(600) Best (later Best-Shaw) of Boxley and Chilston Park

Best of Boxley and Chilston 

The Best family were established in Kent as minor gentry from at least the 16th century. John Best, who rented Allington Castle in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, added a semi-timbered gabled storey to the east and west wings of the house as a replacement for parts of the castle which had been damaged by fire. He was evidently a Catholic, as he maintained a chapel in the house and created a priest hole in the gatehouse. It may also have been John Best who acquired a Crown lease of a house known as St Lawrence, on the outskirts of Canterbury, held later by his son Richard Best (1597-1633) and grandson, John Best (d. 1666). This house, which although it was demolished in the early 19th century is known from a drawing on an 18th century estate map, was a low two-storey L-shaped manor house, which was the successor to, and perhaps incorporated parts of, a medieval leper hospital dissolved in 1538. At the time of Richard Best's death in 1633 the house contained a hall, parlour, study, kitchen, buttery, bakehouse, gallery and a chamber over the hall. His son, John Best, sold the estate to William Rooke in the 1650s and evidently spent his latter years in the city of Canterbury itself. The genealogy below begins with Thomas Best (1657-1740), who is said to have been John's fourth son, but who was perhaps the second eldest to survive his father. He became a brewer at Chatham (Kent), and may have inherited brewing interests there, for the probate inventories of Thomas Best (d. 1665) and his wife Dorothy Lott of Chatham show that they owned brewing implements. It was, however, Thomas (1657-1740) who 'converted some small tenements, part of Dame Agrippina Bingley's house [in Chatham High Street] into a brewhouse and set up the business of a brewer in a small way'. His marriage in 1681 to the widowed daughter of a wealthy local merchant, John Mawdistly, provided the funds to enable him to expand the business, and laid the foundations of the family's later fortune. Later in life, probably after he handed over day-to-day control of the brewery to his son, Mawdistly Best (1682-1744), he rented Cooling Castle.

It was Mawdistly Best who took the next step up the social ladder, when he bought the Park House estate at Boxley near Maidstone in 1720. Park House was probably not, at that time, particularly large, but it was a freehold property, and coupled with the family's income from the brewery, was sufficient to see Mawdistly appointed as High Sheriff of Kent in 1730-31. Mawdistly, who continued to buy scattered lands in west Kent, died in 1744, only four years after his father. He left two surviving sons: Thomas Best (1713-95) and James Best (1720-82). Thomas was educated as a gentleman and became MP for Canterbury in 1741. He inherited most of his father's lands at Aylesford, Headcorn and elsewhere, though not the Park House estate, and his marriage to Carolina Scott, an heiress of the gentry family of Scott's Hall (Kent), perhaps provided the means for him to purchase Chilston Park near Lenham (Kent) in 1746. Thomas and Carolina had no children, so at his death in 1795, Chilston passed to his nephew George Best (1759-1818), who was the youngest son of his brother James.

Chatham House and the brewery as shown on the 1864 town plan

Chatham House: the frontage to High Street in 1849.

Mawdistly's younger son, James Best (1720-82), inherited the Chatham brewery, his father's house there, and the Park House, Boxley property. His father had intended to rebuild his house in Chatham but died before doing so. James realised his plans, although work seems to have proceeded slowly, beginning in the 1740s but only being completed in 1758, and the result was the imposing Chatham House, which stood on the High Street at the front of the brewery site. The brewery seems to have been his principal focus of interest, and during the forty years when he was the proprietor, the firm greatly expanded, investing in new technology and improved brewing techiques, and achieved its greatest prosperity. At the end of his life, he was planning to embark on overseas exports of the firm's beer, but although his sons put this plan into action after his death it was not a success and was quickly abandoned.

James married a daughter of Richard Shelley of Michelgrove, and they had ten children, including five sons, one of whom died young. The eldest son, Thomas Best (1753-1815), inherited Park House, Boxley. He was educated at Eton and Cambridge, and became an officer in the West Kent militia, but he was not left a share of the brewery.  That was divided among the three younger sons: James (1755-1828), Richard (1757-1801) and George (1759-1818), despite the fact that James, who had became an officer in the army 'wanted nothing to do with it'. George inherited the Chilston Park estate from his uncle in 1795, and withdrew from the brewery partnership soon afterwards. George continued to live at Chilston until his death in 1818, when it passed to his son, Thomas Fairfax Best (1786-1849). He sold the estate in 1824 and moved to the smaller Wierton Place at Boughton Monchelsea, then a modest Georgian house which was subsequently remodelled by his son-in-law, Maj. William Henry Archer (1815-91).

James and Richard continued to manage the concern until 1801, when the family's solicitors - one of whom was also their brother-in-law - raised concerns about the amount of money the partners were taking out of the business. Not only would it become bankrupt if they continued to do so, but the business needed an immediate injection of capital. To address the problem, the solicitors took over the management of the business as trustees for the Bests until 1809, paying the partners a minimal allowance, and only when it was on a sound footing once more did they return it to James, the sole surviving partner, who ran it until his death in 1828. As he had no children, it then passed to his nephew, James Best (1781-1849), the elder son of his brother Thomas of Park House.

James Best (d. 1849) was educated as a gentleman and had inherited Park House from his father in 1815, before becoming involved in the brewery. He combined his role in the business with being a senior officer in the militia, and was often referred to as Colonel Best. Under his management, the firm seems once more to have been very profitable, and in the 1840s the brewery was said 'to have no competitor in the county', implying that the other Kentish breweries were much smaller concerns.

Rome House, Chatham

The income from the brewery seems to have allowed James to buy a property called Boxley Lodge, which stood next door to Park House, and he also occupied Rome House in Chatham, a substantial urban villa on which the family had held a mortgage since the 18th century. James's intention was probably that his eldest son, James Best (1822-45), should inherit the brewery and his estates, but the younger James died at the age of 22, while an undergraduate at Oxford. By this time, James's other sons, Mawdistly Gaussen Best (1826-1906) and Thomas Charles Hardinge Best (1828-87), had already embarked on careers in the army, and were evidently disinclined to give them up to take over the management of the brewery. In these circumstances, the family and its advisers decided to lease the brewery to Messrs. Winch & Co., who much later, in 1891, bought the business altogether.

