The History of Cowdray House

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Acknowledgements:

I would like to thank Heather Ongley and Bridget Howard of the Cowdray Heritage Trust for

helping me with this project, especially Bridget who helped bring the visit of Queen

Elizabeth to life by showing me round Cowdray.

Mr Rex Harris let me use his photo of the Cowdray fountain.

Thank you!


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Contents

1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 1

1.1 This Report .................................................................................................................. 1

1.2 Cowdray House ........................................................................................................... 1

1.3 The Visit of Elizabeth I ................................................................................................. 1

2 How I Researched This Project ........................................................................................... 2

3 Cowdray House ................................................................................................................... 3

3.1 The Middle Ages .......................................................................................................... 3

3.2 Tudors and Stuarts ...................................................................................................... 33.2.1 King Henry VIII Comes to Stay .............................................................................. 3

3.3 King Henry VIII Comes to Stay Again ........................................................................... 7

3.4 King Edward VI Visits ................................................................................................... 7

3.5 Sir William Dies ............................................................................................................ 7

3.6 Queen Elizabeth Comes to Stay .................................................................................. 7

3.7 Remember, remember ............................................................................................. 7

3.8 The Civil War ............................................................................................................... 7

3.9 A Country House ......................................................................................................... 8

3.10 The Fire ........................................................................................................................ 8

3.11 The Victorians .............................................................................................................. 8

3.12 Von Ribbentrop ........................................................................................................... 9

3.13 Left Alone .................................................................................................................... 9

3.14 Television Fame ......................................................................................................... 10

3.15 Repair ........................................................................................................................ 10

4 About Cowdray ................................................................................................................. 11

4.1 Location ..................................................................................................................... 11

4.2 Water ......................................................................................................................... 11

4.3 Features ..................................................................................................................... 11

4.3.1 Causeway ........................................................................................................... 12

4.3.2 Courtyard ........................................................................................................... 12

4.3.3 Buck Hall ............................................................................................................. 14


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4.3.4 Great Staircase ................................................................................................... 16

4.3.5 Kitchen ............................................................................................................... 17

4.3.6 Waiters ............................................................................................................... 24

4.3.7 Tower ................................................................................................................. 24

4.3.8 Pantry ................................................................................................................. 25

4.3.9 Buttery ............................................................................................................... 25

4.3.10 Garderobes and the Gong Farmer ..................................................................... 25

4.3.11 Chapel ................................................................................................................ 26

4.3.12 Porch .................................................................................................................. 27

4.3.13 The Cellar ........................................................................................................... 27

4.4 Rules and Orders ....................................................................................................... 28

5 The Visit of Queen Elizabeth I ........................................................................................... 30

5.1 Saturday 15th August 1591 ........................................................................................ 32

5.2 Sunday 16th August 1591 .......................................................................................... 32

5.3 Monday 17th August 1591 ......................................................................................... 32

5.4 Tuesday 18th August 1591 ......................................................................................... 32

5.5 Wednesday 19th August 1591 ................................................................................... 33

5.6 Thursday 20th August 1591 ....................................................................................... 33

5.7 Friday 21st August 1591 ............................................................................................. 33

5.8 Queen Elizabeth Oak ................................................................................................. 34

6 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 35

7 List of Owners ................................................................................................................... 36

8 Bibliography ...................................................................................................................... 38


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Part 1: TheHistory of

Cowdray House


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1 Introduction1.1 This ReportThis report has been written as the Year 5 History project for the Summer term of 2011. The

project was to research the history of a building in West Sussex and an historical event,

writing up both in a report. This report has been presented in a model of Viscount

Montagues head which was a different part of the project.

For my project the building I have chosen to write about is Cowdray House in Midhurst. The

event I have chosen to write about is the visit of Queen Elizabeth I to Cowdray House. I

chose this building because I had been there before and found it very interesting. In one

building there are lots to see and lots of links to interesting parts of history, from medieval

times, Henry VIII to Guy Fawkes.

