|
|
|
The Crown Gardens at the East Front of Muntham Court in 1907. It is said that the elaborate design of the flowerbeds was taken from an embroidery design for the crown of a baby's pram bonnet. |
THIS IS FINDON — www.findonvillage.com created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.
|
|
|
The Crown Gardens at the East Front of Muntham Court in 1907. It is said that the elaborate design of the flowerbeds was taken from an embroidery design for the crown of a baby's pram bonnet. |
GARDENER'S PARADISE
Copyright Valerie Martin 1997.
First published in Along The Furlong in May 1997.
Harriet Thynne, Dowager Marchioness of Bath, did a great deal for the church in the 19th century when she lived at Muntham Court and was a regular attendee at services. I have discovered that George Marsh, Wiltshire born and bred, came to Muntham from Longleat with the Marchioness, (as did an entourage of her servants). He was her gardener and was housed in Muntham Lodge and lived with Charlotte, his wife, and six sons, (three of whom followed in their father's footsteps and became gardeners also) — Francis, known as Frank, William and Charles. The other children were Henry, John and David, who became a groom at the local racing stables.
|
|
|
The East Front garden. |
Many years were spent at Muntham and no doubt George was assisted by attendant under-gardeners as he could not possibly have dealt with the immaculate undulating lawns, parterres of flowers in the formal gardens, shrubbery and kitchen garden on his own.
|
|
|
1907 — The Crown Gardens at Muntham |
I have come to the conclusion that when George retired from working on the elaborate grounds of Muntham Court he had to vacate the Lodge to make way for the new gardener. This meant a move to Nepcote Lane where he and Charlotte lived in a cottage.
|
|
|
St. John the Baptist churchyard in the early 1900s. |
I am glad to say that his skills did not go to waste. Lady Bath then paid him to tend the grounds at the church. It is said that under his dextrous hand the flowerbeds laid out on either side of the path to the church were delightfully kept and a beautiful picture to behold under his tender loving care. George had scored another success, this time in the shadow of the solemn dignity of the church and this gained him many admirers who visited St. John the Baptist Church.
It was cold in March 1891 and on the 9th there was a snow storm and blizzard causing trains to be snowed up all night at nearby Bognor and the roads in Findon were block. George passed away on 19th March 1891 and his death was registered by a Mr. Newman who was present at the death.
Continue if you would like to read .Life at Muntham under Lord Henry Frederick Thynne
This is Findon Village — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.
|
E-mail: valeriemartin@findonvillage.com |
Back to Muntham Court Index