Mawdistly Gaussen Best remained in the army until 1860, achieving the rank of Major, but inherited the Boxley estates from his father in 1849. Both Boxley Lodge and Park House seem to have been let while he was serving in the army, but after the tenants of Boxley Lodge left in 1862, he undertook a remodelling of that house and moved in. A decade later, when Park House also became vacant, he pulled it down and undertook a further and more extensive enlargement or rebuilding of Boxley Lodge, to which the name Park House was transferred. While the work at Boxley Lodge was in progress, Major Best himself rented Boxley Abbey, a third large house in the same parish. Some years later, in 1890, it came up for sale, and he bought it, presumably with a view to extending the estate. Since Major Best and his wife had no children, the combined property passed on his death to his sister's daughter, Harriet (1867-1951), and her husband, the Rev. Charles Edmund Waller Dalison (later Best-Dalison) (1858-1955). Their only son, Thomas Maximilian Best-Dalison, predeceased his parents in 1947, and so when Harriet died four years later the estates passed to her sister's son, Sir John James Kenward Shaw (later Best-Shaw) (1895-1984), 9th bt., who moved into Boxley Abbey. When the Rev. Charles Best-Dalison died in 1955, Park House - the unfashionable Victorian Italianate style of which, coupled with wartime damage, made it particularly vulnerable - became vacant and was pulled down soon afterwards. Sir John left Boxley Abbey and the estate to his youngest son, Stephen Bosanquet Shaw (later Best-Shaw) (1935-2000), who was in turn succeeded by his son James Robert Hawley Best-Shaw (b. 1965), who put the property on the market in 2023.

Park House, Boxley, Kent

The house should not be confused with Park House, Maidstone, which lies less than a mile to the south-west. Both estates were carved out of the lands belonging to the medieval Cistercian Boxley Abbey. The Park House at Boxley was called 'ancient' by Hasted in 1798. It was acquired by Thomas Best of Chatham as a country retreat in 1720, and at this time was probably no more than a 'village gentry' house, which fronted onto the village street. In 1838, James Best (d. 1849) bought the adjoining property, known as Boxley Lodge, which seems to have been built in the late 18th or early 19th century, and may have moved there, as Park House was certainly let in the 1840s, when the poet, Alfred, Lord Tennyson visited his sister there. After Mawdistly Gaussen Best inherited the estate in 1849, both properties seem to have been let, but the tenants at Boxley Lodge gave up their lease in about 1862, and Best seems to have embarked on a process of refurbishment and improvement before occupying the house himself.

Park House and Boxley Lodge depicted on 6" OS map, 1865

Park House, Boxley, depicted on 6" OS map, 1898

Both houses were standing, side by side, when the Ordnance Survey 6" map was surveyed in 1865, and a newspaper report in the same year mentions 'large alterations and additions having just been completed' at Boxley Lodge. That was not the end of the matter, however, for a decade later Best pulled down the original Park House and transferred its name to Boxley Lodge, which he either rebuilt or further extended on a significantly larger scale in a loosely Italianate style in 1875-76. The architect on this occasion was Robert Wheeler (1828-1901) of Brenchley and Tunbridge Wells (Kent), about whom little is known, although his practice seems to have been mainly involved in church restoration and public buildings. The works were executed by Wallis & Clements of Maidstone, contractors, whose accepted tender for the works was £7,284. Either at the same time or soon afterwards, the road leading south from Boxley village was diverted to the west, allowing the enlargement of the grounds around the new house, which seems to have stood on the site of Boxley Lodge. It is not known how much of the Lodge was incorporated within it, nor how much of the house as it later appeared was due to the works of 1865 or those of 1875-76. The map evidence shows that the house was 'turned around' so that it was entered on the north side whereas the old house had been approached from the south. 20th century photographs show the house had a complex layout, with a thin tower at the junction between the main block and a large service wing, which in turn connected to the stable court. Nothing is known of the plan or the interiors.

Park House, Boxley: entrance front, probably c.1900. Image: Matthew Beckett.

Park House, Boxley: aerial photograph in 1930. Image: Britain from above.

Park House, Boxley: the house from the south-west in the early 20th century.

While the rebuilding work of the 1870s was taking place, Best rented Boxley Abbey, and when Lord Romney put the Boxley Abbey Estate up for sale in 1890, Best decided to add it to his estate, buying the abbey and attached farm for £15,450. Park House seems to have remained the family's principal residence into the mid 20th century, but it is said to have been damaged during the Second World War, causing the elderly owners to move to Boxley Abbey. Their successors at Boxley preferred the abbey, and Park House was demolished in 1955, although the coach house and stable block were converted into houses.

Descent: Paulet St. John sold 1720 to Mawdistly Best (d. 1740); to son, James Best (d. 1782); to son, Thomas Best (1753-1815); to son, James Best (1781-1849); to son, Mawdistly Gaussen Best (1826-1906); to niece, Harriet Emily Hardinge Best Bosanquet (1867-1951), wife of Rev. Charles Edmund Waller Dalison (later Best-Dalison) (1858-1955); to kinsman, Sir John James Kenward Best-Shaw, 9th bt., who demolished it in 1955.

Boxley Abbey, Kent

This house has been described in a previous post.

Chilston Park, Boughton Malherbe, Kent

The house, which was a seat of the Hussey family from the 13th century until 1545, has a long and multi-layered history which is not yet fully understood. The earliest view of the building which is known is Badeslade's engraving of 1719 for Harris' History of Kent, which shows a quadrangular house with a tower over the entrance porch and projecting two-bay wings on the entrance front. 

Badeslade's engraving of Chilston Park in 1719, from Harris' History of Kent

This house probably dated from the early 16th century, as the inner faces of the projecting wings on the north-facing entrance front still have diapered brickwork. Christopher Hussey thought the porch tower might be a little earlier, of the late 15th century, but there seems no compelling reason to suggest a more complex sequence than a straightforward rebuilding in the early 16th century. By the date of the engraving, however, most identifiably pre-classical features of the house apart from the tower had been smoothed away in a fairly comprehensive remodelling, which left the house with plain elevations of two storeys under a hipped roof with dormers. The brick of the east and west elevations shows no diapering and may therefore have been wholly replaced, but the low proportions of the elevations no doubt imply that parts of the 16th century house survive inside. The remodelling was apparently carried out for William Hamilton after he inherited the estate in 1709, as Hasted says 'he made great additions' to the house, but stylistically it could easily be forty years earlier.

Chilston Park: engraving of the house in 1780, from Hasted's History of Kent. 

Chilston Park: the entrance front, as remodelled in 1728, photographed in 1952. Image: Country Life.

Not long after Badeslade's view was drawn, the house was altered again, with a pedimented three-bay breakfront dated 1728 replacing the porch tower, and completing the external modernisation. The entrance hall has a character consistent with this date too, including the slightly over-scaled Palladian chimneypiece It seems likely that this was the work of John Hamilton and had been completed before the house passed to the Best family, in 1746.

