A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



Oliver Cromwell. The lat 

 Park in 182 1, leaving an or, 

 Oliveria, »ifc of Thomas 

 Artcmidorus Russell. 



On the death of the latter 

 in 1858 the manor of Theo- 

 balds, with Cheshunt Park, 

 came by will to his third son 

 Thomas Artemidorus Russell 

 for life, with remainder to the 

 testator's daughters Elizabeth 

 Oliveria, wife of Frederick 

 Joseph Prescott, Letitia Crom- 

 well Whitfield, wife of Frede- 

 rick Whitfield, a 



:er died at Cheshunt 

 ]y daughter, Elizabeth 



■idget Wa 



of 



ard Warner. On the death of Thomas Arte- 

 midorus Russell the younger in 1863 the manor 

 came to his sisters Mrs. Elizabeth Prescott and Mrs. 

 Emma Warner." It thus came to the Prescott family, 

 and is now owned by Sir George Lionel Lawson 

 Bagot Prescott, bart., of Isenhurst, Sussex. The 



little 



: than the i 



nded 



Cullings alias Tongs and Crossbrokes alias Dare 

 The house and park of Theobalds desc 

 separately from the manor. After reverting to the 

 Crown on the death of Christopher Duke of Albemarle 

 they were granted by William III to William 

 Fkntinck Earl of Portland. From the latter they 

 descended to William Henry Cavendish, third Duke 

 of Portland, who sold them in 1763 to George 

 Prescott, by whom the present house was begun. 

 He was succeeded in 1 790 by his son George 

 William Prescott, created a baronet in 1 79+. From 

 this date Theobalds house and park passed like the 

 manor of Cheshunt (q.v.) to 

 Sir George Deeston Prescott, 

 who sold them to Sir Henry 



bt" 



Hi, 



ho died 



was succeeded by his son Sir 



Henry Bruce Meux. He died 



in 1900 and left the estate to 



his wife Valerie Susie. Lady 



Meux died in 1910, leaving 



by her will Theobalds Park 



to Sir Hcdworth Lamblon, 



who took the name of Meux, 



and is the present owner. 

 Of the original house built 



in 1 56+-71 by Lord Burghley 



scarcely anything remains, oiving to th; dismantling 



of the house in the time of the Commonwealth, 

 d of two great quadrangles, 86 ft. and 

 lare respectively. On the east side of 

 was a cloister, and there was a black 



■ chief 



for. 



I I o ft. 

 the for 



irble foui 



die 



nth gal 



The 



over, 



second quadrangle had cloist 



on the east and west sides, and a chapel 



south. There were two large gatehouses, one 



between the two quadrangles, and on the south side 



of the house was an open cloister, with paintings, 



inscriptions and pedigrees. This cloister existed till 



1765, though the palace was for the most part 



*» Cussans, loc. cit. ; Add. MS. 941 

 fol. 46 ■ Feet of F. Hens. Trin. to & 

 Geo. II (K.S.B.); Recov. R. East. 

 Ceo. IH ( iol j07.jTtin.6GM.lv, rot.i 



demolished in i6;i. The existing remains consist of 

 a strip of walling, about z ft. wide and 15 ft. high, 

 in the south side of the gardener's cottage at Old 

 Palace House, of clunch in its lower portion, with a 

 moulded plinth, and a moulded string at the top, 

 much decayed, and in its upper half of red brick 

 with clunch quoins. This appears to have been the 

 south-west angle of the palace. Just to the north-east 

 of this is a wide three-light window with moulded 

 stone jambs and mullions under a brick four-centred 

 arch ; it is set in an old brick wall, but it is uncertain 

 whether this is its original position or whether it ii 

 re-used material, as in the case of two stone-mullioned 

 windows in Old Palace House. The original garden 

 wall of red brick survives in several place;, the most 

 perfect being the lengths which inclose the gardens 

 of Old Palace House and Grove House on the north 

 side. In the dividing wall is a rectangular peep-hole 

 rebated for a shutter, and having chamfered jambs and 

 head. In the west wall of the Old Palace House 

 garden are several niches, and one in the south wall. 

 They are all about z ft. 6 in, above the ground, 

 1 ft. 9 in. high, 1 ft. wide, and 10 in. deep, and 

 some have small holes at the bottom. They appear 

 to have been used for charcoal fires, as the mortar 

 joints above them are blackened by smoke. The 

 west wall is carried on to the north of the garden of 

 Grove House, and at its north and south ends are 

 remains of circular angle-turrets. At the south-east 

 of the 'Cedars,' the third house on the site, which 

 takes its name from two large trees probably con- 

 temporary with the palace, is another wall, with 

 returns for the central east gateway, and there is 

 another piece of wall running eastward towards the 

 London road, as well as a few other fragments. 



Old Palace House, the residence of Mr. Frederick 

 W. Lane, was built in 1768 on the site of the 

 gardens and terraces. The garden walks still remain 

 as formerly. The old banqueting-table is at the 

 Old Palace House." 



The present house at Theobalds Park is a large 

 red brick building with stone dressings begun in 

 1768, the wings being added at a later date. There 

 are extensive gardens and grounds and in the park 

 an ornamental lake formed from the New River. 

 I his house stands about three-quarters of a mile 

 westward of the old palace. 



The north-west gateway of Theobalds Park is 

 formed by old Temple Bar removed from the Fleet 

 Street entrance to the City in 1878, and re-erected 

 in its present position in 1888 by Sir Henry Meux, 

 bart., to whom it had been given. It was built in 

 167a from Sir Christopher Wren's design, of stone 

 with rusticated joints, and has a large central gate- 

 way with a three-centred arch having a carved pro- 

 jecting keystone and moulded imposts, flanked by 

 smaller gateways with round heads. Above is an 

 upper stage with a frieze and cornice, surmounted 

 by a curved pediment, and divided on each face by 

 shallow Corinthian pilasters. In the end bays are 

 round-headed niches, containing, on the outer side, 

 statues of Charles II and Queen Anne, and on the 

 inner side of James I and Charles I. In the middle 

 bay and at each end are round-headed windows. 