1.2 Cowdray HouseCowdray House is a ruin near Midhurst. It was destroyed by fire in 1793 and left alone for

two hundred years after that. It is interesting because it was built by an important person

and visited by Tudor Royalty. Guy Fawkes used to work there. It was seized during the

English civil war. Hitlers foreign minister is thought to have visited in the 1930s when he

was using a nearby airfield.

1.3 The Visit of Elizabeth IQueen Elizabeth I was a very important Tudor. A visit from Queen Elizabeth was an honour,

but she was a very expensive person to have as a guest. The visit of Queen Elizabeth to

Cowdray was very expensive and took a lot of organisation. If Queen Elizabeth I said she

wanted to stay, you didnt say no!


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2 How I Researched This ProjectTo write this project I needed to get lots of information.

I visited Cowdray House and took lots of photographs and listened to the audio tour. When I

told one of the stewards I was studying the house for a school project she walked me round

and told me lots of interesting things. I wrote lots of notes. At the end of the tour I asked

the volunteer guides lots of questions and put their answers in my notes. I also bought a

guidebook.

Bridget Howard of Cowdray Heritage Trust kindly gave me a tour of the house when it was

closed and helped bring the visit of Queen Elizabeth to life. Heather Ongley of the Trust

allowed me to read a very special book about Cowdray.

To add to my notes I looked through books in the local history section of Chichester Library

and used the internet.


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3 Cowdray HouseCowdray House is now a ruin. It is mainly the creation of Sir David Owen, who had married

into the de Bohun family and Sir Anthony Browne.

3.1 The Middle AgesIn about 1160 Geldwin Fitz Savant built a set of buildings in a walled enclosure at the top of

St Anns Hill (near Cowdray). It became the property of Franco Bohun through marriage.

Between 1273 and 1284 Sir John Bohun built a house on the site of the present ruins but no

signs of this remain today. They called this site La Coudreye after the hazel wood that

stood there. Coudreye is a Norman French word.

In 1305 Coudreye was visited by Edward I and his son (who would be Edward II)

The house at St Anns Hill was destroyed in 1315. In a book I found it said that in 1320 Joan

Bohun complained of a break-in in which 3,000 of treasures were stolen.

3.2 Tudors and StuartsThe house became the property of Sir David Owen in 1492 when he married a Bohun. He

was uncle to Henry VII.

In 1520 Sir David Owen pulled down the old house and over the next nine years built a new

house. The ground was wet and marshy and the foundations were built up with rubble from

the Low Countries that was traded for wool.

In 1529 Henry Owen sold Cowdray to William Fitzwilliam for 2,000 but Henrys father was

allowed to live there until he died in 1535.

In 1535 Sir William Fitzwilliam was given a special license by Henry VIII to make the park and

fortify the house.

3.2.1 King Henry VIII Comes to StaySir William Fitzwilliam was a childhood friend of Henry VIII.

Sir William Fitzwilliam was made Earl of Southampton. He was also made Lord High Admiral

of the fleet, Treasurer to the Royal Household and Lord privy Seal. King Henry VIII visited

Cowdray many times.


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Figure 1: King Henry VIII and Me (King Henry is the one with a beard)

After inheriting the house in 1542, Sir Anthony Browne had lots of paintings painted for his

dining hall to show the events of Henry VIII war in France. The most famous one shows a

view of the Solent with the forces of the French King Francis who wanted to take the crown

from Henry VIII for the Pope. This painting is of 19th July 1545 and shows the Mary Rose

sinking. Sir Anthony Browne was Master of the Kings Horse at this time.

Sir William Fitzpatrick and Sir Anthony Browne gave evidence against Anne Boleyn that lead

to her being beheaded.

Sir William had told King Henry VIII that Anne of Cleves was beautiful but his half-brother Sir

Anthony Browne didnt agree. The King agreed with Sir Anthony.