Chilston Park: the entrance hall in recent years. Image: Trip Advisor.

Chilston Park: the mid 18th century first-floor saloon, now a bedroom. Image: Trip Advisor

Most of the rest of the interior of the house has been redecorated in later times. Hasted reported in 1782 that the Bests had 'rebuilt the mansion and made other very considerable improvements to the park, waters and adjacent grounds' in the mid 18th century. The screen in the entrance hall seems to belong to this phase, with the columns each made from a single tree trunk. The rooms in the east range were also remodelled. The ground floor was occupied by a parlour and dining room, placed either side of a Chinese Chippendale staircase, while on the first floor is a saloon with a coved and coffered ceiling, perhaps of the 1750s, and a canted bay window. The staircase was removed in the 19th century (Christopher Hussey reported that fragments of the staircase balustrading were still to be found in the outbuildings in 1952), although its sunburst ceiling is still in position on the first floor. 

Chilston Park: the inner hall and Victorian staircase.

Further major changes were made to the house for Aretas Akers-Douglas, 1st Viscount Chilston, in 1882-83, to the designs of George Friend. The front porch was created, reusing the original doorcase, and the central courtyard was roofed over to provide a new top lit inner hall, with a grand imperial staircase rising around the walls. On the east wall of the inner hall is mounted panelling of c.1540, with the symbols of the Passion and kings' heads, set under Renaissance arches. This was almost certainly made for the lost Royton chapel at Lenham, and was moved here in about 1900 from the nearby farmhouse (formerly Royton Manor). 

Chilston Park: the combined drawing room and morning room (now the dining room) in 1952. Image: Country Life.

The creation of a new main staircase allowed the Georgian staircase to be taken out, and the ground floor rooms of the east wing to be thrown into a single long drawing room and morning room (now the dining room), divided by a screen of columns, and leading at the south end into a conservatory. This is the survivor of several spaces in which the existing Georgian decoration was emulated in the new decoration. The panelling and chimneypieces of the long drawing room are evidently original, but the papier mâché ceiling must be Victorian, and fits well enough, although its small-scale repetitive decoration is not something the Georgians would ever have created in such a large space. 

Chilston Park: the former dining room (now demolished) created in 1882-83. Image: Country Life.

On the other side of the house, a new dining room (now lost) was built out, extending the entrance front to the west, with new service accommodation beyond it. The dining room also had Georgian-style decoration, with a Kentian ceiling and decorative plasterwork swags and picture frames on the walls. The final major change was the reconstruction of the south front of the house, with the two bays at either end of the facade raised into gables, and a new two-storey centre which again is in keeping with the Georgian elevations, but which is constructed of a hot red brick toned down by the application of spots of distemper across the surface.

The house was converted into an hotel after 1983, and on the whole the conversion and subsequent alterations have been handled sympathetically, although inevitably there is some loss of the 'visual charm and historic atmosphere' on which Christopher Hussey remarked in 1952. The most grevious change in that time, however, has been the construction of the insistently noisy M20 across the park to the north. The house was from the 16th century at least surrounded by a small park, which Evelyn in 1666 called 'a sweetly watered place'. Badeslade's view shows a formal garden with an elaborate system of rectangular ponds on all sides of the house, but this seems to have been naturalised by the Bests in the mid 18th century, when the informal lake was created at a little distance from the north front. 

Descent: Henry Hussey sold 1545 to John Parkhurst... Sir William Parkhurst, kt.; sold to Richard Northwood... sold 1650 to Edward Hales (d. 1696); to daughters, who sold 1698 to the Hon. Mrs. Elizabeth Hamilton (d. 1709), widow of Col. James Hamilton; to son, William Hamilton (d. 1737); to son, John Hamilton, who sold in 1746 to Thomas Best MP (1713-95); to nephew, George Best (1759-1818); to son, Thomas Fairfax Best (1786-1849), who sold c.1824 to George Douglas (d. 1833); to James Douglas Stoddart (later Stoddart Douglas then Douglas) MP (1793-1875); to kinsman, Aretas Akers (later Akers-Douglas) (1851-1926), 1st Viscount Chilston; to son, Aretas Akers-Douglas (1876-1947), 2nd Viscount Chilston; to son, Eric Alexander Akers-Douglas (1910-82), 3rd Viscount Chilston; to cousin, Alastair George Akers-Douglas (b. 1946), 4th Viscount Chilston, who sold 1983 for conversion into an hotel.

Wierton Place, Boughton Monchelsea, Kent

The oldest of several gentlemen's seats in a scattered hamlet on the eastern side of Boughton Monchelsea parish, and anciently known simply as Wierton or Wiarton. 

Wierton Place: the Jacobean house of the St Leger and Powell families, engraved by Badeslade, 1719.

The L-shaped Jacobean house of the St Leger and Powell families recorded by Badeslade in 1719 was replaced by a new, classical house on a different site in about 1760 for John Briscoe of London. No view of this house seems to be known before it was remodelled in the Gothic style in 1857, presumably for Maj. William Henry Archer. It was sold in 1898 to the Kleinwort banking family and remodelled again, although this time the work had little impact on the exterior and was concentrated on creating a new suite of interiors. The house is now gabled, and mainly of two storeys above a basement, with irregular fenestration, mixing sashes with some mullioned windows, some of which have leaded lights.

Wierton Place: the 18th century house as remodelled in 1857 and 1899.

The internal remodelling of 1899 was in a mixture of the Jacobean and 18th century styles. The entrance hall, billiard room and former music room were decorated in the Jacobean style, with panelling, overmantels and plaster cornices, and the hall has a strapwork ceiling with pendants. The main staircase is in early 18th century style, with elaborate cast iron scrollwork balusters and a mahogany handrail. The two drawing rooms have more Adamesque decoration, with plaster ceilings and cornices, 18th century style fireplaces, and painted wooden doors, and there is a sitting room on the first floor in the same taste.

Descent: built c.1760 for John Briscoe; sold c.1790 to John May of Holborough; sold to Thomas Fairfax Best (1786-1849); to daughter, Frances (1823-88), later wife of Maj. William Henry Archer (1815-91); to son, Major Henry Best Fairfax Archer (1858-1927), who sold 1898 to Herman G. Kleinwort (1856-1942); sold after his death to [fu] Hubble; sold 1967 to Francis Stone (c.1944-2005), who operated it as a night club; to brother Aaron Paul Stone (b. 1948).

