Friday 7 March 2014

The Lutyens Family Connections

The similarities and cross overs of Gertrude Jekyll that I've covered in previous posts with the Haslemere Peasant Arts movement are made all the more interesting by the Edwin Lutyens family connections.  Lutyens partnered with Jekyll on numerous house and garden projects, including a number in the near neighbourhood, such as Jekyll's own house at Munstead Wood, outside Godalming.

extract of 1901 census
showing Edwin Lutyens as a visitor at Ernest Powell King's house

Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, the famous architect, was staying at Joseph King's brother's house at the time of the 1901 census.  Lutyens, then aged 32 is described as a visitor and is listed amongst the other inhabitants of Wainsford House, Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire, who were:

  • Ernest Powell King, aged 39, living on own means
  • Charlotte Lillian King, his wife aged 34
  • Charles Johnston, Charlotte's father, a retired colonel
  • Martha John, the cook 
  • Emily, parlour maid 
  • Elsie Busby, housemaid 
  • Elizabeth Lancaster, kitchen maid
  • Mary, an attendant
The number of servants that Joseph King's brother had at Wainsford House, living on his own means, reinforces the notion that the King family were financially comfortable.  

This is not the only connection to the Haslemere Peasant Arts movement, although this second connection is admittedly a bit more current.  There is also a connection with Godfrey Blount.  It gets a bit complicated:

Lutyens controversially married Lady Emily Bulwer-Lytton (1874-1964).  According to wikipedia: "Two years after she proposed to him and in the face of parental disapproval, Lady Emily Bulwer-Lytton (1874–1964), third daughter of The 1st Earl of Lytton, a former Viceroy of India, and Edith (née) Villiers, married Lutyens on 4 August 1897 at KnebworthHertfordshire. They had five children, but the union was largely unsatisfactory, practically from the start. The Lutyens' marriage quickly deteriorated, with Lady Emily becoming interested in theosophy, Eastern religions and a fascination — emotional and philosophical — with Jiddu Krishnamurti." 

Lady Emily's brother Victor (1876-1947) had four children: Edward, Margaret, Davina and Alexander.  Margaret, Lady Margaret Hermione Millicent Bulwer-Lytton (1905-2004) married Cameron Cobbold, who became Governor of the Bank of England (1949-1964), and became the First Baron Cobbold in 1960. They had three children, Jane, Susan and David (the second Baron Cobbold).  Susan married Christopher Blount in 1957.  Christopher Blount was the grandson of Godfrey Blount's elder brother, Charles H B Blount (1855-1900).  A great great grandson of Charles H B Blount is reported to be James Blunt, the singer.  When Godfrey Blount died in 1937, in his probate he left his estate of £9,904 12s 11d between his publisher, Arthur Charles Fifield, and his nephew Charles H B Blount (1890-1940), his brother Charles' son, and Christopher Blount's father.

extract of Godfrey Blount's family tree,
Ancestry.co.uk, which shows the 'Lutyens' connection

Thank you to duncmacg for this family tree information.

2 comments:

  1. An interesting connection. I wonder if Wainsford House still exists? Milford on Sea is not far from us. Worth investigating. So many of the larger houses there have been demolished and blocks of flats built in their place, overlooking the sea.

    I do wonder what happened to Ethel after Godfrey died. Did she have money of her own? Why did Godfrey seemingly not leave her any?

    Hope all is well with you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. That's a good point about Ethel, yes that is a bit strange.

    I'll post my thoughts on where Wainsford House is/ was.

    ReplyDelete

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