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Figure 2: The Cowdray Engraving

In the middle of the Picture is Sir Anthony Browne following King Henry.


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Figure 3: King Henry VIII and Sir Anthony Browne on his white horse

Next to the dining hall in Cowdray is the parlour where Henry VIII would have spent lots oftime, probably keeping his toes warm against this fireplace:

Figure 4: Fireplace in Dining Hall


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3.3 King Henry VIII Comes to Stay AgainIn 1539 Sir William Fitzwilliam was visited by King Henry VIII and was allowed to add the

royal seal over the porch.

Henry VIII died in 1547 with Henrys son Edward becoming King Edward VI aged nine.

3.4 King Edward VI VisitsIn 1552 King Edward VI went on a royal tour or Progress. He is said to have had 1,600

people following him and 4,000 horses. He got stuck at Petworth and had to send people

home.

3.5 Sir William DiesSir William Fitzwilliam died in 1542 and the house became the property of his half-brother

Sir Anthony Browne. His son, called Anthony, inherited Cowdray in 1548. This Sir Anthony

Browne was given the title of Viscount Montague by Queen Mary in 1554.

3.6 Queen Elizabeth Comes to StayIn 1591 Queen Elizabeth I stayed at Cowdray for a week. This is the other part of this report.

3.7 Remember, rememberThe 2nd Viscount was sent to prison twice for Catholic activities. He seemed to know about

the Gunpowder Plot in 1605, telling one of the plotters he wouldnt go to parliament on the

5th November.

He had to admit that Guy Fawkes had previously worked at Cowdray. He went to prison in

the Tower of London for forty weeks and had to pay 200. This was less than the 6,000 fine

he had to pay for not swearing the oath of allegiance. The forty weeks in the Tower was

pretty easy other people were beheaded.

3.8 The Civil WarIn 1644 Cowdray and its estates were taken over by roundheads who didnt like the 3rd

viscount of being such a friend of Charles I. the viscount had given money and weapons to

Charles. The roundheads were going to blow up the house until they were stopped at the

last minute. Lots of soldiers were based there and they did lots of damage.


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3.9 A Country HouseIn Georgian times Cowdray was repaired and updated by the 6th Viscount. He built more

rooms and landscaped the gardens.

Figure 5: A Georgian Country House

3.10The FireIn 1793 Cowdray burned down. On 24 September builders were working on the house to get

it ready for the wedding of the 8th Viscount. To keep warm the builders had lit a charcoalburner. A spark set light to the shavings and sawdust on the floor and the fire spread

through the house.

There were buckets and things for fire fighting but they were in a locked room. Because the

family was away, the servants were with them and there were not enough people to save

furniture and paintings.

Just afterwards the Viscount drowned whilst trying to go over a waterfall on the River Rhine

in a boat. All of the local people told them he was mad to try it but he did it anyway.

3.11The VictoriansThe Victorians thought that the ruins of Cowdray were quant and interesting. People came

from far and wide on the train to visit the ruins.


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3.12Von RibbentropSome people think that the ruins of Cowdray were visited by a German called von

Ribbentrop. He came to England before the Second World War to do some spying and

stayed nearby.

Figure 6: Joachim von Ribbentrop

3.13Left AloneAfter the fire in 1793 the ruins were left alone. Bits fell off or were stolen for local buildings.

People could walk and climb around the ruins and lots of bits of archaeological evidence was

taken away.

Because people thought it didnt matter they scratched graffiti into the walls. I found some

from the Second World War

Figure 7: Graffiti


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3.14Television FameCowdray House was used as the background for the trailer for the BBC programme

Restoration. It had two diggers acting like dinosaurs.

3.15RepairIn 1996 the Cowdray Heritage Trust was set up. Money from the lottery and local people

allowed the ruins to be made safe for the public. The repairs also helped to protect the

ruins. This is why all the walls have red tiles on the top.