Best family of Boxley

Best, Thomas (1657-1740). Fourth son of John Best (d. 1666) of St Lawrence, near Canterbury (Kent) and his wife Katherine, daughter of John Allanson of Norwood (Middx), baptised at St Paul, Canterbury, 2 June 1657. Brewer at Chatham. He married 1st, 13 September 1681 at St Botolph, Aldgate, London, Elizabeth (d. 1702), daughter of John Mawdistly of Chatham (Kent) and widow of Matthew Thurston (d. 1680), and 2nd, 30 December 1703 at Stepney (Middx), Elizabeth (d. 1736?), widow of William Nurse, and had issue:

(1.1) Mawdistly Best (1682-1744) (q.v.);

(1.2) Elizabeth Best (1683-1764), baptised at Chatham, 29 November 1683; married, 30 March 1717 at St Swithin, London Stone, London, as his second wife, Thomas Pearse (d. 1743), MP for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis, 1722-26, 1727-41, of Tower Hill, London and Witchampton (Dorset), chief clerk of the Navy office to 1726; a commissioner of the Navy, 1726-43 and a director of the South Sea Company, 1721-24, and had issue two sons; lived latterly at Hatley St George (Cambs); buried at Hatley St George, 8 July 1764; will proved 26 July 1764;

(1.3) Mary Best (1685-1760), baptised at Chatham, 1 October 1685; married, 17 August 1704 at Stepney (Middx), John Tyhurst (c.1678-1753) of Chatham, brewer, and had issue at least two daughters; buried at Chatham, 23 February 1760; will proved at Canterbury, 1760;

(1.4) Dorothy Best (b. 1687; fl. 1737), baptised at Chatham, 26 May 1687; married Capt. John Mihell or Myhell (fl. 1737; d. by 1746) and had issue one son and four daughters; death not traced;

(1.5) Matthew Best (b. & d. 1691), baptised at Chatham, 20 May 1691; died in infancy and was buried at Chatham, 21 July 1691;

(1.6) John Best (b. & d. 1694), baptised at Chatham, 15 August 1694; died in infancy and was buried at Chatham, 20 November 1694;

(1.7) Sarah Best (1699-1756), baptised at Chatham, 31 May 1699; married, 15 July 1729 at St Clement Danes, Westminster (Middx), Admiral Edward Vernon (1684-1757) of Nacton (Suffk), MP for Penryn, 1722-34, Portsmouth, 1741 and Ipswich, 1741-57, second son of Rt. Hon. James Vernon, secretary of state 1696-1700, and had issue three sons; buried at Nacton, 19 May 1756;

(1.8) Ann Best (1702-84), baptised at Chatham, 2 July 1702; married, 8 December 1725 in London, Charles Taylor (1692-1762), barrister-at-law, a bencher of the Middle Temple and deputy remembrancer of the Court of Exchequer, and had issue several sons and one daughter; died 23 March 1784 and was buried at Diptford (Devon), where she and her husband are commemorated by a monument.

He lived next to the brewery at Chatham and later at Cooling Castle (Kent), where he was presumably a tenant. In 1735 he bought a mortgage on Rome House, Chatham, which he settled on his son-in-law, John Mihell.

He died 22 August and was buried at Chatham, 31 August 1740; his will was proved in the PCC, 25 August 1740. His first wife was buried at Chatham, 3 November 1702. His second wife is said to have died in 1736.

Mawdistly Best (1682-1744) 

Best, Mawdistly (1682-1744). Eldest and only surviving son of Thomas Best (1657-1740) and his first wife, Elizabeth, daughter of John Mawdistly of Chatham and widow of Matthew Thurston, baptised at Chatham, 19 October 1682. Proprietor of Best's Brewery in Chatham, 1740-44. High Sheriff of Kent, 1730-31. He married, 15 August 1710 at Frindsbury (Kent), Elizabeth (1690-1753), daughter of Thomas Fearne, and had issue:

(1) Elizabeth Best (1712-28?), baptised at Chatham, 14 December 1712; died young and was probably the woman of this name buried at Boxley, 20 October 1728;

(2) Thomas Best (1713-95) [for whom see below, under Best of Chilston Park];

(3) Dorothy Best (1715-16), baptised at Chatham, 2 September 1715; died in infancy and was buried at Chatham, 25 July 1716;

(4) Mawdistly James Best (b. 1717), baptised at Chatham, 4 November 1717; died young;

(5) James Best (1720-82) (q.v.);

(6) Mawdistly Best (c.1724-37), born about 1724; died young, 16 January, and was buried at Boxley, 20 January 1736/7;

(7) Dorothy Sarah Best (1726-50), baptised at Boxley, 27 October 1726; married, 18 July 1749 at St James, Piccadilly, Westminster (Middx), as his second wife, Robert Fairfax (1707-93), 7th Baron Fairfax, of Leeds Castle (Kent); died without issue and was buried at Broomfield (Kent), 23 May 1750;

(8) Frances Best; probably died young as she is not mentioned in her father's will.

He lived at Park House, Boxley (Kent), which he purchased from the St. John family in 1720. He planned to build a new house in Chatham but died before work could start.

He was buried at Boxley, 10 January 1743/4; his will was proved in the PCC, 20 January 1743/4. His widow died in 1753, but her burial has not been traced; her will was proved in the PCC, 27 March 1753.

James Best (1720-82)
Image: Maidstone Museum & Art Gallery  

Best, James (1720-82). Second surviving son of Mawdistly Best (1682-1744) and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Fearne, baptised at Chatham, 20 March 1719/20. High Sheriff of Kent, 1751; JP for Kent; Receiver-General for Kent, Surrey and Sussex, 1777-82. Succeeded his father as owner of Best's Brewery in Chatham and greatly expanded the business, investing in new technology and improved brewing techniques, on which he sought guidance from the leading London porter brewers. At the time of his death he was just beginning an attempt to develop an overseas trade in his beer, but this proved unsuccessful and was abandoned in 1786 by his sons. The portrait shown here, by an unidentified artist, is very probably of James Best, although the identification is not certain. He married, 13 January 1752 at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminster (Middx), Frances (1732-1808), daughter and co-heir of Richard Shelley of Michelgrove (Sussex), and had issue:

(1) Elizabeth Best (1752-1812), born 7 October, and baptised at Chatham, 8 November 1752; married, 18 June 1790 at Boxley, Rev. Maurice Lloyd (1763-1810), vicar of Lenham (Kent), son of Maurice Lloyd of Oswestry (Shrops.), and had issue one son and two daughters; buried at Lenham, 31 October 1812;

(2) Thomas Best (1753-1815) (q.v.); 

