(590) Berners of Woolverstone Hall

Berners of Woolverstone Hall 

Chauncy's history of Hertfordshire (1700) traces the descent of the Berners family from Hugh de Berners, who held a hide of land at Eversden (Cambs) at the time of Domesday Book in 1086. Unfortunately, he allows only thirteen generations for the more than 500 years separating Hugh from Josias Berners (1605-61), with whom the genealogy below begins, which is scarcely credible, so at best Chauncy's pedigree must be incomplete, and much of its earlier part may be largely fictitious. There is no doubt, however, that members of the family were prominent landowners in Surrey in the 14th and 15th centuries, while another branch of the family settled in Essex, and sent their younger sons into the mercantile profession in London over several generations. The family are surprisingly hard to trace with certainty in the records of the period because their name was spelled in so many different ways: for example, the Josias with whom our story really begins was baptised as Josias Barnish. He was educated at Grays Inn and became the solicitor to the recently formed New River Company, which for nearly three hundred years made large profits from supplying much of London with drinking water. The company was one of the first joint-stock utility companies, and in 1628 he bought four of the thirty-six shares in the company, the profits from which laid the foundations of the family's future prosperity. Josias held nonconformist religious views and he supported the Parliamentary faction during the Civil War. During the Commonwealth, he was a member of the 'Barebones' Parliament for Middlesex, and as late as 1659 he served a term as President of the Council of State. His strong attachment to republican views was not tested after the Restoration, for he died less than a year after Charles II's return from exile.

Josias married twice, but had only one surviving son, James Berners (c.1655-92) who was a child of about six when his father died. He inherited not only his father's shares in the New River Co., but also a piece of land adjoining the Tyburn Road (later Oxford St.), in Marylebone (Middx), which his father had bought in 1654. This must have been acquired with an eye to its future development potential, but in the late 17th century it mostly continued to be used for market gardening and brick-making.

Moor Place, Much Hadham in the 1690s.

James made an advantageous marriage in 1677 to the only daughter and heiress of an East India merchant, and with the capital she brought him he was able to purchase Moor or Moores Place at Much Hadham (Herts), a handsome gabled mid 17th century house which was probably built for Sir Richard Atkins (1625-89), 1st bt., in the 1650s. Here he raised his family of six children, the eldest of whom were barely adults when he died in 1692. His eldest son and chief heir was William Berners (1679-1712), who inherited his property in London and Hertfordshire and his shares in the New River Company. Like his father, he married a merchant's daughter, Elizabeth Raworth, and they had four sons, of whom one died in infancy and the youngest was posthumous. The children were all still minors when William died, and Elizabeth soon married again, to Charles Gostlin (d. 1767), who accumulated land at Hanwell (Middx) and built a new house there called Hanwell Park, perhaps c.1740. The heir to the Berners estates was William's eldest son, Robert Berners (1706-23), but he died before coming into his inheritance. The only sons to survive to maturity were therefore William Berners (1709-83) and Henry Berners (1713-82). Both men seem to have been solicitors in private practice, and they remained close throughout their lives. Their stepfather, Charles Gostlin, died without issue and left his Hanwell Park estate to them jointly, although it seems to have become Henry's home. When Henry died unmarried in 1782, his share passed to his brother, William, who as the elder of the two had inherited the Moor Place and Marylebone estates. He sold Moor Place back to the Atkins family and took a lease of the Woolverstone Hall estate on the Suffolk coast, where there was then a Jacobean house not dissimilar in size to Moor Place.

Over the course of his lifetime, William turned his empty fields in Marylebone into elegant streets of residential houses, with a lucrative commercial front on Oxford Street. The entry fines and ground rents swelled his income, and in 1773 he was able to buy the freehold of the Woolverstone estate and then to rebuild the house on a much grander scale and to landscape the grounds. His architect was John Johnson (1732-1814), who was both a resident and a developer on his Marylebone property, and the landscaping was probably the work of Nathaniel Richmond. When he died in 1783, William left two sons, of whom the elder, Charles Berners (c.1734-1815) inherited his property, while the younger, the Rev. Henry Berners (1736-1800), entered the church and became rector of Hambledon (Bucks). Charles Berners continued to expand the Woolverstone estate, and in the 1790s he bought the landscaped grounds of Holbrook House from his neighbour, Sir Charles Kent (c.1743-1811), 1st bt., whose principal seat was Fornham Hall (Suffk). 

Charles Berners married in 1765 and he and his wife had three sons and one daughter. The eldest son, Charles Berners (1767-1831), went to Oxford and then undertook an unusually adventurous grand tour, which took him to the Ottoman empire, in the company of Luigi Mayer, a German-Italian artist who was retained as an official artist by the British ambassador at Constantinople. Mayer later came and stayed at Woolverstone for some months in 1799, producing a body of sketches of views on and around the estate which were probably commissioned by Charles Berners senior. Charles junior made some improvements to the house at Woolverstone in the 1820s, but he never married, and when he died the estates passed to his younger brother. The Rev. Henry Denny Berners (1769-1852) had entered the church, been appointed to the Suffolk livings in the family's gift, and was made Archdeacon of Suffolk in 1819. Both Charles and Henry found it necessary to support their younger brother, William Berners (1771-1841?), for whom his father had bought a partnership in a London bank (Dorset, Johnstone & Wilkinsons) in 1795. Banking was then - even more than today - a high reward but high risk occupation, and unfortunately in 1803 the bank collapsed and the partners were bankrupted. William remained an undischarged bankrupt for the rest of his life, and a final settlement of the bank's affairs was not made until 1860! As a result, he was dependent upon allowances from his brothers, who also provided him with a comfortable house in Queen Anne Street. 