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4 About Cowdray4.1 LocationCowdray is in a good position for farming, hunting and fishing. Only wealthy people were

allowed to hunt boar or deer would be living in the woods. Fish would come from the riveror Benbow Pond.

4.2 WaterDrinking water was collected in the conduit house. This is a small building near the main

house. Pipes went from the conduit house to the fountain in the main courtyard.

4.3 FeaturesThis is a plan of the house by Mr Hope in 1913.

Figure 8: Floor Plan


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4.3.1 CausewayThe causeway a long and straight road above the nearby fields which are very wet and

boggy.

The cause way made the house look very impressive as people came from the town.

Figure 9: The Causeway to Cowdray

4.3.2 CourtyardThe courtyard was in the middle of the building and had a very impressive fountain which is

now in the Victoria and Albert museum.


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Figure 10: Cowdray Fountain

It is thought that this was made by the same man who made Henry VIII tomb.


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Figure 11: The Courtyard

4.3.3 Buck HallIt was known as buck hall after the set of eleven life-size decorative carvings of stags which

lined the walls. The floor was paved with marble and the roof was of steeply pitched oak.

The white and gold architectural features on the side walls were painted by Roberti (1733-

1808) with classical scenes by goupy (1729-63) of Diana and her nymphs, the fable of

Actaeon and Perseus and Andromeda.

It is identical to a hall at Hampton Court, Henry VIIIs palace in London.


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Figure 12: Buck Hall Then


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4.3.4 Great StaircaseThe great staircase would have had some impressive windows and would have been very

grand.

Figure 13: The Remains of the Great Staircase


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4.3.5 KitchenThe Kitchen is a hexagonal tower and slightly away from the main house. This meant that it

did not burn down in the fire and is very much like it would have been in Tudor times.

4.3.5.1 The KitchenThe kitchen has a range for heating lots of saucepans, frying pans and skillets over burning

wood. There are also several hearths in which meats could be roasted. The meat could be

roasted on a spit and small boys would have been made to turn the handle of the spit to

make sure the meat cooked.

Figure 14: The Kitchen

In the middle of the kitchen is a stone pump. The pump was used to supply all of the water

for cooking and washing in the kitchen. It was not safe to drink and everyone would have

drunk beer. Even children would have drunk beer because the fermentation killed off the

germs and bugs that might have made them ill.

On the internet I found a letter from Antony Browne , Viscount Montague, to Sir William

More in 1590 in which Viscount Montague says: He has just suffered a 'sore and

extraordinary evacuation both downward violently and upward'.


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Figure 15: The Water Pump

The range has a big iron top and is heated by wood burned underneath. The smoke from the

fires and the steam from the cooking went up the chimney. It would have been a servants

job to keep the fires burning. The pots are made of clay, with metal pans for frying.

Figure 16: The Range


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This hearth in this photo had a spit which would have been turned to make sure the meat

did not burn on one side and be raw on the other.

Figure 17: The Spit

The roasting hearth has a big metal rod for holding a whole pig, a small cow or other

animals. The rod could be moved onto the different rungs of the fire to control how hot it

was getting. Many things could be cooked at the same time and water could be boiled in a

pot or cauldron at the same time.

Figure 18: The Roasting Hearth


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The family of the house would have eaten the more expensive foods and meats and the

servants would have eaten the less expensive foods and leftovers.

The meat available was venison, beef, pork, veal, goat, lamb, rabbit, hare, mutton, swans,

herons and poultry. Some of these would have been farmed on Viscount Montagues land

and others would have been hunted in his woods and forest. Only the rich were allowed to

hunt.

Being next to the river Rother meant that Cowdray could have some fish from there. Other

fish would have come from carp ponds or from the sea. Fish eaten at Cowdray included

salmon, eels, crab, oysters, cod, pike and herring. Pike, eels and trout can still be caught in

the river Rother.

