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Extracts from the Walrond Papers related to Bradfield House

by

Maxwell Adams (General Secretary)

In: Proceedings at the Forty-Ninth Annual Meeting of the Devonshire Association 

Trans. Devon. Assoc., vol.  XLII, (1910), pp. 27-29.

Prepared by Michael Steer

The Association’s proceedings were tabled at its July 1910 Collumpton meeting. The meeting’s social programme included a tour of Bradfield House organised by the Hon. Lionel and Mrs. Walrond, who also invited a large number of friends to meet the Association members. After tea, Mrs. Walrond escorted them on the tour and permitted the following account to be recorded in the Transactions. Bradfield House is one of the largest mansions in Devon, having been substantially enlarged in about 1860 by Sir John Walrond Walrond, 1st Baronet (1818–1889), to the design of the architect John Hayward, and incorporates within the Victorian structure the original mediaeval great hall, one of the largest, most ornate and best preserved in the county. The extract, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.

Extracts from the Walrond Papers, - The Walrond family came to England in 1066, the first bearer of the name in this country being Waleran," Venator " (huntsman) to William the Conqueror. Bradfield came into their possession by a grant from Fulke Paynel about 1216, and the deed, written in the same characters as the Magna Charta, is still amongst the family papers.
In 1671, William Walrond, who served as a Cavalier, was knighted. He seems to have built the original chapel, as there is an old deed of that period granting “license to publicly read morning and evening prayer in the chapel, newly erected by William Walrond, Kt., at Bradfield." It is believed to have been close to the north wing of the house, between it and the rectangular lake. Sir William was High Sheriff of Devon, and though never married, was greatly in love with a lady called Dinah de Mont- pellon, who lived in Wiltshire. There is a letter, amongst the Bradfield papers, written on gold leaf, enclosed in a petit-point jewelled envelope, and with it the top of a gauntlet glove, and some lady's gloves, all apparently of the same period.
When William, Prince of Orange, landed at Tor Bay, Nov. 6th, 1688, we find through a report in Dutch, dated the same month, that some of his troops were quartered at Bradfield, then in possession of Colonel Henry Walrond, who had succeeded his brother Sir William. The report states that
"We have taken up our quarters in the house of Col. Hendric Waldron, which quarters we desire shall be kept open as long as the troops of his Highness shall remain in this town, or neighbourhood; we have also left in the care of the aforesaid, Col. Hendric Waldron, two black horses, and one gray mare, which shall be kept for us." - Signed Sir van Ginkel, Lt.-General of the Cavalry of the United Netherlands, in the service of His Highness William, Prince of Orange.
The property descended in the direct male line until 1848, when Frances Walrond succeeded her father. She married Benjamin Bowden Dickinson, of an old Tiverton family, and he assumed her name and arms by royal license in 1845. Their only son John married Frances Hood, daughter of Lord Bridport and Charlotte Nelson, Duchess of Bronte in her own right, and came to live at Bradfield in 1854. He represented the Tiverton Borough as a colleague of Lord Palmerston in 1865, when he won the seat by three votes; and four times unsuccessfully contested the North Devon Division and Tiverton Borough, being created a baronet in 1876.
Finding Bradfield in a state of disrepair he decided to restore it, employing Mr. J. Hayward to assist him. Sir John was himself a good draughtsman, and nearly all the improvements were taken from his designs.
The main building dates back to the beginning of the sixteenth century, and the rest was added in the reigns of Elizabeth and James I, and the dates 1592 and 1604 are to be seen on the old front. It is one of the finest examples of the Tudor Period extant, and, thanks to Sir John, has lost very little of its original beauty. It is built in the form of an H, with the Banqueting Hall, 44 ft. by 21 ft., in the centre. On removing the plaster and white paint some very fine old oak panelling, carved in the linenfold pattern was discovered, also some curious frescoes above the dais with the words "Vivat Rex," and the royal arms of England, quartered with those of France, besides various Walrond quarterings emblazoned on the window-panes.