My Family
- 30 May 2010 20:1754167If you log into "History of Woodford House,Cranford Road, Woodford,Northamptonshire,You will see this very big house build in 1813 and was a early 19th- century mansion and was the home of the Arbuthnot family and the scene of the death of Harriet Arbuthnot the diarist in 1833.
The Arbuthnots were very close friends of the great Duke of Wellington. He rebuilt the house enlarging the area and guided by architect Charles Becon (Who died in 18180).
What has this to do with my family? well A very close member of my family own it, My wife and I do go up there at times it is great to go into a house like this and walk around the gardens and the land.
- 30 May 2010 20:2654168i always suspected that there was something rather aristocratic about you vic, must be the bearing.
i will have a quiet word with the forum pr man(no names), he may invite you to join his gentlemans club. - 30 May 2010 20:3154170My family is deep in history as you all will find out over the next few weeks,but I am the poor one of the family and just to let you also know the chairman of the Dover District Council is "Yes" a member of my very big family to.
- 30 May 2010 20:4154175At this very time I am looking at "Nelson"By Terry Coleman,and on page 77 you will see a photo of Nelson, favourite sister Catherine Matcham, who was a member at that time of my family.
- 30 May 2010 20:4554177Some intersting reading here for you Vic: http://thepeerage.com/p19819.htm
- 30 May 2010 20:5954185this gets better, a matcham at the battle of trafalgar, as a mark of respect i will not recount my favourite nelson joke.
- 30 May 2010 21:0154186In one of the letters Nelson was told"If you need funding for your new fleet go down into kent to the Matcham Family to get that funding "They are avery rich and wealthy family but of very little purpose,and that is true I am reading it in the above book.
Well I am the one of little purpose with out the weath. 
- 31 May 2010 15:0054264Very interesting family history Vic
- 31 May 2010 17:5154293There is still alot more yet to come on my family yet,but log into that house, it is a must to see,I love going to it,some of the wall paper on the walls is the same as when the Duke of Wellington was spending his weekends there and the Oil paintings are also great to look at.
- 31 May 2010 18:3654299Sid I have log into "The Peerage " but without luck geting "P19819.htm.
- 31 May 2010 20:5854326Vic, if you try www.thepeerage.com and then, on the front page once it is displayed, select "Surnames" option. All the names on the website will be displated so just scroll down to Matcham. Click on the name and you will be presented with a list of Matcham's to look at further. Good luck and enjoy.
- 31 May 2010 21:2854336i suppose that our barry was listed very near the top sid.
- 31 May 2010 22:3654345Thank you for that Sid ,I will do just that in the morning.
I am sorry to say this great house this not open to the public, but I do have some good photos of the house and grounds,sorry to tell you that I am in some of them anyway my mate is going to put them on this post for me at some point,please do not think I am being a big head because that would not be true but I am very proud of all my family and what they have done that is why I am telling you all this now.
Interesting Historical Facts or Connections.
Earliest Recorded Date of Construction was 01/01/1813.
Architectural Period/Style Elizabethan.
Architect.Charles Bacon.
Type of Building.Country House, Stately Home, Manor House.
I have already told you some of the Historical facts but just a few more.
The property was purchased in 1880 by Charles Henry Plevins from Arthur Arbuthnot, son of General Charles Arbuthnot. The house was altered beween 1899 and 1910 and had a new garden created in 1909, just to add to that all the gardens are the same today as you will see later on. The Arbuthnots owned iron ore quarries on the estate which were dug from circa 1815,an early date for what was later to become a large industry in Northamtonshire.
The main Material of Construction of the house was from Local Stone.
All I can tell you also that Lady Arbuthnot got on very very well with the Duke of Wellington,to find out more please read the history of the Duke of Wellington or go to Walmer Castle which as you all know was the Duke of Wellington home and you will be told all about it. - 31 May 2010 23:1654352Erm, I thought The Duke of Wellington lived at No 1 London? Maybe Walmer Castle was his weekend retreat. I wonder if he claimed allowances on both or possibly flipped every so often?
- 31 May 2010 23:4354357This is a good time to talk about allowances Sid but please not on this one.
- 1 June 2010 14:4054449The home of the Duke of Wellington was Walmer Castle,sorry but I do not know of the London one Sid.
- 1 June 2010 14:4354452The Duke of Wellington lived at Apsley House, which had the postal address, No 1 London.
See here for more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apsley_House - 1 June 2010 14:5954464Thank you Sid ,I have now found what you said to do under Peerage,and we see that that Lord Charles Horatio Nelson was indeed a Matcham,also just to had that my grandmothers name was Catherine aswell. Thank you for that.
- 14 March 2011 00:1296818I am going to be doing a follow up of this next week.
- 14 March 2011 07:1096824Good to see you posting again Sid - have you been abroad and now returned ?
Roger