Figure 19: Oysters, Eggs and a Custard

Figure 20: Trout from Rother


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Some poultry would have been farmed, but others would have been caught in nets or traps.

As well as geese and chickens, the Tudors ate pigeons, ducks and all sorts of birds. Eggs

were cooked as they were or made into custards and jellies.

Figure 21: Goose (plucked)

Figure 22: Pigeons and a Fish Pie

One hearth was used to heat large cauldrons over a fire. These would be used to make

stews and soups.

4.3.5.2 The ChefViscount Montagues chef was a very famous chef called Robert May. Robert May has been

called the father of English Cookery because he wrote a booked called The Accomplift

Cook on the Art & Mystery of COOKERY which was the first cookery book. He had

trained in France and was one of the very few professional chefs in Tudor times.


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Wealthy people came to eat at Cowdray to taste the food of Robert May. Having such a

famous chef was a way that Viscount Montague could show off his power and wealth. It

would be like having Gordon Ramsay cooking for you today.

Figure 23: Mr Mays Book

In his book he suggests the following Christmas menu, which is what Viscount Montague

might have eaten at Cowdray:

Oysters

1. A Collar of brawn

2. Stewed Broth of Mutton marrow bones

3. A grand Sallet

4. A pottage of caponets

5. A breast of veal in stoffado

6. A boil'd partridge7. A chine of beef, or surloin roast

8. Minced pies

9. A Jegote of mutton with anchove sauce

10. A made dish of sweetbread

11. A swan roast

12. A pasty of venison

13. A kid with a pudding in his belly

14. A steak pie

15. A hanch of venison roasted16. A turkey roast and stuck with cloves


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17. A made dish of chickens in puff paste

18. Two bran geese roasted, one larded

19. Two large capons, one larded

20. A Custard

This is his recipe for cooking pallets, noses and lips of animals from that book.

To dress Pallets, Noses, and Lips of any Beast, Steer, Oxe, or

Calf.

Take the pallats, lips, or noses, and boil them very tender, then

blanch them, and cut them in little square pieces as broad as a

sixpence, or like lard, fry them in sweet butter, and being fryed,

pour away the butter, and put to it some anchovies, grated

nutmeg, mutton gravy, and salt; give it a warm on the fire, and

then dish it in a clean dish with the bottom first rubbed with a

clove of garlick, run it over with beaten butter, juyce of oranges,

fried parsley, or fried marrow in yolks of two eggs, and sageleaves.

Sometimes add yolks of eggs strained, and then it is a fricase.


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4.3.6 WaitersLots of people worked in the kitchen. People prepared food, cooked food, cleaned up, and

kept the fires burning and lots of other jobs. Once the food was ready it was passed through

a hatch to the waiters would take the food to the house. Every piece of food leaving the

kitchen was written in the book of a clerk who checked and counted the food.

The hatch from the kitchen is outside. There is no roof. This was to stop the smells and

smoke from the kitchen reaching the house.

4.3.7 TowerI counted seventy-four steps to the top of the spiral staircase of the kitchen tower. From the

top of the tower you can see the rest of the house and Cowdray Park. The tower has

battlements or crenulations like the rest of the house. Sir William had to get specialpermission from the King to build these as it was illegal to build houses with crenulations.

The King did not want other people having castles. If the King gave Sir William permission he

must have trusted him.

Figure 24: View from the Tower


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4.3.8 PantryThe pantry is near the kitchen and is where they kept all the bread and dry goods. The word

pantry comes from the French word for bread.

4.3.9 ButteryThe buttery is where the buttes or barrels were kept. The name is nothing to do with

butter. The barrels of beer would have been brought here from the brewery and poured out

into big pitchers to be taken to the table. The wine was too special to be kept with the beer.

4.3.10Garderobes and the Gong FarmerThe garderobes were the toilets of the day. Rather than just going to the toilet and having

things plop to the ground, Cowdray was quite clever in that things fell down hollow walls

and into pits. Water could rinse the pits and flush things into the river. This is the same river

used for fishing and washing.