The Rev. Henry Denny Berners, William Berners, and William's twin sister, Maria Berners (1771-1831) all married into the Jarrett family, who owned plantations in Jamaica but were largely absentee owners by this period. By his wife Sarah, Henry Denny Berners had three sons and one daughter. The eldest son, John Berners (1800-86) entered the army, but a promising career in the Foot Guards was cut short by an illness which left one side of his body weakened. He married, but had no children, and devoted much of his energy to expanding and improving the family estate in Suffolk. The income from the Marylebone estate made this possible even against the backdrop of the Agricultural Depression, and his obituaries praised the superior quality of the estate and the comforts and large gardens enjoyed by his tenants. When John died he was succeeded by his next brother, Hugh Berners (1801-91), who entered the navy, but spent much of his time on half pay after 1828. In the few years during which he controlled the estate, he continued his brother's programme of estate improvements. Hugh was succeeded by his son, Charles Hugh Berners (1842-1919), who took a Scottish wife and had three sons and two daughters. His eldest daughter, Mary Alice Berners (1868-1944) had the most extraordinary career, marrying without her father's consent, repenting at leisure, going through a messy divorce, converting to Catholicism, and living as a man in India for nearly a quarter of a century. It was, however, her brother, Maj. John Anstruther Berners (1869-1934) who inherited the estates. To meet the death duties on the estate he was advised to sell the freehold of properties on the Marylebone estate, and after he died his son, Geoffrey Hugh Berners (1893-1972) did the same thing. With hindsight, it was a short-sighted policy, for the redevelopment potential of the estate in the later 20th century could have brought far larger returns than the family managed to realise. A modest proportion of the estate remained intact, however, and descended to Geoffrey's daughter, Patricia Ann Allsopp (1933-2017), becoming known as the Berners-Allsopp estate. Woolverstone, however, was sold in its entirety in 1937, and passed into institutional use, latterly as a new home for Ipswich High School. Geoffrey Berners bought Little Coxwell Grove (Berks) with some land in about 1934, and after selling Woolverstone he also bought Marcham Park (Berks), although this was sold again in 1948. He lived subsequently at Little Coxwell Grove, which remains in the family.

Hanwell Park, Middlesex

In the early to mid 18th century, Charles Gostlin (d. 1767) built up an estate in the northern part of Hanwell parish, on which he built a modest villa, shown on John Rocque's map of 1746 as a square block. Around this, Gostlin laid out grounds with formal avenues of trees. Sadly no visual record of the house at this time appears to survive. When Gostlin died without issue, he left the property to his stepsons, Henry (1713-82) and William (1709-83) Berners, who in 1775 obtained a private Act of Parliament for the exchange of some lands with Hobbayne's charity. The house was actually occupied by Henry Berners, and the exchange allowed him to expand the grounds, and to demolish some cottages which obstructed his views to the south. It is possible that Capability Brown was consulted about landscaping the property at this time, since Nathaniel Bayly, MP for Abingdon, who had been involved in steering the exchange Act through Parliament, paid Brown for a visit to Hanwell and a survey by Samuel Lapidge. But if Hanwell Park was the property in question - and it was the only large house in the village apart from the rectory - then it is not clear that anything was done to Brown's design.

Hanwell Park: north and west fronts from an engraving published in 1855.

Hanwell Park: south front, shortly before demolition.

At an unknown date, perhaps around 1800 or a little later, the house was extensively remodelled, producing a much larger, rectangular two-storey building with nine-bay north and seven-bay south fronts, on each of which the two bays at either end were stepped forward. On the south side, a handome portico with coupled Doric columns was placed in front of the three recessed centre bays, while on the north side a double-armed staircase rose to the front door. The west end of the house had a broad canted bay rising through both storeys, while at the east end there was a small service wing. Nothing is known of the interiors of the house.

Some outlying portions of the estate were sold off after 1782 to provide building plots for two further substantial villas (Brent Lodge and The Grove), but the remainder was kept intact and passed through several different hands in the 19th century. In 1883 Sir Montagu Sharpe decided to break up the estate for building purposes; the house itself was still standing in 1897, but had been demolished and replaced by terraced housing and a school before 1913.

Descent: built for Charles Gostlin (d. 1767); to stepsons, Henry Berners (1713-82) and William Berners (1709-83)... sold to Sir Archibald McDonald (1747-1826), 1st bt.; sold before 1816 to Thomas Willan (d. 1828) of Twyford Park (Middx); sold 1828 to Charles Turner; to son, John Turner; sold 1848 to Benjamin Sharpe (d. 1883); to son, Sir Montagu Sharpe (1857-1942), kt., who sold 1884; sold 1897 to J.C. Johnstone and demolished soon afterwards.

Woolverstone Hall, Suffolk

The first hall of which anything is known was a compact, five-bay house of two storeys, which was probably built in the early 17th century for either Philip Catelyn (d. 1632) or his successor Philip Bacon (1590-1635), who purchased the manor in 1628. The house, which stood on the site of the present stable block (which incorporates some of its brickwork), had two projecting two storey canted bays either side of a narrower central bay containing the main entrance, but its most distinctive feature was the array of curved and pinnacled shaped gables at roof level. These seem not to have close parallels in other Suffolk or Essex houses, and their use may be an argument for the house having been built for Philip Bacon, whose architecturally literate extended family had connections in many parts of England.

Woolverstone Hall: the Jacobean house, recorded shortly before demolition in the 1770s. Image: Suffolk Archives HD4052.

The house was evidently still in its Jacobean form when it was rented by William Berners in about 1740, following the sale of Moor Place. Over the next thirty years he became increasingly prosperous as a result of the development of his estate in Marylebone, and in 1773 he bought the freehold. Immediately afterwards, he commissioned John Johnson (1732-1814) to design the present house, which was built on a new site, a little further north, that offered fine views over the Orwell valley. Johnson was active as a developer on the Berners estate in London from 1769, and also lived and had his office and workshop there. It is therefore no surprise that Berners should have chosen him to design his new seat, although he was a relatively young man and Woolverstone Hall was one of the largest and most prestigious commissions of his career. The house was well advanced by 1776, when it was being stuccoed, and Johnson exhibited a drawing of it at the Royal Academy the following year. It consists of a seven-by-five bay, two-and-a-half storey centre block, linked by curved wings on the entrance front to one-and-a-half storey pavilions, which housed the kitchens (north side), and dairy and laundry (south side). 

Woolverstone Hall: ground floor plan, recorded at the school in 1977.

Woolverstone Hall: plans of the upper floors, recorded at the school in 1977.