(3) James Best (1755-1828), born 9 January, and baptised at Boxley, 10 January 1755; an officer in the army, who was also a partner in Best's Brewery in Chatham from 1782 (though he 'wanted nothing to do with it') until his death, with his brothers George (to 1795) and Richard (to 1801); from 1801-09 it was in the hands of the Twopenny brothers, solicitors, as trustees for the family, as James and his brothers had been drawing larger dividends from the business than it could afford and it was at risk of bankruptcy; after 1809 James was the sole proprietor; married 1st, 17 May 1782 at St Luke, Old St., Finsbury (Middx), Hannah Middleton (c.1751-1816) and 2nd, 20 December 1817 at Chatham, Elizabeth Halliday (1753-1832), but had no issue; died 10 December and was buried at Boxley, 19 December 1828; will proved in the PCC, 19 December 1828;

(4) Frances Best (1756-58), baptised at Boxley, 30 January 1756; died young and was buried at Boxley, 12 April 1758;

(5) Richard Best (1757-1801), baptised at Boxley, 27 June 1757; partner in Best's Brewery in Chatham from 1782, in partnership with his brothers George (to 1794) and James; married 1st, 1784 at Christ Church, Southwark (Surrey), Martha Boorman (1763-87), and had issue one son and one daughter; married 2nd, 28 March 1789 at St George-in-the-East, London, Mary Townson; died 4 April 1801; will proved in the PCC, 27 June 1801;

(6) John Best (b. 1758), baptised at Boxley, 26 October 1758; died young but burial not traced;

(7) George Best (1759-1818) [for whom see below, under Best of Chilston Park];

(8) Frances Best (1760-1837), baptised at Boxley, 19 November 1760; married, 4 June 1779 at Chatham, Rev. Henry Hardinge (c.1754-1820), rector of Stanhope (Co. Durham), son of Nicholas Hardinge (1699-1758), and had issue five sons and one daughter (including Rev. Sir Charles Hardinge, bt., of Bonds Park (Kent) and General Sir Henry Hardinge, 1st Viscount Hardinge of Lahore); died at Darlington (Co. Durham), 27 October 1837;

(9) Dorothy Best (1761-1822), baptised at Boxley, 8 February 1761; married, 9 January 1785 at Boxley, William Twopeny (1755-1826) of Woodstock Park, Tunstall, Sittingbourne (Kent), solicitor, but had no issue; died 23 April 1822 and was buried at Tunstall (Kent), where she is commemorated by a monument;

(10) Charlotte Best (1764-91), baptised at Chatham, 1 October 1764; died unmarried and was buried at Boxley, 10 August 1791; will proved in the PCC, 17 August 1791. 

He inherited his father's plans for a new house in Chatham, which he realised as Chatham House on the front of the brewery site in the High St. Although begun in the 1740s, Chatham House was only finally completed in 1758. He inherited Park House, Boxley, from his father in 1744.

He was buried at Boxley, 7 February 1782; his will was proved in the PCC, 7 March 1782. His widow died 30 October, and was buried at Boxley, 7 November 1808; her will was proved in the PCC, 28 January 1809.

Thomas Best (1753-1815) 
Image: Victoria & Albert Museum

Best, Thomas (1753-1815). Eldest son of James Best (1720-82) and his wife Frances, daughter of Richard Shelley of Michelgrove (Sussex), born 14 November and baptised at Boxley, 22 November 1753. Educated at Eton and St John's College, Cambridge (matriculated 1772). An officer in the West Kent Militia; JP for Kent. The portrait shown here is a low-relief wax portrait of him by Samuel Percy, 1807, now in the Victoria & Albert Museum. He married, 12 November 1778 at St Maurice, Winchester (Hants), Elizabeth (1753-1832), daughter of Dr Irwin MD, and had issue:

(1) Frances Julia Best (1780-1842), baptised at Bishops Stortford (Herts), 1 March 1780; lived with her sisters at Maidstone (Kent); died unmarried, 5 December, and was buried at Boxley, 16 December 1842; her will was proved in the PCC, 29 December 1842;

(2) James Best (1781-1849) (q.v.);

(3) Thomas Best (1784-1813), born 10 January and baptised at Thurnham (Kent), 13 January 1784; an officer in the army (Ensign, 1801; Lt., 1801; Capt., 1804), who in 1803 accidentally shot a civilian; married, 1806 (licence), Anne (d. 1834) (who m2, 4 June 1818 at St Mary's R.C. Pro-Cathedral, Dublin, Coll Deane (c.1777-1837) of Dublin, solicitor), eldest daughter of William Kearney of Tuam (Co. Galway), and had issue two sons (one of whom married his cousin, Caroline Georgina (d. 1900), daughter of Thomas Fairfax Best (1786-1849) [for whom see below under Best of Chilston Park]; died of a fever in the lifetime of his father at Gibraltar, 8 October 1813, and was buried in the Trafalgar Cemetery there, where he is commemorated by a monument;

(4) Elizabeth Charlotte Best (1786-1861), baptised privately 1 September and again at Boxley. 5 October 1786; lived with her sisters at Maidstone (Kent); died unmarried, 6 January, and was buried at Boxley, 14 January 1861; will proved 12 February 1861 (effects under £4,000);

(5) Dorothy Best (1792-1871), baptised at Boxley, 15 February 1792; lived with her sisters at Maidstone (Kent); died unmarried, 20 April, and was buried at Boxley, 25 April 1871; her will was proved 27 May 1871 (effects under £5,000).

He inherited Park House, Boxley from his father in 1782, but did not have a share in the brewery business, which was left to his brothers.

He died 27 May 1815; his will was proved in the PCC, 12 July 1815. His widow died 22 April 1832.

Best, James (1781-1849). Elder son of Thomas Best (1753-1815) and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Dr Irwin MD, baptised at St Maurice, Winchester, 26 December 1781. Educated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford (matriculated 1799; BA 1803). JP for Kent. An officer in the West Kent Militia (Lt-Col.). Manager of Best's Brewery in Chatham, 1828-49, in which role he succeeded his uncle James; in 1851, after his death, the business was leased to Messrs. Winch, who bought it outright in 1891. He married, 23 September 1817 at Boxley, Harriet Susannah (1795-1875), daughter of Samuel R. Gaussen of Brookman's Park (Herts), and had issue:

(1) James Best (1822-45), born 27 October and baptised at Boxley, 4 December 1822; educated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford (matriculated 1842); died at Boxley in the lifetime of his father, 10 June, and was buried there, 18 June 1845;

(2) Thomas Henry Best (b. & d. 1825), baptised at Boxley, 15 July 1825; died in infancy and was buried at Boxley, 21 September 1825;

(3) Mawdistly Gaussen Best (1826-1906) (q.v.);

(4) Thomas Charles Hardinge Best (1828-87), born 22 May and baptised at Boxley, 3 July 1828; an officer in 72nd Foot (Ensign, 1847; Lt., 1850; Capt., 1854; Maj., 1862; retired 1863), who saw service against the Indian Mutiny; lived in retirement in London; died unmarried at Tunbridge Wells, 21 September and was buried at Boxley, 26 September 1887;

(5) Emily Dorothy Best (1829-99) (q.v.);

(6) John Aylmer Best (1831-32), baptised at Boxley, 20 May 1831; died in infancy and was buried at Boxley, 6 February 1832;

(7) Elizabeth Caroline Ann Best (1836-85), born 18 May and baptised at Boxley, 28 June 1836; died unmarried, 17 August, and was buried at Boxley, 24 August 1885.