Every now and again the Gong Farmer would come and scrape out the pits and use the

contents as fertiliser.

Figure 25: The Garderobes


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4.3.11ChapelThe chapel was very ornate. The plasterwork had images of cherubs and religious figures. It

would have been very impressive before the fire. Some of the decoration is still visible. The

decoration would have been made by travelling tradesmen.

Figure 26: Plasterwork in the Chapel

The British Library has this picture of the monument of Sir Anthony Browne. It was drawn in

1780 by Samuel Hieronomous Grimm.

Figure 27: Monument of Sir Anthony Browne


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4.3.12PorchThe roof of the porch is very ornate and has very complicated stonework and plasterwork. It

was a bit of showing-off by the Viscount Montague. Even today it is very special so it would

have made Tudor people gasp.

Figure 28: The Ceiling in the Porch

4.3.13The CellarThe cellar was where the expensive wines and spirits would have been kept. The master of

the cellar would have had to account for every drop of the wine. He looks really cross in the

picture because a bottle has broken and he would have been to blame.

Figure 29: The Cellar


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4.4 Rules and OrdersViscount Montague wrote a book of rules in 1595s that said what everyone in the house had

to do. This included who was allowed to wear a hat and who had to tidy up. This book even

says who was allowed to eat at what table. Some rules include:

The Clarke of my Kitchen will that he provide apparel for the boys of the Kitchen, hays for my

warreners, nets necessary for fishing the river and stews; entrails of beasts and cheese curds for

wildfowl, oats and barley for poultry, rye for baking of red deer,

The Yeoman Usher of my Great Chamber and the place to be swept and kept clean and sweet,

with perfumes, flowers, herbs, and boughs in their season

.


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Part 2: The VisitofQueen

Elizabeth to

Cowdray in 1591


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5 The Visit of Queen Elizabeth IQueen Elizabeth I toured the country on progresses. She travelled with three or four

hundred people. The journey to Cowdray involved nearly three hundred four-wheeled carts

carrying her clothes, her bed and all of her servants. Each cart was pulled by six horses. That

is 1800 horses!

The Queen and her procession only moved ten or twelve miles each day. They moved from

one important house to another. The Queen needed to be seen by the people. There was no

TV or internet and the only way for people to see the Queen was if she went round the

country.

The Queen came to Cowdray from Loseley House in Guildford. It was a very hilly journey.

The Queen took over the whole house. The Viscount and his family had to move out. The

Queen ate and watched entertainment in the Buck Hall. At night her servants slept in the

Buck Hall on straw mattresses.

Figure 30: A Procession of Queen Elizabeth - Peake the Elder


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The Queen brought her own cooks. The cooks were not allowed to turn their backs on the

Queens food and had to bow when they backed away from it. Because the food was going

to become part of the Queen they had to treat it as if it was the Queen.

The Yeomen slept in the dining room next to Buck Hall. They protected the Queen. The

Queen had a room above the dining room where she received important guests. Anyone

going to meet the Queen had to pass the Yeomen. This room has a large window that would

have been very impressive (and expensive).

The Queen had a private room as her bedroom. Nobody was allowed into this room except

to help dress the Queen.

Before the Queen visited her people would have visited to make sure that the house was

clean and safe and that the entertainment was going to be good. The Queen had to be

entertained well or she might get bored and cross.

Many years before hand Viscount Montague had tried to dissuade the Queen from visiting

Cowdray, saying that the roads in Sussex were very rough and the journey very hilly.

Sir William More had told the Queen not to visit Cowdray. He thought that she would be

assassinated by a Catholic.

Viscount Montague would have been worried that the keen was kept happy. If the Queen

was unhappy he would have been in big trouble. If the Queen said that she liked something

like a piece of furniture Viscount Montague would have had to offer it to her as a present.

