Annual Summer Party

 

On Sunday 22nd June 2009 the Marble Hill Society gave its annual summer party at Marble Hill House by kind permission of English Heritage. Before supper, the Society was treated to an excellent musical recital by two gifted young players, the flautist Ruth Corney and the guitarist Sam Cave, who regularly perform together under the title Duo Nuevo. As was usual the concert took place in the richly ornamented Great Room, whose excellent acoustics suited their playing. Ruth and Sam started with a piece from Handel and then played a range of South American music including a piece inspired by the tango.

After this feast of music, we were all treated to a gastronomic feast prepared as usual by members of the Marble Hill Society in the hall downstairs.

John Moses : Vice-Chairman : Marble Hill Society

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Talks by

Alison Weir and Tracy Borman

At Marble Hill on 10th September 2009 the distinguished historians, Alison Weir and Tracy Borman, gave two short talks to the Marble Hill Society with a specifically Tudor theme. Alison spoke about the downfall of Anne Boleyn and Tracy Borman spoke about the influence of certain women in the life of Elizabeth I. Both talks were given as “tasters” to two books, which are just about to be published.The title of Alison’s book is The Lady in the Tower: the fall of Anne Boleyn and Tracy’s book is called Elizabeth’s Women.

These two excellent talks were of course related to each other given that Anne Boleyn was the mother of Elizabeth I. Alison described how Anne fell out of favour with King Henry VIII when, the future Elizabeth I was born in 1533, thus failing to give Henry a son and heir. However, Alison said her actual downfall leading to her trial and execution happened very swiftly, from a joust on May 1^st 1536 to her execution three weeks later. Alison posed two questions; first was she an innocent victim and secondly who was really behind her sudden fall. She suggested that it might have been the King’s first minister Thomas Cromwell rather than the king himself who primarily sought her death. However, she said that we would need to read her book to discover what she considered the real reason for Anne Boleyn’s fall. She finished by describing the trial for treason which sounded very much like a “kangaroo” court and how an expert swordsman was brought over from Calais to London to carry out this execution.

Tracy carried on where Alison finished. She pointed out that as Elizabeth was not yet three and had a separate court it may have been some time before she realised the fate of her mother. However, because her mother’s marriage was annulled just before her execution, Elizabeth was demoted from being Princess Elizabeth to Lady Elizabeth. On occasions her ladies in waiting were not given enough money to allow her to be properly clothed. Elizabeth herself always had to tread very carefully particularly with her dealings with her half sister when Mary became Queen. Mary had Elizabeth charged with high treason, but Elizabeth robustly denied the charge and was acquitted. She remained under house arrest at Hatfield until she became the Queen on the death of her sister in 1558.

Tracy said that the accepted view of Elizabeth was that, even when she became Queen, she proudly proclaimed that she was her father’s daughter, but deliberately made little mention of her mother as she regarded Anne Boleyn as being “beyond the pale.” Tracy said that it was true she made regular mention of her father, but the evidence pointed to the fact that she continued to have an enduring affection for her mother until her own death in 1603. Tracy gave two specific examples. In a painting that Henry VIII commissioned of himself and his three children in 1540s, Elizabeth wore her mother’s brooch. Elizabeth also regularly wore a ring, when she was Queen, which had a portrait of herself and also, more significantly, of her mother, Anne Boleyn.

John Moses : Vice-Chairman : Marble Hill Society

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Open House Weekend and Book Sale

Timed to coincide with Open House Weekend, the Society had a very successful book sale on Sunday, 20th September at their gazebo just outside the main entrance to the House. Books were donated by members of the Society and their friends to help with fundraising for the upgrade of Marble Hill and its contents.

The wide range of books on sale showed the eclectic taste of the Society’s members who had a surprising penchant for crime and thrillers. Throughout the day the Book Stall was well patronised as prospective purchasers eagerly searched for bargains. The final result was that over £300 was raised - worth all the hard work both before and on the day. All those concerned are to be congratulated.