Little documentation seems to survive relating to the building, but unsigned plans of the ground and upper floors are recorded, which record the original layout, although they do not show the house exactly as executed. The house is built of white Woolpit brick with dressings of Portland stone, and the ground floor of the entrance front is of rusticated stone. The central three bays have arched recesses around the windows, and above there are four attached Ionic columns supporting a pediment. Johnson was an enthusiastic user of Coade stone, which is used here for the capitals of the columns, the modillions in the cornice, and the vases on the pediment (one of which is a disguised chimney), as well as for a decorative panel of Diana the huntress in the pediment. The outer first floor windows are pedimented, and the central ones sit in arched recesses filled with sculptural decoration. The rear of the house is much plainer, with just a shallow full-height bow window across the central three bays, commanding the prospect over the Orwell valley.

Woolverstone Hall: entrance front, from an old postcard

Woolverstone Hall: garden front, c.1890, before the addition of the two-storey blocks either side of the centre. Image: Historic England.

The house is known to have been altered by Thomas Hopper in 1823, at a time when he was working extensively in Suffolk, but how much he did to the house is unclear. He may have been responsible for the current form of the Roman Doric porticoes on the ends of the service pavilions, but the early plans of the house appear to show a similar feature in this position. More certainly, he added the curved screen walls with Roman Doric columns which conceal the backs of the service pavilions from the garden front. The most notable later alteration was the addition of a single bay at first-floor level to either side of the central block, which seems to have been done at the end of the 19th century, alongside some other changes to the house, which saw the creation of a billiard room with a fireback dated 1898. 

Woolverstone Hall: drawing room, c.1900.

The original plans show that the house was planned as a large villa, with three main rooms across the south front of the house: a study, drawing room and dining room. The front door opens into a vestibule flanked by a pair of modest staircases, and behind it, between the vestibule and the main rooms, was a top-lit central hall with oval galleries on the upper levels that acted as the main circulation space of the house. The three main rooms on the ground floor, the central room behind the bow on the first floor, and the dome of the central hall preserve elegant neo-classical plasterwork (although the ceiling in the study is a re-creation). These rooms also have original chimneypieces, as does the principal bedroom, where the central panel is painted rather than carved.

Woolverstone Hall: view of the house and park across the River Orwell. In the centre of the view is the Cat House of 1783, which had a large trompe l'oeil Gothic window painted on the end wall, complete with a painted cat looking out. Recent conversion to a dwelling has seen the fictive window replaced by a real one.

A park of some sort already existed by 1725, but alongside the building of the new house, the park was extended and improved. There is circumstantial evidence to suggest that the designer may have been Nathaniel Richmond, a London nurseryman who first worked as a foreman for Capability Brown and then set up an independent landscaping practice in the late 1750s. He  worked in tandem with John Johnson at Skreens (Essex) in c.1769-71 and again at Terling Place (Essex) in 1772-78, so a third joint commission here seems very likely. Further evidence for his responsibility comes from Humphry Repton, who prepared himself to take up landscape gardening by visiting parks laid out by William Kent, Capability Brown and Richmond, and one of the eight places he records visiting was Woolverstone. By 1839, the southern and eastern sections of the park were fenced in, probably for deer; larger areas of woodland lay south-east of the house and along the foreshore of the river Orwell, where there was also a curious Gothick folly called the Cat House. Circuitous carriage drives typical of Richmond led through the park. The site of the old house was redeveloped to form a grand new quadrangular stable block with a white brick front of c.1776, although the composition is now dominated by a monumental 19th century Italianate brick water tower. The principal ornament of the park was a tall obelisk to the memory of William Berners erected by his son in 1793 to the designs of Robert Mylne, but sadly this was pulled down in 1945. A new formal garden was laid out by W.A. Nesfield in the 1850s, but only its structure survives today. 

Woolverstone Hall: aerial photograph of stable block. Image: Aerofilms Ltd /Historic England

Holbrook Gardens: view of the lake and summerhouse by Luigi Mayer, 1799. Image: © Victoria and Albert Museum, London SD.659. 

In the later 18th and 19th centuries, the estate was expanded progressively, until by the 1880s it was more than 5,000 acres. Charles Berners (d. 1815) bought the landscaped grounds formerly attached to Holbrook House, which stood about a mile and a half to the south of Woolverstone. They had been laid out before 1783 for Sir Charles Kent, with features including an ornamental lake, a wilderness woodland, and a substantial summer house, which was later used as a base for shooting expeditions. The 'Holbrook Gardens' remained part of the estate until the whole property was dispersed at auction in 1937. Estate expansion to the north also brought in the Elizabethan Freston Tower. John Berners (1800-86) devoted his efforts to a major programme of rebuilding and improvement on the estate, as part of which he built new lodges west of the house (the Holbrook Lodge, by W.E. Nesfield, 1861) and to the north-west (the Monkey Lodge at Freston). The latter takes its name from the monkeys on the gatepiers, which are said to be an allusion to a pet monkey who saved a child of the Berners family from a fire. In the 1870s a cottage orné dairy and some estate housing in matching style (now Dairy House and Park View) were constructed adjoining the 18th century brick-walled kitchen garden.

Woolverstone Hall: aerial view of the house today. Image: Ipswich High School.

The house and park at Woolverstone were bought by the Nuffield Trust as an investment for Oxford University in 1937. Having stood empty for a couple of years, the house was requisitioned during the Second World War for use as a naval training establishment. In 1950, the property was sold to London County Council, which converted it for use as a boys' boarding school, building two new dormitory and teaching blocks in a soul-less Modernist style in 1958. In 1990-92 the boarding school closed and the premises were sold to Ipswich High School, which moved here from the centre of Ipswich. Further additions have been made to the school facilities since, including a sports hall and theatre block, of 1993, and a swimming pool of 2002. As a result of the 19th century and later developments, little survives of the original parkland layout.

