Frank’s Forage No. 33 Wasperton

Just off the main road between Charlecote and Barford lies the conservation village of Wasperton.

One of the large properties in the village is Wasperton House on the left just after turning off
the A429, built in 1659 by Francis Warner. Between 1824 and 1829 it was extensively modified by
changing the pitch of the roof and adding another storey.

A certain Hyla Holden, JP owned the house from 1834 and an advert in 1842 described the property
thus: -
Entrance Hall, Dining and Drawing Rooms, 13 sleeping apartments, housekeeper’s room, pantry,
servants’ hall, kitchen, scullery, dairy, WC and offices, good stabling, blacksmith’s shop and
piggeries all set in 5 acres.

On 14th April 1849 it went up for auction and did not reach the reserve but on 17th August 1850 it
was sold for £1400 to Harriet and Emma Williams. Who were they?

You’ve got it! The surname gives it away – they were Mary Elizabeth Lucy’s older spinster sisters.
Presumably they bought the house to be near their sister. Apparently, they were the longest owners
of the property and both died there; Harriet in 1885 and Emma in 1889 aged 91.
Constance Linda Lucy in her diary of 1886 often mentions dropping in to see Aunt Emma when passing
through (actually her great-aunt).

The 1851 census mentions four servants but by 1881 there were 9 servants, 2 lady’s maids, cook,
butler, 2 housemaids, laundry maid and a coachman. A niece was also living there.
The property remained in the Williams family via Charles and Evelyn, son and grandson respectively
of Sir Hugh Williams. They did not occupy the house which was leased to a George Fullerton.

In 1905, Mary Brinkley bought the house for £3,000 and today it has a seven-figure value.

Vicars of Wasperton have Lucy family connections. Reverend John Morley, was related to Sarah
Morley who married the second Reverend John Hammond. He was the incumbent from 1791-
7

1814 and was previously curate at Hampton Lucy. From 1834-1884 the vicar was Thomas Leveson Lane,
nephew to Maria Lane who married John Hammond Lucy (George’s father). He paid for the restoration
of the church at a cost of £3000. The architect was Sir Charles Gilbert Scott and the work carried
out from 1838-43. Thomas Leveson Lane and his brother Newton accompanied George Lucy on his first
visit to Boddelwyddan in August 1823.

Members of the Lane-Freer family (also related); Thomas in 1821 and Charles for two years in1832,
were also incumbents of Wasperton church; obviously, family influences at work!

Frank Storr

Much of the information from ‘A Wasperton Chronicle’ by Victor Oubridge and the Booklet 2013,
kindly sent to me by Rev. David Jessett.