daughter of the

Duke of Norfolk Duke of Norfolk is a title in the peerage of England. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the title refers to the county of Norfolk. The current duke is Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk. The dukes ...

. Living at Weston Manor,

, he was said to be a neighbour and intimate friend of

Lord Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Go ...

. He died in 1916, leaving an estate valued at £10,658. During the

, Northwood House was requisitioned by the

War Office The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the new Ministry of Defence (MoD). This article contains text from ...

and it was used as a

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...

military hospital. In 1915, Princess Louis of Battenberg and her daughter Princess Louise, later to become Queen of Sweden, visited the Red Cross Hospital to visit the sick and wounded soldiers there. Later that same year, the soldiers were visited by Princess Henry of Battenberg and

Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, (Louisa Caroline Alberta; 18 March 1848 – 3 December 1939) was the sixth child and fourth daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. In her public life, she was a strong proponent of the arts and highe ...

. Between 1914 and 1919, when the hospital closed, it had treated 1894 patients.

Captain Herbert Joseph Ward (1916–1929)

Following his father's death, the estate passed to Captain Herbert Joseph Ward, who like many of his predecessors, preferred to live elsewhere. Captain Ward lived at Egypt House, Cowes; and so since the closure of the Red Cross Hospital in 1919, Northwood House had been unoccupied. In 1919, Ward started to sell off much of the family lands and in 1929, he made the decision to give the house and its remaining 29 acres of land to the people of Cowes, to be managed by the Cowes Urban District Council. The house was to be used as municipal offices and the land to be converted into pleasure parks for the people of Cowes. Captain Ward died in 1967.

The Isle of Wight Council years (1929–2010)

In 1929, Captain Herbert Joseph Ward, a JP and chairman of the council, gifted the house and estate to Cowes Urban District Council. The deeds to the property were received by HRH Princess Beatrice on 4 September 1929 in her capacity as Royal Governor of the Isle of Wight. She in turn, handed them to Mr F. W. Beken, chairman of Cowes Urban District Council. The following year, tennis courts were built for public use. During the

the house was also used as a

first-aid station and as a base for

air raid precaution Air Raid Precautions (ARP) refers to a number of organisations and guidelines in the United Kingdom dedicated to the protection of civilians from the danger of air raids. Government consideration for air raid precautions increased in the 1920s an ...

wardens. Parts of the ground were used for growing vegetables under the war effort's 'Dig For Victory' campaign, and there was also an air-raid shelter on the site. There are reports that a bomb fell on the tennis courts. In 1940, a charity event was held at Northwood House, to raise money for the

Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Griff ...

Fund. A captured

Messerschmitt Messerschmitt AG () was a German share-ownership limited, aircraft manufacturing corporation named after its chief designer Willy Messerschmitt from mid-July 1938 onwards, and known primarily for its World War II fighter aircraft, in partic ...

was put on display for the event. Later in 1941, a concert was held at Northwood House to entertain the troops, although embarrassingly, only five soldiers turned up and the concert was cancelled. In 1947, a bowling green was added to the estate. The current pavilion was built in 1983/84, when the existing one burnt down. In August 1965, over 800 guests attended the Royal Yacht Squadron's annual ball at Northwood House. Among the guests was

Prince Philip Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from E ...

and the Spanish ambassador. In 1998, the Isle of Wight Council received an offer from a developer, who planned to convert the house into a hotel. However, a public group was formed, calling themselves 'Friends of Northwood House', who fought the proposal. They won and the idea was shelved. As early as 2002, a charitable scheme was set up, with local citizens being designated as "management trustees". In this way, although the council continued to utilize the building, including its use as a registrar's office, it was jointly looked after by both the council and volunteers. In 2004, The Isle of Wight Council renovated the downstairs rooms and moved the island's registrar's office into Northwood House.

Northwood House Charitable Trust Co Ltd (2010 to date)

In 2010, the Isle of Wight Council completely withdrew from Northwood House, with the registrar's office and other council functions being moved elsewhere. This left the property's use and maintenance totally in the hands of the volunteers of the charitable trust. However, in 2012, the management structure was changed when the original trust was replaced by the Northwood House Charitable Trust Co. Ltd. The estate continues to depend on the help of volunteers to maintain and operate it. The trades needed for the house include master craftsmen, cleaners, soft furnishing specialists and restoration workers. For the grounds, they need gardeners, arborists and landscape designers.

References

{{reflist

External links

Northwood House & Park web site
Tourist attractions on the Isle of Wight Grade II* listed buildings on the Isle of Wight Cowes