MRP: Wingham Mansion or Wingham Court
Wingham Mansion or Wingham Court
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Wingham Mansion, also known as Wingham Court, was a mansion house located close to Wingham parish church, and about one mile to the north of Deane, owned by the Palmer family. The Palmer family's residence in Wingham dates to the purchase by Sir Henry Palmer of the grant of the college of Wingham, following the dissolution of ecclesiastical property, which Sir Henry and later Palmers made their seat.
D.K. Gardiner states in her notes to a letter from Sir Thomas Palmer to Sir James Oxinden that "the house stood immediately to the east of the church, behind a tall old red brick wall which still borders the highway. Within living memory she states it was described by old people in the village, who could recall its demolition, as the Mansion, or Wingham Mansion." However, John Mockett states in a book published in 1836 that from the tower of Wingham parish church "I discovered that the fine old mansion house, and very extensive premises, called Wingham Court, had lately been pulled down." There is clearly some confusion as to the precise location and identity of the Palmer mansion, since English Heritage lists - "Wingham Court and Garden Wall" as a Grade 2 listed building, and identifies this as the manor house of the Archbishop's manor of Wingham.
Hasted records that Sir Thomas Palmer's grandfather was well known for his hospitality at his mansion, a custom which, from the correspondence of Sir James Oxinden and his son Henry Oxinden of Deane, appears to have continued to the grandson's residence at the mansion in Wingham.
An engraving in the Kentish Register and Monthly Miscellany (Novermber 1794) shows a close up of the Palmer's house.
An engraving entitled Wingham College and Church, dated 1808, shows the Palmer's house to the right of the parish church.
Sources
Letter from Sir Thomas Palmer to Sir James Oxinden of Deane, MS. 27,999, f. XXX
Letter from Henry Oxinden of Deane to Henry Oxinden of Barham (his cousin): Letter 1, MS. 27, 999, f. 308
- Hasted, Edward, 'Parishes: Wingham', The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent: Volume 9 (1800), pp. 224-241
Mockett, John, Mockett's Journal: a collection of interesting matters relating to remarkable personages, ancient buildings, manners and customs, &c., beginning from the 50 : also, particulars of various churches, origin of the reculvers, parochial matters to St. Peter's (Canterbury, 1836), p.189
- English Heritage listing for "Wingham Court and Garden Wall, Wingham," ID 178374
Image credits
'Wingham College and Church', plate in E.W.Brayley, XXXX, vol. 8 (London, 1808), betw. p. 1090 & 1091
'The antient seat of the Palmers at Wingham, plate in Kentish Register and Monthly Miscellany (?London, November 1794), betw. p. 1442 & 443
Possible further research