Descent: Robert Woolverston (d. 1492); to son, Thomas Woolverston (d. 1516); to son, Richard Woolverston (d. 1537); to son, Philip Woolverston, who sold 1580 to Sir Thomas Gawdy (d. 1588), kt.; to son, Henry Gawdy (b. c.1552), who probably sold to Richard Catelyn (d. 1596?); to son, Philip Catelyn (d. 1632), who sold 1628 to Philip Bacon (1590-1635); to daughter Anne, wife of Thomas Bedingfield and later of Sir Philip Parker (d. 1655), bt.; to son, Thomas Bedingfield (d. 1684)... John Tyson (bankrupt 1720); to John Ward; to son, Knox Ward (d. 1741), who leased the estate to William Berners (1709-83), who purchased the freehold in 1773; to son, Charles Berners (1767-1831); to brother, Ven. Henry Denny Berners (1769-1852); to son, John Berners (1800-86); to brother, Hugh Berners (1801-91); to son, Charles Hugh Berners (1842-1919); to son, Maj. John Anstruther Berners (1869-1934); to son, Geoffrey Hugh Berners (1893-1972), who sold 1937 to Nuffield Trust for Oxford University; sold 1950 to London County Council; sold 1992 to Ipswich High School.

Berners family of Woolverstone Hall

Berners*, Josias (1605-61). Son of William Berners of London, silkman, and his wife Catherine Tailboys of London, baptised at St. Dionis Backchurch, London, 10 November 1605. Educated at Grays Inn (admitted 1620). He purchased four shares (one ninth of the company) in the New River Company from William Backhouse in 1628, and acted as solicitor to the company. A supporter of the Commonwealth, he was MP for Middlesex in the Barebones Parliament, 1654, and served a month's term as President of the Council of State, 1659. A Baptist in religion. He married 1st, Mary (d. 1652), daughter of George Cotton of Panfield Hall (Essex), and 2nd, 30 December 1652 at St Andrew, Holborn (Middx), Abigail (1623-1713), daughter of Thomas Barnes (d. 1628) of Aldborough Hatch, Barking (Essex) and widow of John Lockey (d. c.1651) of Holmes Hill (Herts) and Barking, and had issue:

(2.1) Thomas Berners (1653-54), baptised at St James, Clerkenwell, 19 November 1653; died in infancy and was buried at St James, Clerkenwell, 1 March 1653/4;

(2.2) James Berners (c.1655-92) (q.v.).

He purchased two large fields (about 25 acres) in St Marylebone parish in 1654 (later the Berners estate).

He was buried at St Dionis Backchurch, London, 23 February 1660/1; by his will he left a charity of £5 a year for apprenticing poor boys from Wormley (Herts). His first wife was buried at St James Clerkenwell, 24 August 1652, and was commemorated by a monument recorded by John Strype. His widow married 3rd, 1662, as his third wife, Roger Hill (1605-67) of Poundisford (Som.) and 4th, Col. George Thompson (d. 1691), and was buried at Barking (Essex), 3 December 1713.

* The name is spelled in many different ways in the 17th century, including Barnes, Barnish, Barners, etc. The unfamiliar name Josias is sometimes given as Josiah.

Berners, James (c.1655-92). Only surviving son of Josias Berners (1605-61) and his second wife, Abigail, daughter of Thomas Barnes of Aldborough Hatch (Essex) and widow of John Lockey (d. c.1651) of Holmes Hill (Herts) and Barking (Essex), born about 1655*. He inherited his father's four shares (one ninth) of the New River Company. He married, 14 November 1677 at St Andrew, Holborn (Middx), Mary, daughter and heiress of William Robinson of Cheshunt (Herts), East India merchant and director of the Bank of England, and had issue:

(1) Mary Berners (1678-1727), baptised at Much Hadham, 14 November 1678; died unmarried and was buried at Much Hadham, 20 September 1727; will proved in the PCC, 16 October 1727;

(2) William Berners (1679-1712) (q.v.);

(3) Winifred Berners (1681-83), baptised at Much Hadham, 30 March 1681; died 25 June 1683 and was buried at Much Badham;

(4) James Berners (1682-1743?), baptised at Much Hadham, 8 March 1681/2; living in 1727, when he was mentioned in his sister's will, and probably the man of this name buried at Chippenham (Wilts), 29 December 1743;

(5) Abigail Berners (b. 1683), baptised at Much Hadham, 23 May 1683; married, 29 October 1702 at St Paul's Cathedral, London, Rev. Hill Denny (1678-1719), rector of Eastwick and Little Parndon (Essex), son of Peter Denny of Bishops Stortford (Herts), and had issue one surviving son; living in 1736;

(6) Josias Berners (1684-1748), baptised at Much Hadham, 22 May 1684; apprenticed to Abraham Foster of London, grocer, 1700, but became an apothecary in London; married, 2 July 1713 at St Marylebone (Middx), Mary Briggs (fl. 1747), but apparently had no issue; buried at St Bride, Fleet St., London, 15 February 1747/8; will proved 19 February 1747/8.

He inherited the St Marylebone property from his father soon after the Restoration. He lived at Wormley (Herts) until he purchased Moor Place, Much Hadham, between 1677 and 1689.

He was buried at Much Hadham, 2 March 1691/2; his will was proved in the PCC, 11 March 1692/3. His widow was buried at Much Hadham, 21 February 1717/8; her will was proved in the PCC, 20 February 1717/8.

* Estimated from his stated age of 22 on his marriage licence.

Berners, William (1679-1712). Eldest son of James Berners and his wife Mary, daughter and heiress of William Robinson of Cheshunt (Herts), baptised at Much Hadham (Herts), 25 August 1679. Educated at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge (matriculated 1696). JP for Hertfordshire, 1703-12; High Sheriff of Hertfordshire, 1710-11; Tory MP for Hythe (Kent), 1711-12. He held four shares in the New River Company. He married, 29 May 1705 at St Paul's Cathedral, London, Elizabeth (c.1685-1773), daughter of Robert Raworth, and had issue: 

(1) Robert Berners (1706-23), baptised at All Hallows Staining, London, 15 June 1706; inherited the Moor Place estate from his father in 1712, but died before coming of age and was buried at Much Hadham, 25 June 1723;

(2) William Berners (b. & d. 1707), baptised at All Hallows Staining, London, 5 June 1707; died in infancy and was buried at Much Hadham, 17 June 1707;

(3) William Berners (1709-83) (q.v.);

(4) Henry Berners (1713-82), educated at Westminster Sch (admitted 1722/3), Inner Temple (admitted 1728) and Oriel College, Oxford (matriculated 1730; MA 1735); a shareholder of the New River Company and probably a solicitor; inherited Hanwell Park from his stepfather in 1767 and obtained a private Act of Parliament in 1775 to exchange lands with a local charity to improve the views; he may also have consulted Capability Brown about landscaping improvements; died unmarried and was buried at Much Hadham, 26 January 1782; will proved in the PCC, 23 January 1782.

