House and Garden 
Vol. X August, 1906 No. 2 
HOUSES WITH A HISTORY 
BLENHEIM PALACE 
By P. H. Ditchfield, M.A., F.S.A. 
A mongst the historic houses of England, 
Blenheim must rank highly. It was built 
by the English nation and bestowed as a reward for 
his military services on John Churchill, Duke of 
Marlborough, the hero of many fights, who did 
good service to his country in the days of “Good 
Queen Anne.” In the grounds once stood another 
palace, that of Woodstock, a very famous house, 
the hunting-palace of the Kings of England. 
Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, doomed it to 
destruction because of her spite against the archi¬ 
tect, Sir John Vanbrugh, who wished to restore it 
as a house for himself. Here Henry I. often came 
to stay in order to hunt in the neighbouring forest 
of Wychwood, and kept a menagerie in the grounds 
of his hunting-lodge. It saw the rising of the 
storm between Henry H. and Archbishop Becket, 
who here bearded the King, and here was forced to 
sign the Constitutions of Clarendon, so obnoxious 
to ecclesiastics. Here too, was the famous maze 
associated with the tragedy of Eair Rosamund, the 
mistress, or, as some chroniclers seem to imply, the 
wife of Henry H. The story tells how Queen 
Eleanor found her way into her rival’s chamber, and 
forced her to drink a poisoned cup of wine. Eair 
Rosamund’s body was borne to Godstow and laid 
to rest in the graveyard of the good Sisters. The 
lovers of Tennyson’s Becket will not need to be 
reminded of poor Rosamund; but in all probability 
she died peacefully at Godstow without the aid of a 
dagger or poisoned wine. At any rate, her well is 
still known at Woodstock, and she lives in legends 
which lack not romance. John, a king of whom we 
are not proud, was born at the old palace, and often 
hunted in the neighbouring forests when he was not 
being hunted by his barons. Chaucer, too, is said 
to have been born here, but like Homer, seven places 
claim the honour of his birthplace. Woodstock 
frequently saw Edward HE, and here his sons were 
born. Richard H. kept Christmas here in 1391, 
when a tournament was held in the park, which 
ended in tragedy, the youthful Earl of Pembroke 
being slain by John St. John, whose lance slipped 
and fatally pierced the Earl’s body. Here too, one 
William Morises tried to assassinate Henry VHI. 
Woodstock palace was the prison of the Princess 
Elizabeth under the close gaolership of Sir Henry 
Bedingfield. It had been disused for some time. 
THE NORTH FRONT-BLENHEIM 
Copyright, 1906, by the John C. IVinston Co. 
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