The Queen was worried that Viscount Montague might have been plotting against her. Her

people would have searched the house whilst she was there looking for signs of a plot or

evidence of treason.

The Queen had people who went into towns and bought things like food for the Queens

visit. They had to make sure that people didnt put up their prices because the Queen was

buying it. These people were called Purveyors.

Queen Elizabeth had to keep ruling the country and so lots of messengers would have beencoming to Cowdray or leaving Cowdray.

The royal household kept a Bouche of the Court and Book of the Diet to list all of the

food that could be given to people.


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5.1 Saturday 15th August 1591Queen Elizabeth arrived at 8pm. The Queen and all of her carts made a long procession

along the causeway to the House. Villagers would have lined the route. They wouldnt have

seen anything like the Queens procession before and might only have seen the Queen on

coins. Trumpets would have played for the last part of the journey. A man in armour gave aspeech.

This is what the porter said when he gave her the key to the house:

Tuus, O Regina, quod optas explorare favour: huie jussa capescere fas est.

Your O Queen, and long for scout favour: in this grasp divine right

The gatehouse was the first part of the house that the Queen would have seen. It would

have been painted in red and gold with ornate designs and would have made a good first

impression.

The Queen would have seen the fountain in the middle of Cowdray House and then the very

ornate Porch. The golden tops of the house would have been shining in the sunshine of

august.

5.2 Sunday 16th August 1591Sunday was a day of rest and feasting. Breakfast was 3 oxen and 140 geese.

5.3 Monday 17th August 1591Queen Elizabeth rode into the park. There were 30 deer in a paddock and she killed four

with a crossbow. She heard music played by musicians in the park. In the evening she saw

sixteen bucks killed by greyhounds as she watched from the tower of the House.

The arrows and crossbow used by Queen Elizabeth were hung around the necks of the stags

in Buck Hall.

5.4 Tuesday 18th August 1591Queen Elizabeth went to the Priory which is where the lord and his family were living. In the

garden at the priory she saw a Wild Man covered in ivy sitting in a tree who gave a speech

about how wonderful the Queen was. He was as actor put there for the Queen to find.

Before returning to Cowdray the Queen saw three deer killed by buckhounds.


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5.5 Wednesday 19th August 1591She was delighted by some music and went to a fish pond. At the pond an angler pretended

not to know she was the Queen and made a speech about how wonderful the Queen of

England was. He was an actor put there on purpose.

The Queen and the Lords and Ladies dined at a table 24 yards long.

5.6 Thursday 20th August 1591They had a picnic in the garden with a table that was 48 yards long. The picnic had not only

tables but chairs and crockery that would normally be used inside. The servants would have

had to work hard to make sure the food was still hot when it got to the picnic from the

house.

5.7 Friday 21stAugust 1591The Queen left Cowdray towards Chichester. She wanted to check the defences for

Portsmouth. She was worried that the Spanish might try to invade.


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5.8 Queen Elizabeth OakDuring her stay, Queen Elizabeth sheltered under an oak tree during a storm. This tree is

known as the Queen Elizabeth Oak and now has a girth of six metres and is hollow.

Figure 31: The Queen Elizabeth Oak and me (I am in the blue fleece)


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6 ConclusionCowdray is really special. I thought of doing my project on Cowdray because my Dad had

taken me there. The more I looked into things, the more interesting things became.

Cowdray is really, really interesting and I think we should do a school trip there.

When Bridget showed me round I was daydreaming about Elizabeth I visiting. It was easy to

see how she would have found it and the smells and sounds that would have accompanied

her visit.

Lots of important people have been involved with Cowdray.

I really look forward to going there again soon. I wish I could have lived there as long as I

didnt have to clean the garderobes!


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7 List of OwnersFrom Nigel Sadler.