He inherited Park House, Boxley from his father in 1815 and purchased Boxley Lodge in 1838. From 1820 he also lived at Rome House, Chatham.

He died 20 June and was buried at Boxley, 28 June 1849; his will was proved in the PCC, 21 August 1849. His widow died 21 January 1875; her will was proved 2 March 1875 (effects under £60,000).

Mawdistly Gaussen Best (1826-1906) 

Best, Mawdistly Gaussen (1826-1906). Third son of James Best (1781-1849) and his wife Harriet Susannah, daughter of Samuel R. Gaussen of Brookman's Park (Herts), born 23 August and baptised at Boxley, 22 September 1826. An officer in the army (Ensign, 1843; Lt., 1846; Capt., 1851; Maj., 1859; retired 1860), who served in the Crimean War and in the Indian Mutiny. JP for Kent; High Sheriff of Kent, 1881-82. Master of the Boxley Harriers. He married, 14 April 1864 at Newington-next-Hythe (Kent), Katherine Annabella (1843-96), eldest surviving daughter of Rev. Tatton Brockman of Beachborough (Kent), but had no issue.

He inherited Park House, Boxley and Boxley Lodge from his father in 1849, and remodelled the latter to from a new house in 1876, pulling down the original Park House at the same time. The new house was thereafter called Park House. In 1890 he bought Boxley Abbey, which he let.

He died 14 July 1906 and was buried at Boxley; his will was proved 6 September 1906 (estate £177,044). His wife died 18 June 1896 and was also buried at Boxley; her will was proved 27 August 1896 (effects £40,216).

Emily Dorothy Best (1829-99) 

Best, Emily Dorothy (1829-99). Elder daughter of James Best (1781-1849) and his wife Harriet Susannah, daughter of Samuel R. Gaussen of Brookman's Park (Herts), born 15 December 1829 and baptised at Chatham (Kent), 29 January 1830. She married, 25 April 1864 at Boxley, as his third wife, James Whatman Bosanquet (1804-77), banker and writer on biblical chronology, son of Samuel Bosanquet, banker, of Forest House (Essex) and Dingestow Court (Herefs), and had issue:

(1) Harriet Emily Hardinge Best Bosanquet (1867-1951) (q.v.);

(2) Elizabeth Louisa Whatman Best Bosanquet (1868-1961) (q.v.);

(3) Aylmer Adela Mawdistly Best Bosanquet (1870-1921), born 13 May and baptised at Enfield (Middx), 18 June 1870; emigrated to Kenaston, Saskatchewan (Canada), 1915 and worked as a teacher and missionary; died unmarried in Pasadena (California), 8 February 1921, and was buried there; will proved 2 August 1921 (effects in England, £25,949).

She and her husband lived at Claysmore, Enfield (Middx). As a widow, she lived latterly at Pennenden, Maidstone (Kent).

She died 23 December 1899; her will was proved 26 January 1900 (estate £75,538). Her husband died 22 December 1877; his will was proved 21 January 1878 (effects under £30,000).

Bosanquet, Harriet Emily Hardinge Best (1867-1951). Elder daughter of James Whatman Bosanquet (1804-77) and his third wife, Emily Dorothy, elder daughter of James Best (1781-1849) of Park House, Boxley (Kent), born 23 April and baptised at Enfield, 30 May 1867. Awarded Order of Mercy and the Belgian Medaille de la Reine Elisabeth, presumably for nursing services in the First World War. She married, 12 April 1899 at Boxley, Rev. Charles Edmund Waller Dalison (later Best-Dalison) (1858-1955), rector of Bletsoe (Beds), 1897-99, and curate of Boxley, 1899-1909, son of Maximilian Hammond Dalison, and had issue:

(1) Thomas Maximilian Best-Dalison (1905-47), born 18 February 1905; educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford; honorary attaché at British legation in Vienna, 1925-28; JP for Kent, 1934-47; served in Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, 1940-46; member of Kent County Council, 1946-47; Governor of West Kent General Hospital; died unmarried in the lifetime of his mother, 10 July 1947.

She inherited Park House, Boxley and Boxley Abbey from her uncle in 1906. Park House was damaged in the Second World War and as a result she moved to Boxley Abbey. After her husband's death, Park House was sold and demolished.

She died 12 April 1951; her will was proved 30 July 1951 (estate £99,301). Her husband died aged 96 on 20 January 1955; his will was proved 12 May 1955 (estate £57,580).

Bosanquet, Elizabeth Louisa Whatman Best (1868-1961). Younger daughter of James Whatman Bosanquet (1804-77) and his third wife, Emily Dorothy, elder daughter of James Best (1781-1849) of Park House, Boxley (Kent), born 27 June and baptised at Enfield (Middx), 25 July 1868. She married, 1 June 1893 at Boxley, Rev. Sir Charles John Monson Shaw (1860-1922), 8th bt., of Eltham (Kent), curate of Bexley (Kent), 1884-90, vicar of Swanley (Kent), 1890-1902, Margate (Kent), 1902-13 and Wrotham (Kent), 1913-21, son of Rev. Charles John Kenward Shaw, and had issue:

(1) Sir John James Kenward Shaw (later Best-Shaw) (1895-1984), 9th bt. (q.v.)

She died aged 92 on 29 May 1961; her will was proved 25 September 1961 (estate £2,913). Her husband died 11 September 1922; his will was proved 21 November 1922 (estate £8,704).

Sir John J.K. Best-Shaw (1895-1984), 9th bt.  

