THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com  created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.

LIFE AT MUNTHAM  COURT UNDER LORD HENRY FREDERICK THYNNE

Copyright Valerie Martin 2006

When the Marchioness of Bath passed away in 1892, Muntham Court was inherited by her second son, Lord Henry Frederick Thynne (born 1832).   He was married to Lady Ulrica Jane St. Maurer, daughter of the 12th Duke of Somerset).

I have not discovered much about Lord Henry before he came into his inheritance, except that his likeness was portrayed when he was 45 years old.   This was a watercolour by Sir Leslie Ward the caricaturist and was published in Vanity Fair dated 26th May 1877.  The likeness was later purchased by the National Portrait Galley in London in 1970.

I understand that life was quiet during his tenure at the mansion of this former politician and courtier but there are one or two highlights worth mentioning.  

Below is a surviving letter from a century ago that Lord Henry wrote from Muntham Court to the Findon artist, Edwin Douglas....

The most noticeable missing every day occurrence was that the chapel at Muntham Court was not used for the daily prayers any more.   Lord Henry had the stained glass windows removed from the chapel and they were unceremoniously stored for many years in the carpenter's shop on the estate.

I have it on good authority that there was once upon a time a former owner of Muntham Court (who always pronounced the name of his estate as “Mun-tum”), and was more academic than skilled in the art of farming our chalky downland soil.   I wish I knew which owner this was..... has anyone an ideas for me?    Could it have been Lord Henry?   Anyhow, the story goes that one day he returned from visiting a friend whose estate included some stiff clay soil.     He sent for his bailiff and is supposed to have told him.....

“I have discovered why the Ramsdean (a field on the Muntham Estate on the left hand side of the main road, going up Lamb Hill) does not grow better crops.  It is because it needs draining.  We must set to work to drain it thoroughly”. 

I have no knowledge of his Bailiff’s reply to the novel idea of draining our Findon chalk soil.  It was reported at the time that it must have been difficult to retain gravity.

One year before Lord Henry died, some of the most important scientists and inventors of the time (and pioneers of flight) descended on the Muntham Estate where a competition was to be conducted.

The date was 25th June 1903 and the breeze on the Findon downland and the weather were all important for the venture about to be undertaken. 

No none need have worried — the weather conditions on that June day were fine.   The competition was designed to have a long lasting effect on the future of British aviation and was organised as a concluding highlight to the 38th session of the Royal Aeronautical Society (formed in 1866).   The object of the exercise was undertaken by seven entrants and was to hopefully discover once and for all the best form of kite for high-altitude military use.  

It was recognised at the time that kites provided an excellent means of making meteorological observations.... and contemporary experts were of the opinion that high-flying kites might also give the ultimate answer to the problem of aerial navigation.   I would point out here that the first historic controlled flight by Orville Wright at Kitty Hawk in North Carolina achieving the perfect kite for high-altitude military purposes was a further six months away in December 1903.   

An eager crowd of some two thousand interested observers descended on Findon, to watch the antics that summer.   Some trekked on foot over the fields and byways from the village.   Others pedalled their cycles.... some arrived on horse-back........ by motor cars up the long drive ........and any other conveyance that could ascend the hillside.    There was a gathering of participating scientists, budding aeronauts, ambassadors and international politicians and obviously a panel of judges.

The competition at Findon was the very first ever held and the highest flight achieved on the day was the winner of the Royal Aeronautical Society's silver medal.   The entrants had to attain an altitude of over 3,000 feet and keep their kites in the air for an hour.   Each individual kite was required to carry a weight of 2 lbs. (this representing scientific  instruments).

One of the most esteemed entrants had to withdrawn at the last minute (this was the President of the Royal Aeronautical Society himself), because his helper failed to arrive at Muntham with the wire required for his special kite.  I can just imagine what was said to the poor man about that.

Unfortunately, the altitudes achieved by the kites on that auspicious day in Findon, were not exceptional (owing to wind-strength at low levels) and I have not been able to find any records.

Nevertheless, all went considerably well and as the day at drew to a close, the crowds waited with bated breath and anticipation for the promised grand finale.   This was to be conducted by a William Cochrane with his working model of a mechanical bird.    This visually attractive contraption was fitted complete with oscillating feathered propellers and a horizontal tail steering gear.   Oh! for a photograph of that participant on the downland.  The only problem was that the invention did not work on the day and was destined not to be seen in the sky over Findon.

When Lord Henry Thynne died in 1904, Muntham Court and the grounds passed to his widow, Lady Ulrica  The property proved too large for her and from 1904 until 190, Sir Thomas Skinner lived there and finally the mansion was inherited in 1909 by her son, Colonel Ulric Oliver Thynne, CMG, CVO, DSO.  

Continue if you would like to read about The Mysterious Statue.

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THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.