HOLLAND HOUSE 223 



or " Chenesiton," as it is called in the Dooms- 

 day Book belonged to the De Veres for many 

 generations and then became, through marriage, the 

 property of the Argylls. In 1607 Sir Walter Cope 

 purchased the property and built the present house, 

 being fortunate enough to have John Thorpe for 

 his architect, his original drawings for it being still 

 to be seen in the Soane Museum. 



Old books say that the Garden round the old 

 Manor House was laid out in Elizabeth's reign, but 

 though there is now no evidence of this remaining 

 it is very improbable that either the old Manor 

 House or Sir Walter's new House were gardenless. 

 In all likelihood the fashion of the day was followed 

 by Sir Walter Cope of a regular Formal Garden 

 with green Lawns and a Bowling Green. The 

 latter is mentioned by Samuel Rogers ; in his 

 " Recollections" he notes that "the Bowling Green 

 at Holland House is mown every day." 



Chance and change being the unwritten motto of 

 this old House, it again passed into other hands, 

 this time through the marriage of Sir Walter Cope's 

 daughter and heiress (who brought as a marriage 

 portion the manor and seat of Kensington) with 

 Henry Rich, the second son of the Earl of 

 Warwick and the favourite of James I., who 

 arranged the marriage. Henry Rich, son of 

 Penelope the Stella immortalised by Sir Philip 

 Sidney was destined to inherit the personal charm 