He inherited Moor Place, Much Hadham and the St Marylebone property from his father. His widow's second husband, Charles Gostlin, acquired the Hanwell Park estate (Middx), where he built a house and laid out a park. At his death, it passed to his stepson, Henry Berners.

He died 19 June, and was buried at Much Hadham, 28 June 1712; his will was proved in the PCC, 3 July 1712. His widow married 2nd, 16 September 1715 at St Mary Magdalen, Old Fish St., London, Charles Gostlin (1690-1767), and may be the Elizabeth Gostlin, widow, whose will was proved 2 June 1773*.

* However, the History of Parliament states she died in 1725.

Berners, William (1709-83). Third, but second surviving, son of William Berners (1679-1712) and his wife Elizabeeth, daughter of Robert Raworth, born 10 July 1709. Educated at Westminster School (admitted 1722/3). Solicitor in practice at Grays Inn. He married, 29 June 1732 at St James, Piccadilly, Westminster (Middx), Mary (c.1710-82), daughter of Henry Bendysh of South Town, Great Yarmouth (Norfk), and had issue:

(1) Charles Berners (c.1734-1815) (q.v.);

(2) Rev. Henry Berners (1736-1800); educated at Westminster Sch. (admitted 1746) and Christ Church, Oxford (matriculated 1754; BCL 1761); ordained deacon and priest, 1760; rector of Hambledon (Bucks), 1760-1800; JP for Buckinghamshire; married, 28 March 1786 at St Clement Danes, Westminster (Middx), Elizabeth (1761-1817), daughter of Robert Weston, and had issue one daughter; died in London, 4 April, and was buried at Hambleton, 10 April 1800; will proved in the PCC, 9 April 1800.

He inherited Moor/Moores Place, Much Hadham and the St Marylebone property from his elder brother in 1723, and came of age in 1730. He sold Moor Place to Robert Atkins, probably before 1740, and lived subsequently at Newman Hall (Essex) and in London. He began the development of the Berners estate in Marylebone around 1758. He rented Woolverstone Hall from about 1740 and purchased the freehold in 1773, rebuilding it in 1776 to the designs of John Johnson.

He died 18 September 1783; an obelisk to his memory was erected in Woolverstone Park by his son in 1793; his will was proved in the PCC, 25 September 1783. His wife died 1 January 1782.

Berners, Charles (c.1734-1815). Elder son of William Berners (1709-83) and his wife Mary, daughter of Henry Bendysh of South Town, Great Yarmouth (Norfk), born c.1734. Educated at Monk Soham School (Suffk), Westminster (admitted 1746) and Oriel College, Oxford (matriculated 1752; MA 1756; DCL 1814). JP for Suffolk. He married, 11 June 1765 in the Archbishop's Chapel at Lambeth Palace (Surrey), Catherine (1735-1800), daughter of John Laroche of Englefield Green (Surrey), and had issue:

(1) Charles Berners (1767-1831) (q.v.);

(2) Ven. Henry Denny Berners (1769-1852) (q.v.);

(3) twin, William Berners (1771-1841?), born 30 May and baptised at St Marylebone, 14 June 1771; banker in London, a partner in Dorset, Johnstone & Wilkinsons from 1795 until their bankruptcy in 1803; he seems to have remained undischarged for the rest of his life (and a final dividend to creditors was only made in 1860), but he was later a member of the London area board of the Norwich Union Life Insurance Soc. and a Governor of the Asylum for Deaf and Dumb Children of the Poor; married, January 1797, Rachel (1776-1853), daughter of John Jarrett of Freemantle, Southampton (Hants) and had issue three sons and one daughter; said to have died in 1841;

(4) twin, Maria Berners (1771-1831), born 30 May and baptised at St Marylebone, 14 June 1771; married, 23 May 1793 at St Marylebone, Herbert Newton Jarrett (1765-1829) of Barningham Hall (Norfk) and later Hobland Hall (Norfk) and Great Bromley Lodge (Essex), owner of the Orange Valley estate in Jamaica, and had issue two sons and three daughters; buried at Downton (Wilts), 14 December 1831.

He inherited Woolverstone Hall and the Berners estate in Marylebone from his father in 1783. Before 1799 he bought the Holbrook Gardens from Sir Charles Kent.

He was buried at Much Hadham, 16 May 1815; his will was proved in the PCC, 27 May 1815. His wife died in London, 3 March 1800.

Berners, Charles (1767-1831). Eldest son of Charles Berners (c.1734-1815) and his wife Katherine, daughter of John Laroche of Egham (Surrey), baptised at Egham (Surrey), 7 December 1767. Educated at Westminster (admitted 1780) and Christ Church, Oxford (matriculated 1785; BA 1789; MA 1815 as a grand compounder). Undertook a grand tour with the artist, Luigi Mayer* (1755-1803), in 1792, which took him beyond the usual Italian sites to visit Egypt, Palestine, Syria and Turkey. An officer in the Suffolk Yeomanry Cavalry (Lt., 1794) and later in the Ipswich Gentlemen and Yeomanry Cavalry (Lt., 1798; Capt., 1800). A Governor of the Ipswich Sick Dispensary from its foundation in 1797. High Sheriff of Suffolk, 1818-19. A Conservative in politics, but took little part in public affairs. He was unmarried and without issue.

He inherited Woolverstone Hall and the Berners estate in Marylebone from his father in 1815.

He died 19 August 1831; his will was proved in December 1831.

* Mayer was an Italian artist of German extraction who was retained by Sir Robert Ainslie (1730-1812), 1st bt., British ambassador to the Ottoman empire, to record scenes in the near East. Ainslie's extensive collection of views by Mayer, published in 1801-06, is now partly in the British Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum. Mayer stayed at Woolverstone Hall in 1799 and made drawings of the locality, probably for Charles Berners senior, but only a few of these are known to survive.

