BROWNSEA ISLAND 153 



attached to the Island that he made it his home, 

 and spent his life improving the grounds. In 1818 

 the Prince of Wales (afterwards George IV.) so 

 celebrated for his fashion in clothes, and his 

 manners, which gained for him the nickname of 

 " the First Gentleman in Europe " paid Brownsea 

 a visit, and candidly acknowledged "that he had 

 no idea there was such a delightful spot in the 

 kingdom" the balls and routs of London being 

 doubtless better known to him than English 

 scenery. 



Colonel Waugh was attracted to Brownsea chiefly 

 because of the clay to be found there which he 

 desired to use for a Pottery. He bought the 

 Island in 1852, and spent a great deal of money 

 on promoting this industry at the west end of the 

 Island, building cottages, which still exist, though 

 the Pottery works have long been given up. One 

 of the most important of Colonel Waugh's improve- 

 ments at Brownsea was the reclaiming of a hundred 

 acres of land, and the building of an embankment 

 and sea-walls round it. 



The many beautiful Italian works of art which 

 are in the house were brought there by Mr. 

 Cavendish Bentinck when he owned Brownsea. 



During Major Kenneth Balfour's possession of 

 the Island the house was burnt and the interior 

 entirely ruined. It was rebuilt in 1897 and came 

 into Mr. Charles Van Raalte's hands in 1900, since 



