27 July, 2002
Hello Eardleys Everywhere,
As you are now aware, we have a new section on the front page of our website
dedicated to the undeniable charms of Rode Hall which stands in some 2000 acres
of beautifully landscaped gardens and has been the family seat of the Baker-Wilbrahams
for centuries.
Not many people are privileged to view this magnificent property and meet the
wonderful husband and wife team who work tirelessly to present and preserve
it for posterity. Robert Jack Eardley, Nada Bright Swanson, Frank Eardley and
myself were invited to meet Sir Richard Baker-Wilbraham and Lady Anne on the
day prior to the rededication for reasons which I can now explain.
On the 6th of July 1852 Reverend Charles Philip Wilbraham, Vicar of St.James,
Audley dedicated the original East Window. The money had been raised by public
subscription, each according to his means to participate. Charles Philip Wilbraham
was as you have surmised, an ancestral family member of Sir Richard. So it was
totally appropriate that the restored window should be jointly rededicated by
Sir Richard and Robert Jack. Lady Anne read one of the Lessons and the whole
occasion was presented in an atmosphere of emotional yet dignified celebration.
So two of the oldest families in the region were united in preserving our common
historical and cultural heritage. Centuries ago Eardley Hall and Moreton Hall
had been united by marriage to produce Sir George Yeardley who was to become
the saviour of Virginia and be its three times Royal Governor. His descendants
were to produce many notable Americans as readers of the previous letters are
aware. Now ' Rode Hall ' completes the triangle of the Halls!
Whether by coincidence or by fate, Sir Richard's ancestors have fascinating
American connections. In 1838 Richard Wilbraham, a younger brother of Charles
Phillip Wilbraham spent two years travelling at a leisurely pace through the
'Infant Republic of America' writing down his observations as he went. .I read
parts of it during our visit and as a ' history buff ', I quickly concluded
that this 'Journal' represented an unpublished gem, the likes of which are rare
indeed. The travelling Richard Wilbraham etched scores of penetrating and perceptive
observations on the great and not so great personages he encountered. He describes
now familiar great cities as they appeared to him then over 150 years ago. What
struck me forcibly was the objective quality of his writing. The style is at
times ornate, as was the writing of the age, but the the aim was, one feels,
not to impress --but to inform. Accompanying the Journal were 123 water colours
depicting everyday life in America. Scenes of Indians in outposts, forts and
snow together with examples of the ordinary activities of Americans in those
early days dominate the collection, most of which now reside in the safe keeping
of an American family in New Jersey. As you may have gathered, our visit to
Rode Hall was uniquely enjoyable. Our hosts were extremely gracious and memories
of the visit will remain forever.
The photographs, I believe you will agree, well illustrate the beauty and tranquility
of one of the best examples of an unspoiled country home, still occupied solely
by the ancestral family.
I began by explaining our link with Sir Richard and Lady Anne but confess I
may have been 'carried away' by Rode Hall itself, and their family history.
For fellow history enthusiasts Sir Richard's ancestors include Dr.Baker, who
treated King George in the movie ' The Madness of King George '. Also among
his forebears was the young officer who rode pell mell into Paris to deliver
the news of the great victory of Wellington over Napoleon at Waterloo.
We wish them well and hope to meet them again in the future.
Robert Francis Eardley
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