1160 About 1160, Geldwin Fitz Savaric built a set of buildings in a walled enclosure in top of St.Ann's Hill. Through marriage the site became the property of Frank de Bohun in 1187

1273-84 Between 1273-84, Sir John Bohun built another house on the site of the present ruins ofCowdray. Not much is known about it and no trace remains

1311-15 The earlier Bohun house on St. Ann's Hill was destroyed

1492 The Bohun family died out and through marriage the house became the property of Sir DavidOwen

1520-29 The Bohun house was pulled down by Sir David Owen and he started to build Cowdray. Hebuilt the hall, dining parlour and room above, the two-storied block beyond, the chapel, buttery andpantry and also the kitchen tower, north range and half the west front

1529 Henry Owen sold Cowdray over his father's head to William FitzWilliam for 2,000, though hisfather was allowed to stay there until his death in 1535

1535 After Sir David Owen's death, Sir William FitzWilliam took residence at Cowdray and with aspecial licence from Henry VIII to empark and fortify the house; he built the porch, south range andgatehouse

1537 Sir William was created Earl of Southampton and afterwards received many visits from HenryVIII

1539After a further visit by Henry VIII, the Earl put the Royal oat of arms over the porch, extendedthe chapel and made several additions to Cowdray

1542 Sir William FitzWilliam died and the estates passed to his half-brother, Sir Anthony Browne

1548 On Sir Anthony's death, his son, also called Anthony, inherited Cowdray

1554 Queen Mary bestows the title of Viscount Montague on Sir Anthony Browne

1591 Queen Elizabeth I spent a week at Cowdray

1592 First Viscount died and the Second Viscount Montague took over. He built the large bays on thenortheast side of the court and drew up a book of household rules

1629 Third Viscount Montague took possession

1643-44 The Civil War in England meant that the house and estates were taken over and in 1644 allthe plate and treasure was seized and sold. At one point Cowdray was under threat of demolition, but

fortunately it was saved, though much damage was done while it was occupied by troops


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1682 Fourth Viscount Montague took over. He decorated the chapel

1708 Fifth Viscount Montague

1717 Sixth Viscount Montague made many alterations to windows and doors throughout Cowdray

1767 Seventh Viscount Montague

1787 Eighth Viscount Montague takes over

1793 September 24th, Cowdray is destroyed by fire and at the beginning of October, the EighthViscount is drowned. The title of Ninth Viscount Montague went to the second brother, though he didnot own the house

1797 Estate when to William Stephen Poyntz, by marriage. He moved into the enlarged keeperslodge in the park

1843After Mr. Poyntz death, his daughters sold the estate for 300,000 to the Sixth Earl of Egmont

1873 The Seventh Earl of Egmont took over and pulled down the keepers lodge and replaced it witha much large building

1897 Eighth Earl of Egmont took over

1908 Eighth Earl sold the Cowdray estates to Sir Weetman Dickinson Pearson, bart., who in 1910became Baron Cowdray of Midhurst and in 1917, Viscount Cowdray. It his he who saved the ruinsfrom any more neglect

1927 The Second Viscount Cowdray inherited the estates

1933 Third Viscount Cowdray inherits estates from his father

1995 Forth Viscount Cowdray inherits estates


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8 Bibliography The Internet

Visit to Cowdray castle

The Private Character Of Queen Elizabeth By Frederick Chamberlin, Quiller-Couch

and Wilson 1923

The Progress and Public Processions of Queen Elizabeth by John Nicols

Cowdray: the History of a Great English House by Mrs. Charles Roundell

The Portable Queen: the Progreses, Pagaents and Entertainments of Queen

Elizabeth I by Jayne Elisabeth Archer, Elizabeth Goldring & Sarah Kinght

National Archives online.

The Accomplift Cook on the Art & Mystery of COOKERY by Robert May

A Book of Orders and Rules by Anthony Viscount Montague, 1595

Victoria and Albert Museum Object Records Midhurst, Yesterday and Today.


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9 Old Postcards of Cowdray, courtesy of Phil Dixon atGravelroots.net


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Documents

The History of Cowdray House