Berners, Ven. Henry Denny (1769-1852). Second son of Charles Berners (c.1734-1815) and his wife Katherine, daughter of John Laroche of Egham (Surrey), born 18 September and baptised at St George, Hanover Sq., Westminster (Middx), 2 October 1769. Educated at St Mary Hall, Oxford (matriculated 1787; BCL 1794). Ordained deacon, 1793, and priest, 1794. Rector of Harkstead (Suffk), 1794-1833,Woolverstone and Erwarton (Suffk), 1801-35; Archdeacon of Suffolk, 1819-46. JP for Suffolk. In 1827, he injured his leg in a shooting accident at Woolverstone. He married, 8 July 1799 at Millbrook (Hants), Sarah (1775-1867), daughter of John Jarrett (1746-1809) of Freemantle, Southampton (Hants), and had issue:

(1) John Berners (1800-86) (q.v.);

(2) Hugh Berners (1801-91) (q.v.);

(3) Rev. Ralph Berners (1803-58), born 8 February and baptised at Stutton (Suffk), 7 April 1803; educated at Westminster (admitted 1816), Trinity College, Oxford (matriculated 1820) and Magdalen College, Oxford (BA 1823; MA 1826); ordained deacon, 1826, and priest, 1827; rector of Woolverstone, Harkstead and Erwarton, 1833-58; married, 27 June 1831 at St Mary, Marylebone (Middx), Eliza (1801-83), daughter of General Sir Cornelius Cuyler (1740-1819), 1st bt., of Welwyn (Herts), and had issue three sons and three daughters; died at Nice (France), 31 January, and was buried at Erwarton, 17 February 1858; will proved 4 March 1858 (effects under £14,000);

(4) Alicia Berners (1804-20), born 25 June and baptised at Woolverstone, 12 August 1804; died unmarried at Versailles (France) but buried at Woolverstone, 2 November 1820.

He inherited £20,000 from his great-uncle, Henry Berners, in 1782, and also Woolverstone Hall and the Berners estate in Marylebone from his elder brother in 1831.

He died 24 January 1852 and was buried at Woolverstone where he is commemorated by a monument carved by R. Westmacott junior, 1839; his will was proved in the PCC, 25 February 1852. His widow died aged 91 in London, 10 February, and was buried at Woolverstone, 16 February 1867; her will was proved 22 February 1867 (effects under £2,000).

Berners, John (1800-86). Eldest son of Ven. Henry Denny (1769-1852) and his wife Sarah, daughter of John Jarrett of Freemantle, Southampton (Hants), born 26 June and baptised at St. Marylebone (Middx), 26 July 1800. Educated at Westminster (admitted 1810). An officer in the 3rd Foot Guards (Ensign & Lt., 1820; Lt. & Capt., 1826; retired c.1827). While serving with his regiment at the Tower of London, he contracted an illness which left him permanently weakened on one side of the body and prevented his participation in hunting and shooting. He was instead a keen yachtsman, and occupied himself with wood carving and fretwork. He was a Conservative in politics, but took no part in public affairs beyond serving as a JP and DL for Suffolk. President of the Ipswich and East Suffolk Hospital, 1870-86. He married, 21 February 1832 at East Bergholt (Suffk), Mary Henrietta (1802-87), daughter of Rev. Joshua Rowley, rector of East Bergholt, but had no issue.

He lived at Holbrook House until he inherited Woolverstone Hall and the Berners estate in Marylebone from his father in 1852, and undertook extensive improvements on the estate which it was estimated had cost him £80,000.

He died 31 August, and was buried at Woolverstone, 3 September 1886; his will was proved 1 November 1886 (estate £222,126). His widow died 2 January 1887; her will was proved 23 April 1887 (estate £125,564).

Capt. Hugh Berners (1801-91) 

Berners, Hugh (1801-91). Second son of Ven. Henry Denny Berners (1769-1852) and his wife Sarah, daughter of John Jarrett of Freemantle, Southampton (Hants), born 25 July and baptised at St Marylebone (Middx), 24 October 1801. Joined the Royal Navy 1814 (Lt., 1824; Cdr., 1842; retired as Capt., 1860), but after 1828 he spent much of his time on half-pay. JP for Middlesex and Hampshire. President of the Suffolk Agricultural Association, 1888-91. A Conservative in politics. During his brother's latter years, he managed the estate at Woolverstone, and after succeeding to the property, he paid the majority of the cost (some £8,000) of enlarging Woolverstone church to the designs of J.P. St Aubyn, and also contributed £1,500 to the restoration of Chelmondiston church (Suffk). He married, 29 October 1832 at Itchen Abbas (Hants), his cousin, Julia Alice (1807-92), daughter of John Ashton of The Grange, Northwich (Ches.), and had issue:

(1) Julia Emily Berners (1836-1917), born in Winchester (Hants), 29 July, and baptised at Itchen Stoke (Hants), 28 August 1836; lived at 33 Chester Sq., Westminster (Middx); died unmarried, 17 January 1917 and was buried at Woolverstone; will proved 2 June 1917 (estate £11,289);

(2) Alice Henrietta Berners (1839-84), baptised at Chapel Royal, Brighton (Sussex), 30 January 1839; married, 9 July 1872 at St Peter, Eaton Sq., Westminster, as his second wife, Col. the Hon. Richard Thomas Rowley (1812-87), MP for Harwich, 1860-65, second son of Clotworth Taylor Rowley, 1st Baron Langford of Summerhill (Co. Meath), and had issue two sons and one daughter; died 7 August 1884; administration of goods granted 8 October 1884 (effects £4,480);

(3) Julianna Augusta Berners (1841-1928), baptised at Bedhampton (Hants), 16 February 1841; married, 16 August 1867, Maj. Henry Charles Talbot (1837-1901), son of Rev. Henry George Talbot, and had issue one son and two daughters; died 22 January 1928; will proved 24 February 1928 (estate £4,164);

(4) Charles Hugh Berners (1842-1919) (q.v.);

(5) Edith Maud Berners (1846-1912), baptised at Gatcombe (IoW), 17 May 1846; married, 19 January 1875 at St Peter, Eaton Sq., Westminster (Middx), Charles Alfred William Rycroft (1839-84), son of Sir Richard Henry Charles Rycroft (1793-1864), 3rd bt., and had issue two sons and two daughters; died 17 November 1912; will proved 8 January 1913 (estate £52,196);

(6) Frederick Rowley Berners (1848-52), born 8 May 1848; died young, 16 February 1852.