For the Open House Weekend, English Heritage provided free entry to the House and this attracted 700 visitors. Five volunteer guides from the Society (Vivienne Cove, Betty Miller, John Moses, Mary Wackerbarth and Keith Hathaway) ran hour-long tours of the House.

The first tour began at 10.30 with a queue of visitors eager to learn more about the House and the fascinating story of Henrietta Howard, Countess of Suffolk - a King’s Mistress and a servant to a Queen. Indeed, the tours were so popular that two extra tours had to be hastily added so as not to disappoint latecomers.

From the reaction of those on the tours, visitors thoroughly enjoyed looking round Marble Hill and they certainly contributed to a great atmosphere in the House.

Betty Miller and Janet Clarke

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Heritage2Health at Marble Hill House 2009

On the morning of Sunday 27th September, Marble Hill Society volunteer guides helped people with disability gain access to the Marble Hill House under an umbrella scheme called Heritage2Health (H2H). The aim of the scheme was to engage these visitors in experiencing a very old, beautiful house with plenty of tales, pictures and objects.

Approximately 70 people, made up of 35 visitors with varying disabilities and 35 carers, were given free access and refreshments, as well as tours and organised activities. As the House was open to the public throughout, and the House Staff were heavily engaged in the H2H project, two of the Marble Hill Society volunteer guides looked after the first and second floors of the House.

Some of the visitors were Chinese and were delighted just to see the wallpaper. Another said they had not been out of the house for years and just the experience of a different space was a huge thrill. The interest the visitors showed in the House and their smiles of enjoyment made this event very worthwhile.

H2H was founded in 2005 and has enthusiastic support from English Heritage and the National Trust. It is currently developing a range of resources to enable a wider network of organisations and groups to stage H2H branded challenge events.

These events bring together four key ingredients:

• a wide range of participants of different ages and backgrounds, with a focus on those who may feel socially isolated or excluded because of physical, mental or learning disabilities, health conditions or the demands of caring for others
• volunteers, including young people, students and professionals from health and social care, and those working in the creative arts
• heritage sites, where the beauty of our shared historic and natural environment provides a creative space
• the challenge event itself, which may be a physical, creative or social challenge - or all three.

Betty Miller

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Talk by Anna Chalcraft at the Society’s AGM on the Restoration of Strawberry Hill

The villa of Strawberry Hill, designed by Horace Walpole, is one of the most important buildings in the Borough of Richmond and its design was far-reaching when it was built.

On 28th September 2009, after the Annual General Meeting, Anna Chalcraft gave a fascinating talk to the Marble Hill Society at Marble Hill on the major restoration programme, which is now been carried out at Strawberry Hill. Anna explained that it is a huge project, because before the restoration started, the house was in a very poor state. It had been estimated that £9 million would be needed to cover the cost of the work, but most of the money had now been raised. About half was coming from a heritage lottery grant.

She explained how Walpole in the latter part of the 18^th century had converted the remnants of three houses into an extraordinary Gothick villa. It was now planned to restore the villa to approximately the same state as it would have been in Walpole’s time. It was hoped that the work would be completed by the autumn of 2010. In particular, it was hoped to restore all the principal rooms, which Walpole had designed, such as the library and cloisters. She mentioned that much had been learnt about the original interior decoration in the course of the restoration. She said that the design of the house was very important in promoting the new (late 18^th century) ideas of the Picturesque.

She also said that they were planning to create a garden filled with plants which Horace Walpole might have used.

John Moses

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Talk by Bruce Gordon-Smith on a Georgian River Journey

On Sunday 7th March 2010,  Members were treated to a fascinating illustrated talk by Bruce Gordon-Smith. He described an imaginary journey down river from the White Swan, Twickenham to Greenwich in the time when Henrietta Howard would have been living at Marble Hill. Bruce showed a great variety of interesting paintings and prints, many of which were well known. The event, which was held at 11.30 am, was well attended and this should augur well for future Sunday morning meetings.

John Moses

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