Shaw (later Best-Shaw), Sir John James Kenward (1895-1984), 9th bt. Only child of the Rev. Sir Charles John Monson Shaw (1860-1922), 8th bt., and his wife Elizabeth Louisa Whatman Best, younger daughter of James Whatman Bosanquet, born 11 June 1895. Educated at Royal Naval Colleges, Osborne and Dartmouth. An officer in the Royal Navy (Sub-Lt., 1915; Lt., 1918; Lt-Cdr., 1925; retired as Cdr., 1937). He took the additional surname Best by royal licence, 20 July 1956, after inheriting the Boxley Abbey estate from his aunt. High Sheriff of Kent, 1961-62. He was a Guardian of the Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham, 1931-84, President of the Society for the Maintenance of the Faith, 1949-67 and President of the Church Union, 1969-71. Appointed OStJ, 1940. He married, 28 March 1921, Elizabeth Mary Theodora (1896-1986), daughter of Sir Robert Heywood Hughes (1865-1951), 12th bt., and had issue:

(1) Mary Elizabeth Helen Shaw (later Best-Shaw) (1922-2017), born 22 April 1922; married 1st, June 1943 at Swanley (Kent), Capt. Patrick Henry Coates (1919-49), son of Cdr. Henry Venner Coates RN and had issue two sons; married 2nd, Oct-Dec 1968, as his second wife, John Melliar Adams-Beck (1909-79), son of James Francis Adams-Beck of Colchester (Essex); died 12 September 2017; will proved 12 December 2017;
(2) Julia Aylmer Shaw (later Best-Shaw)  (1923-2011), born 22 July 1923; served in Second World War with Women's Royal Naval Service; died unmarried, 15 February 2011; will proved, 11 July 2011;
(3) Sir John Michael Robert Shaw (later Best-Shaw) , 10th bt. (1924-2014), born 28 September 1924; educated at Lancing College and Hertford College, Oxford (BA 1950); an officer in the army (Capt.), who served in the Second World War, 1943-45, and later in the Malaysian Police Force, 1950-58; primarily engaged in church work, 1959-71, and teaching, 1972-82; succeeded his father as 10th baronet, 26 February 1984; married, 13 February 1960, Jane Gordon (b. 1927), daughter of Alexander Gordon Guthrie of Hampton Court House, Farningham (Kent), and had issue three sons and one daughter; died 22 April 2014;
(4) Hermione Theodora (k/a Sally) Shaw (later Best-Shaw)  (1926-2019), born 10 May 1926; lived at Boxley Abbey; died unmarried, 12 January 2019; will proved 30 July 2019;
(5) Charles John Hughes Shaw (later Best-Shaw)  (1928-2015), born 23 January 1928; educated at Lancing College; lived at Charing (Kent); married, Oct-Dec 1971, Carol Mary (b. 1949), second daughter of Joseph Martin Drew of Beckenham (Kent), and had issue one daughter; died 6 January 2015; will proved 24 August 2015;
(6) Martha Mary Shaw (later Best-Shaw) (1934-2010), born 6 April 1934; lived at Boxley Abbey; died unmarried, 29 July 2010; will proved 3 March 2011;
(7) Stephen Bosanquet Shaw (later Best-Shaw)  (1935-2000) (q.v.).

He inherited Boxley Abbey from his aunt in 1955; at his death it passed to his youngest son.

He died 26 February 1984; his will was proved 6 June 1984 (estate £95,245). His widow died 5 July 1986; her will was proved 12 December 1986 (estate £283,838).

Shaw (later Best-Shaw), Stephen Bosanquet (1935-2000). Third and youngest son of Sir John James Kenward Shaw (later Best-Shaw), 9th bt., and his wife Elizabeth Mary Theodora, daughter of Sir Robert Heywood Hughes, 12th bt., born 9 August 1935. Educated at Lancing College. Employed by Combined Insurance Co. of America. He married, 11 April 1964, Elizabeth Annette Freda (b. 1940), daughter of Gerald Baldwin Hayward MBE (1904-58) of Athens (Greece), and had issue:

(1) James Robert Hawley Best-Shaw (b. 1965), born 12 March 1965; educated at Lancing College and Reading University (BA); estate agent with Cluttons; inherited lordship of the manor of Chatham (Kent) and Boxley Abbey estate from his father in 2000, but put the latter up for sale in 2023; married, 1992, Charlotte Louise, second daughter of Nigel Ashley of Mijas (Spain), and had issue one son and one daughter; now living;

(2) Louisa Margaret Aylmer Best-Shaw (b. 1967), born 27 January 1967; educated at West Heath School and Brighton University (BSc); married, 15 October 1988 (div. 1998), Andrew Charles Robert Beale, son of Robert Beale, and had issue one son and two daughters; now living;

(3) Hugh Edward Gerald Best-Shaw (b. 1975), born 12 February 1975; educated at Bradfield College and Royal Academy of Dramatic Art; director of building and renovation companies in London since 2003; married, 2007, Alexandra Mary (b. 1979), daughter of Ian R. Firth of Kirkby Overblow (Yorks NR), and had issue two daughters; now living.

He inherited Boxley Abbey from his father in 1984. At his death it passed to his elder son.

He died 6 February 2000; his will was proved 16 August 2000. His widow is now living.

Best family of Chilston Park

Best, Thomas (1713-95). Eldest son of Mawdistly Best (1682-1744) and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Fearne, baptised at St Mary, Chatham, 6 November 1713. Educated at University College, Oxford (matriculated 1732) and Inner Temple (admitted 1732). Tory MP for Canterbury, 1741-54, 1761-68; Lieutenant-Governor of Dover Castle and Deputy Warden of the Cinque Ports, 1762-95. He married, 3 January 1742/3 at Pluckley (Kent), Carolina (1718-82), daughter of George Scott of Scott's Hall, East Sutton (Kent), but had no issue.

He inherited lands at Aylesford, Headcorn and elsewhere from his father in 1744, and purchased Chilston Park in 1746. At his death his estate passed to his nephew, George Best (1757-1818).

He died 26 March and was buried at Boughton Malherbe, 2 April 1795; his will was proved in the PCC, 28 March 1795. His wife died 29 April and was buried at Boughton Malherbe, 7 May 1782.