He rented a succession of country houses, including Gatcombe House (IoW), Landford House (Wilts), Melchett Park (Hants) and Midanbury, nr. Southampton (Hants), until he inherited Woolverstone Hall and the Berners estate in Marylebone from his elder brother in 1886. He continued his brother's estate improvements at Woolverstone. He also had a house in Eaton Square, Westminster. 

He died following a stroke, 7 May, and was buried at Woolverstone, 12 May 1891; his will was proved 13 July 1891 (effects £114,097). His widow died 14 April 1892; her will was proved 20 May 1892.

Berners, Charles Hugh (1842-1919). Only son of Capt. Hugh Berners RN (1801-91) and his wife Julia Alice, daughter of John Ashton, born 28 August and baptised at Bedhampton (Hants), 14 October 1842. Educated at Rugby, Christ Church, Oxford (matriculated 1860; BA 1865; MA 1868) and Inner Temple (admitted 1864 and again 1880). JP for Suffolk; High Sheriff of Suffolk, 1895-96. President of the Suffolk Agricultural Association, 1902; High Steward of Harwich, 1902. He married, 20 June 1867 at St Paul, Onslow Sq., Kensington (Middx), Mary (c.1845-1911), daughter of Sir Ralph Abercromby Anstruther (1804-63), 4th bt. of Balcaskie (Fife), and had issue:

(1) Mary Alice Berners (1868-1944), born 4 May 1868; married secretly, while her father was in Australia, 9 February 1889 (sep. 1900; div. 1907 on the grounds of his cruelty), Col. Charles Spencer Warwick (1865-1933), and had issue one son and one daughter; converted to Catholicism, c.1907; after the First World War she returned to India, where she lived as a man, calling herself 'Major Michael Warwick'; she then devoted herself to building a monastery called St Michael's Mount at Jelikote (India), and became known as 'Brother Michele de Elias Warwick'; her life story has been written up by Simon Pearce in The astonishing story of Mary Alice Berners (2021); died in India, 9 April 1944; administration of goods granted 7 July 1945 (estate £22,175);

(2) Maj. John Anstruther Berners (1869-1934) (q.v.);

(3) Brig-Gen. Ralph Abercrombie Berners (1871-1949), born 14 June and baptised at Yoxford (Suffk), 24 July 1871; educated at Cheam School, Eton and Royal Military College, Sandhurst; an officer in the army (2nd Lt., 1890; Lt., 1893; Capt., 1899; Maj. 1911; Lt-Col., 1915; Col., 1919; retired as Brig-Gen., 1920); awarded DSO, 1917; married, 1 June 1898 at St Peter, Eaton Square, Westminster (Middx), Laura Gertrude (1871-1958), daughter of Lt-Gen. Sir Robert Laffan KCMG (1821-82), but had no issue; died 25 February 1949 and was buried at Bourton (Dorset); will proved 30 April 1949 (estate £82,704);

(4) Julia Katherine Berners (1873-1950), baptised at Yoxford, 20 April 1873; married, 3 January 1895 at Woolverstone, Col. Steuart Bogle Smith (1859-1920), and had issue one son; died 3 December 1950 and was buried at Hangleton (Sussex); will proved 8 February 1951 (estate £40,723);

(5) Hamilton Hugh Berners (1881-1914), baptised at Longcross (Surrey), 13 November 1881; educated at Eton; an officer in the army (2nd Lt., 1905; Lt., 1906; Capt., 1912); married, 8 June 1907 at the Brompton Oratory (Middx), Edith Mary Georgina (1884-1973), daughter of Charles Munro Sandham of Rowdell, Pulborough (Sussex), but had no issue; killed in action, 14 September 1914, and was buried at Soupir Communal Cemetery, Picardy (France); will proved 19 November 1914 (estate £13,609).

He had a house at Long Cross, Chertsey (Surrey) and inherited Woolverstone Hall and the Berners estate in Marylebone from his father in 1891. He subsequently divided his time between Suffolk and Surrey.

He died 15 January 1919; his will was proved 12 April 1919 (estate £214,045). His wife died at Marseilles (France), 17 April 1911; her will was proved 2 August 1911 (estate £1,911).

Berners, Maj. John Anstruther (1869-1934). Eldest son of Charles Hugh Berners (1842-1919) and his wife Mary, daughter of Sir Ralph Abercromby Anstruther, 4th bt. of Balcaskie (Fife), born 23 September and baptised at St Simon, Upper Chelsea (Middx), 11 November 1869. Educated at Cheam School, Eton and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. An officer in the army (Lt., 1890; Lt., 1892; retired 1895), he served during the First World War with the Norfolk National Reserve (Maj.) and was appointed OBE for his war work. JP for Suffolk from 1903. He was noted as a generous landlord and keen sportsman, especially associated with cricket and hunting; he was Master of the Eastern Counties Otter Hounds, 1923-30. He married, 1 February 1893 at St Stephen, South Kensington (Middx), Ethel Charlotte (1864-1935)*, fifth daughter of Laurence James Baker of Ottershaw Park (Surrey), MP for Frome 1885-86, and had issue:

(1) Geoffrey Hugh Berners (1893-1972) (q.v.);

(2) Gwendolen Ethel Berners (1896-1987), born 23 March and baptised at Pirbright (Surrey), 3 May 1896; married 1st, 30 July 1914 at Woolverstone, Capt. Robert John Charles Otter (1881-1915), eldest son of Robert Charles Otter of Royston Manor, Retford (Notts), and had issue one daughter; married 2nd, 12 July 1916 at St Luke, Chelsea (Middx), Maj. Arthur Willis (1877-1928), son of Ambrose Robinson Willis; married 3rd, 4 July 1928 at St James, Piccadilly, Westminster (div.), Capt. Frank Whitley Jagger (1897-1979), only son of Edward Whitley Jagger of Knowle (Warks), estate agent; married 4th, Apr-Jun 1946, Capt. Ernest Frederick Tobin Maunsell (1895-1959); died 6 February 1987; administration of goods granted 5 October 1987 (effects under £40,000);

