CHAPTER IV 



HAMPTON COURT^ 



From the time of Henry VIII. to that of George III., 

 Hampton Court Palace was frequently a residence of English 

 Sovereigns, and so many important events happened there, 

 that only a brief survey of its history can be given here. 

 William the Conqueror gave the manor to one of his soldiers, 

 Walter de St. Valerie, whose family held it for more than a 

 century. About the year 12 17 it was given to the Knights 

 of St. John, who had a preceptory or religious house there 

 for many years. In 151 5 they leased the manor to Cardinal 

 Wolsey. The palace was founded and a large part of it built 

 by him. He also re-made the garden, besides enclosing and 

 planting the home park. His palace became during the next 

 ten years the scene of such luxury and splendour that, as an 

 act of policy, he transferred his lease of it to Henry VIII. in 

 1526, This monarch, not by confiscation but by exchange 

 of other properties, acquired the freehold of the property 

 from the Knights of St. John five years later. The King 

 often resided here, and his son by Jane Seymour, Edward 

 (afterwards Edward VI.), was born in the palace. 



During Henry's reign much care and labour was bestowed 

 on improving the gardens. Some of the work of this period 

 may still be seen, especially in the Pond Gardens between 

 the palace and the Thames. A general idea of what they 

 were like during this and the next three reigns may be 

 gathered from Bacon's well-known delightful essay. Henry 

 was characteristically despotic in forming his parks for hunt- 

 ing, and during the last few years of his life caused a good 



^ Many particulars in this chapter have been taken from The History of Hampton 

 Court Palace^ by Ernest Law, B.A., F.S.A. 



so 



