CLAREMONT 107 



in Shropshire, and another at Claremont." And again, 

 " Brown, whom Clive employed to lay out his pleasure 

 grounds, was amazed to see in the house of his noble employer 

 a chest which had once been filled with gold from the 

 treasury of Moorshedabad, and could not understand how the 

 conscience of the criminal could suffer him to sleep with 

 such an object so near to his bedchamber. The peasantry 

 of Surrey looked with mysterious horror on the stately house 

 which was rising at Claremont, and whispered that the 

 great wicked lord had ordered the walls to be made so thick 

 in order to keep out the devil, who would one day carry him 

 away bodily." 



Lord Clive died in 1774, at the age of forty-eight, in a 

 *' fit of insanity produced by the ingratitude and persecution ot 

 his country." The estate was bought by Lord Galway, then 

 by Lord Tyrconnel, who sold it to Mr. Charles R. Ellis, M.P. 

 for Seaford. This owner does not appear to have resided 

 much at Claremont, because when its purchase from him by 

 the nation was under discussion in 18 16, the house and grounds 

 were said to be in a bad state of repair, the cost of that item 

 alone being estimated at about _^20,ooo. The whole estate, 

 including all buildings, furniture and repairs was valued at 

 6,000. Crown land had been recently sold for a sum of 

 ;(^6o,ooo, the two amounts were considered as a set-off to 

 each other, Claremont became the property of the Crown, 

 and was settled for life on Princess Charlotte and Prince 

 Leopold. 



They were married on May 2nd, 18 16, and spent their 

 honeymoon at Oatlands Park, between Walton and Weybridge. 

 The situation of Claremont made it, in those days of restricted 

 travel, peculiarly suitable as a royal residence. Within 

 driving distance of London on one side, Windsor on another, 

 and Bagshot on a third, it was only three miles or so from a 

 fourth royal mansion in Oatlands Park. And Hampton 

 Court Palace, with its lovely gardens and parks, though no 

 longer a residence of royalty, was within an easy walk. 



When they came to live at Claremont, Princess Charlotte 