(3) Olive Marjory Berners (1897-1991), born 7 August and baptised at Kingscote (Glos), 12 September 1897; married 1st, 2 June 1917 at Hellesdon (Norfk) (div. 1929), as his first wife, Capt. Robert Millington Knowles MC (1893-1950), fourth son of Andrew Knowles of Newent Court (Glos), and had issue three sons; married 2nd, 3 December 1931 at Harkstead (Suffk), Adm. Sir Harold Thomas Coulthard Walker KCB RN (1891-1975) of Rake House, Liss (Hants), son of Sir Harold Walker of Palace Lodge, Crediton (Devon), and had further issue one son and one daughter; died aged 94 on 8 November 1991; her will was proved 12 February 1992 (estate £408,392).

He lived at Kingscote Park (Glos) and Hellesdon House, Norwich before he inherited Woolverstone Hall and the Berners estate in Marylebone from his father in 1919. He commenced the sale of plots on the Marylebone estate. His widow lived at Hill Lodge, Pangbourne (Berks) and later at Daglingworth House (Glos).

He died 2 March 1934; his will was proved May 1934 (estate £1,180,099). His widow died 17 May 1935; her will was proved 17 July 1935 (estate £3,123).

* His wife instituted divorce proceedings in 1918, on the grounds of his cruelty and adultery, but her petition was rejected by the courts.

Berners, Geoffrey Hugh (1893-1972). Only son of John Anstruther Berners (1869-1934) and his wife Ethel Charlotte, fifth daughter of Laurence James Baker of Ottershaw Park (Surrey), born 20 November 1893. Educated at Eton and Magdalen College, Oxford. He served in the First World War with the 3rd battalion, Norfolk Regiment (2nd Lt., 1914; Lt., 1915; retired 1920). JP for Suffolk. He married, 9 November 1929 at All Saints, Ennismore Gardens, Kensington (Middx), Betty Jane (1910-68), only daughter of Arthur Gordon of Garrards Farm*, Uffington (Berks), racehorse trainer, and had issue:

(1) Patricia Ann Berners (1933-2017) (q.v.).

He rented property in Berkshire until he bought Little Coxwell Grove (Berks) c.1934. He inherited Woolverstone Hall and the Berners estate in Marylebone from his father in 1934. He sold Woolverstone Park with 6,042 acres in 1937 to the Nuffield Trust for Oxford University, and purchased Marcham Park (Berks) in 1938, but sold it again in 1948. He lived subsequently at Little Coxwell Grove. He continued his father's policy of selling the freehold of parts of the Marylebone estate, greatly reducing its size.

He died 10 January 1972; his will was proved 15 February 1972 (estate £179,556). His wife died 7 November 1968; her will was proved 18 July 1969 (estate £437,940).

* Garrards Farm was later the home of John Betjeman, 1934-45.

Berners, Patricia Ann (1933-2017). Only child of Geoffrey Hugh Berners (1893-1972) and his wife Elizabeth Jane, only daughter of Arthur Gordon of Garrards Farm, Uffington (Berks), born 2 September 1933. She married, 16 July 1953 at St George, Hanover Sq., Westminster (Middx), Michael Edward Ranulph Allsopp (1930-2017), banker, son of Samuel Ranulph Allsopp, and had issue:

(1) Frances Jane Berners Allsopp (b. 1955), born 26 May 1955; married 1st, 26 April 1975 (div. 1980), Dermot Michael Claud Chichester, son of Maj. Lord Desmond Clive Chichester, and 2nd, 1984, Maj. David John Basil Woodd, son of Basil Bethune Neville Woodd, and had issue two daughters;

(2) Carolyn Ann Berners Allsopp (1957-2015), born 30 September 1957; died unmarried, 17 March 2015;

(3) Jessica Elizabeth Berners Allsopp (b. 1960), born 5 April 1960; Master and later Chairwoman of the Old Berks Hunt; married, 6 July 1984, Hon. Edward Douglas Leigh-Pemberton (b. 1959), of Longcot House, Little Coxwell (Berks), chartered surveyor and land agent, son of Robin Leigh-Pemberton, Baron Kingsdown, and had issue three sons;

(4) Davina Hyacinthe Berners Allsopp (b. 1960), born 5 April 1960; married, 10 July 1987 at Ruwa (Zimbabwe), as his second wife, Sir Nicholas Folliott Douglas Powell (1935-2019), 4th bt., of Hillside, Bromley (Zimbabwe), son of Sir Richard George Douglas Powell, 3rd bt., and had issue two sons and one daughter;

(5) A son (b. & d. 1966), born 1 October 1966 but died the same day.

She inherited Little Coxwell Grove and the remains of the Berners estate in Marylebone from her father in 1972. The estate is now known as the Berners-Allsopp estate.

She died 26 November 2017; her will was proved 27 June 2018. Her husband died 30 April 2017; his will was proved 7 September 2017.

Principal sources

Burke's Landed Gentry, 1952, p. 167; Sir H. Chauncy, The historical antiquities of Hertfordshire, 1826, vol. 1, pp. 316-17; N. Briggs, John Johnson, 1991, pp. 34-37; J.T. Smith, Hertfordshire Houses: a selective inventory, 1993, p. 129; J. Bettley & Sir N. Pevsner, The buildings of England: Suffolk - East, 2015, pp. 604-6;

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/architecture/sites/bartlett/files/chapter30_the_berners_estate.pdf;

https://www.thepeerage.com/p25004.htm#i250034.

Location of archives

Berners family of Woolverstone Hall: deeds, manorial records, estate papers, household accounts and genealogical papers, 1341-1936 [Suffolk Archives, S1/10, HD 169].

Coat of arms

Quarterly, or and vert.

Can you help?

• Can anyone show conclusively whether Elizabeth Gostlin died in 1725 or 1773?
• Can anyone provide further information about the death of William Berners (1771-1841?), banker, who was an undischarged bankrupt?
• 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 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 24 November 2024.