Best, George (1759-1818). Fifth son of James Best (1720-82) and his wife Frances, daughter of Richard Shelley of Michelgrove (Sussex), born 10 November and baptised at Boxley, 20 November 1759. Educated at Eton, 1771-75, and University College, Oxford (matriculated 1779). A partner in the family brewery at Chatham, 1782-95, after which he withdrew from the partnership, having inherited the Chilston estate. An officer in the Kent Yeomanry (Cornet, 1794; Lt., 1795; Capt., 1797; retired 1803); JP and DL for Kent; MP for Rochester, 1790-96. He married, 7 December 1784 at Boughton Malherbe (Kent), Caroline (1751-1809), daughter of Edward Scott of Scott's Hall, East Sutton (Kent), and had issue:

(1) twin, Thomas George Best (1785-86), baptised at Boughton Malherbe, 19 December 1785; died in infancy and was buried at Boughton Malherbe, 4 February 1786;

(2) twin, Caroline Frances Best (1785-86), baptised at Boughton Malherbe, 19 December 1785; died in infancy and was buried at Boughton Malherbe, 4 February 1786;

(3) Thomas Fairfax Best (1786-1849) (q.v.);

(4) George Best (1787-1814), baptised at Boughton Malherbe, 13 November 1787; an officer in the 10th Foot (Ensign, 1805; Lt., 1807); died unmarried, probably of tuberculosis, at Lancaster (Lancs), 3 April and was buried at Lancaster Priory, 9 April 1814, where he is commemorated by a monument;

(5) Caroline Best (1789-1860), baptised at Boughton Malherbe, 7 April 1789; died unmarried, 15 March and was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery, 23 March 1860; will proved 19 April 1860 (effects under £5,000);

(6) Dorothy Best (1790-1837), baptised at Boughton Malherbe, 1790 (exact date not given); married, 4 November 1813 at Boughton Malherbe (Kent), Rev. Joseph George Brett (1790-1852), vicar of Lenham (Kent), son of Joseph George Brett of Old Brompton (Middx), and had issue six sons and two daughters; buried at St Luke, Chelsea (Middx), 14 April 1837;

(7) Louisa Best (1791-1847), baptised at Boughton Malherbe, 9 May 1791; married, 15 May 1819 at Marylebone (Middx), Lt. George Matcham Tarlton (c.1791-1880) of 6th Foot, son of John Weldon Tarlton of Killeigh (Co. Offaly), and had issue four sons and two daughters; buried at Braddan (Isle of Man), 9 January 1847;

(8) William Balliol Best (1793-1822), baptised at Boughton Malherbe, 10 May 1793; educated at Magdalen College, Oxford (matriculated 1810); died unmarried in London, 8 February 1822; will proved in the PCC, 15 June 1822.

He inherited Chilston Park from his uncle in 1795.

He died 8 September and was buried at Boughton Malherbe, 17 September 1818; his will was proved in the PCC, 3 October 1818. His wife died 24 October and was buried at Boughton Malherbe, 1 November 1809.

Best, Thomas Fairfax (1786-1849). Second, but eldest surviving son of George Best (1757-1818) and his wife Caroline, daughter of Edward Scott of Scott's Hall (Kent), born 15 October and baptised at Boughton Malherbe, 13 November 1786. Educated at University College, Oxford (matriculated 1805). An officer in the Grenadier Guards (Ensign, 1805), who fought at the Battle of Corunna, 1809 but retired soon afterwards; and later in the West Kent Militia (Cornet, 1831; Lt., 1832; Capt., 1832). JP and DL (from 1825) for Kent. A Conservative in politics, he played a prominent role in several general election campaigns in the 1830s and 1840s, chairing the committee which promoted the election of Conservative candidates for West Kent. He was also first Chairman of the West Kent Labourer's Friend Society, 1836. He married, 11 June 1817 at Kensington (Middx), Margaret Anna (d. 1882), daughter of Joseph George Brett of Grove House, Old Brompton (Middx), and had issue:

(1) Caroline Georgiana Best (1818-1900), baptised at Boughton Malherbe (Kent), 1 July 1818; married, 7 December 1858 at St James, Westbourne Terrace, Paddington (Middx), her cousin, William Mawdesley Best (c.1810-69), barrister-at-law, but had no issue; died 6 March 1900; will proved 19 October 1901 (estate £2,557);

(2) Isabella Dorothy Best (1820-98), born 19 April and baptised at Boughton Malherbe, 18 May 1820; married, 18 July 1859 at St James, Westbourne Terrace, Paddington, Edward Disbrowe Kortwright (1819-87), second son of Maj. Lawrence Kortright of Hylands (Essex), and had issue one daughter; died 20 September 1898; will proved 31 December 1898 (estate £588);

(3) Margaret Anna Best (1821-1923), born 18 May and baptised at Elstree (Herts), 31 July 1821; died unmarried, aged 102, on 5 December 1923;

(4) Frances Best (1823-88), born May and baptised at St Mary Abbotts, Kensington (Middx), 25 June 1823; married, 18 April 1857 at St James, Westbourne Terrace, Paddington, Maj. William Henry Archer (1815-91), younger son of Col. Clement Archer (1765-1817), and had issue three sons and one daughter; died 14 December  and was buried at Boughton Malherbe, 21 December 1888.

He inherited Chilston Park from his father in 1818, but sold it in about 1824. He lived later at Wierton Place, Boughton Monchelsea (Kent).

He died at his house in Westbourne Terrace, London, 30 June, and was buried at Boughton Malherbe, 7 July 1849; his will was proved in the PCC. 21 July 1849.  His widow died 24 November 1882; her will was proved 16 January 1883 (estate £1,282).

Principal sources

Burke's Landed Gentry, 1850, vol. 1, p.88; Burke's Landed Gentry, 1894, pp. 140-41; Burke's Landed Gentry, 1952, pp. 597-98; R.A. Keen, 'Best brewers of Chatham', Archaeologia Cantiana, 1958, pp. 172-81; J. Newman, The buildings of England: Kent - West and the Weald, 2nd edn., 2012, pp. 131-32; 

https://medwaytownsheritage.wordpress.com/2016/06/01/best-brewery-chatham/;

https://anatomyofanenglishman.com/histories/Best%20Brewers%20of%20Boxley%20%2B%20Chatham.pdf;

https://sussexparishchurches.org/architectsandartistswxyz/.

Location of archives

Best of Park House, Boxley: deeds, estate and brewery company records, 1561-20th cent. [Medway Archives, U480, U2295, TR1374]; Frindsbury deeds and papers, 1668-1839 [Kent History and Library Centre, U36].

Coat of arms

Best of Park House and Chilston: Sable, two cross crosslets in chief, and a cinquefoil pierced in base, or.

Can you help?

• Can anyone provide further photographs of Park House? I would be particularly interested to see any interior views.
• Can anyone provide portraits or photographs of the people whose names appear in bold above, for whom no image is currently shown?
• If anyone can offer further or more precise information or corrections to any part of this article I should be most grateful. I am always particularly pleased to hear from current owners or the descendants of families associated with a property who can supply information from their own research or personal knowledge for inclusion.

Revision and acknowledgements

This post was first published 27 April 2025.