Twickenham Park

The New Park of Richmond, now called Twickenham Park, passed to Edward Bacon in 1574 and to the English philosopher, Francis Bacon, in 1593.[1] In 1608 the property passed to Lucy Russell, Countess of Bedford.[1] The courtier and poet Cecily Bulstrode died at Twickenham Park on 4 August 1609.[2] In 1618 the Countess Bedford gave it to a relative, Sir William Harrington, Member of Parliament for Hertford. Harrington sold it to Mary Home, Countess of Home, a cousin of Lady Bedford, in 1621.[1]

The property was acquired from the Countess of Home by Sir Thomas Nott, a Royalist Army officer, in 1640.[3] Nott remained there until 1659 when he sold it to a Mr Henry Murray.[1] In 1668 Murray sold it to John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton, another Royalist Army officer, who died in 1678.[4]

In 1685 the Berkeley family sold the property to Robert Brudenell, 2nd Earl of Cardigan.[1] The property was then bought by Sir Thomas Vernon, Member of Parliament for Whitchurch, in 1698[5] and by Algernon Coote, 6th Earl of Mountrath in 1743.[1]

In 1766 the property passed to the Harriet Pelham-Holles, Duchess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, who set about mixed farming in the park,[6] and in 1788 it passed to Lord Frederick Cavendish, a British Army officer.[7]

Following Cavendish's death in October 1803 the house passed to Sir William Abdy, 7th Baronet.[8] Abdy sold the house at auction to Francis Gosling who in turn demolished it in 1809.[8]

• "VERNON, Thomas (1666–1726), of Twickenham Park, Mdx." in Hayton, D W; Cruickshanks, Eveline; Handley, Stuart. (eds.) (2002) The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1690–1715. Boydell and Brewer. ISBN 9780521772211