Cuthbert Family

[1]

The CUTHBERTS OF HANWORTH PARK

1810-1828

James Ramsey Cuthbert 1810-1821,

Frederick Cuthbert 1821-1828

When I began the research on the Cuthberts, I came across an excellent family history website, which included the Cuthbert family - researched and compiled by JJ Heath-Caldwell [JJ]. Rather than duplicate JJ’s work, I highly recommend that you visit his website for in-depth information on the Cuthbert families’ lives, careers and deaths. JJ’s ancestor (4x great-grandmother), was Amelia Cuthbert; she was half-sister to James Ramsey Cuthbert.[2]

James Ramsay Cuthbert (1776-1821) purchased Hanworth Park [house and land] in 1810 from the Sixth Duke of St. Albans. On James’ death it passed to his son Frederick Cuthbert, Frederick then sold Hanworth Park to Henry Perkins in 1828.[3]

James is buried at Epsom, Surrey: ‘St Martins of Tours with St Stephens in the Downs’, inside the church is a memorial to James and two of his sons.[4]

James married Sophia Smith on 11 April, 1797 at St. Marylebone. [5]

In 1791, James took out a Fire Insurance Policy on 39, Berkeley Square, London.[6]

At the Royal Institute of British Architects [RIBA] there are architect’s plans, dated 1797, for work to be carried out on 39, Berkeley Square, the home of James. The plans include alterations and additions to the ground and first floor.[7] James also had property in Scotland, and Kent, as well as Hanworth Park. His London addresses included 39, Berkeley Square and then a move to 10, Grosvenor Square.[8]

Land Tax records (recorded each year or every two years) show the name of the owner, and if not living there themselves, they show the name\s of the occupier\s. The records for Hanworth, though, do not specify an address or house name.

The Land Tax records for Hanworth of 1810 and 1811 record the Duke of St Albans as the owner and James as the occupier. 1812-1816\17, Cuthbert was the owner and the occupier. 1818-1822, Cuthbert was still the owner but a Mr James King was the occupier. 1825, (the last available date for this period up to 1828) records a Mr S. Maine as the occupier. James died in 1821, although he is still recorded as the owner.

James was elected MP for Appleby, 1807-1810. The Lancaster Gazette, 6^th June 1807, report on an event to celebrate the election win:[10]

‘3 o’clock the corporation, principal gentlemen of the neighbourhood sat down to dinner in the Great Hall. In the evening a ball, at which it may be truly said, the ladies were young, lovely and innocent, the whole company perfectly good-humoured till day break the next morning.’[11]

Various questions arise from the newspaper article: why was it necessary to mention that they were ‘good-humoured’, or that the ladies were ‘young, lovely and innocent’, and how good-humoured were the staff the next morning?

It is noted in the ‘History of Parliament’ (JJ’s website) that James’ father was very rich and James appears to have had a rich lifestyle, as shown in his property, in his contemporaries, by his various properties and his outfits as shown in his portraits. His contemporaries included Lord Byron, John Cam Hobhouse and Lord Thanet. James was a member of a gambling set in Paris and he was reported to have ‘dissipated his whole fortune at table’ [gambling].[12]

A description for the portrait of James: ‘Lot 164^, SIR GEORGE HAYTER James Ramsey Cuthbert (c.1776-1821), wearing gold doublet trimmed with braid, white lace falling collar and cuffs, the sleeves slashed to reveal white satin beneath, a black cloak lined with red around his shoulders, a column behind, an archway with garden landscape to the right. Sold for £ 4,560 inc. premium. 19Nov2008[13]

In the Legacies of British Slave Ownership database, James is listed as having a mortgage of £4,000 on Sir William Young’s ‘Betsey’s Hope’, an estate in Tobago. The estate in 1817 had 217 enslaved people. The record in the database states that the earliest known association James had with ‘Betsey’s Hope’ was in 1804.[15] [In 1807 The Abolition of the Slave Trade Act made the trade in slaves from Africa to the British Colonies illegal. In 1834, slavery was officially abolished in British colonies.]

In 1806 there was an unusual event in James’ Berkeley Square residence. A marriage, by special licence was carried out between George Freke Evans, of Balgaden Hall, County Limerick and Lady Carbery.[16] [ Now there must be a story behind that!...]

Bookplate of James Ramsey Cuthbert.[14]

[1] Bonhams, bonhams.com., Lot 164, SIR GEORGE HAYTER, (British, 1792-1871); (Nov 2008), [22Aug2018]. link

[2] Heath-Caldwell, J.J., jjhc.info., James Ramsey Cuthbert, (nd), [03Mar2018]. link

[3] LMA 4245/1023 various

[4] Heath-Caldwell, J.J., op. cit.

[5] Heath-Caldwell, J.J., op. cit.

[6] London Metropolitan Archives, CLC/B/192/F/001/MS11936/410/668978, ROYAL AND SUN ALLIANCE INSURANCE GROUP, Insured: James Ramsay Cuthbert, 39 Berkeley Square, esq.

[7] RIBA, architecture.com., Image Library, Design for alterations and additions to 39 Berkeley Square, Westminster, London: ground and first floor plans, SC22/4(1), SC22/4(2). (2017), [26Feb2019]. link

[8] The London Life,thelondonliferpg.com/wiki/, File:Berkeley Square.jpg, (Nov2016), [28Feb2019]. link

[9] Ancestry.co.uk.,Land Tax Records, Hanworth, 6491-6504.

[10] Heath-Caldwell, J.J., op. cit.

[11] ‘Lancaster Gazette’, 06Jun1807.

[12] Heath-Caldwell, J.J., op. cit.

[13] Bonhams, op.cit.

[14] Heath-Caldwell, J.J., op. cit.

[15] University College London, ucl.ac.uk., Legacies of British Slave-ownership, James Ramsey Cuthbert, (2019)[28Jan2019]. link

[16] ‘The Monthly Magazine’, Vol. XXI, Part 1 for 1806; (London, Phillips, 1806), p. 176. link

Bibliography

London Metropolitan Archives [LMA]: 4245/1023 various

LMA, CLC/B/192/F/001/MS11936/410/668978, ROYAL AND SUN ALLIANCE INSURANCE GROUP, Insured: James Ramsay Cuthbert, 39 Berkeley Square, esq.

‘Lancaster Gazette’, 06Jun1807

‘The Monthly Magazine’, Vol. XXI, Part 1 for 1806; (London, Phillips, 1806), p. 176. link

Ancestry.co.uk., Land Tax Records, Hanworth, 6491-6504

Bonhams, bonhams.com., Lot 164, SIR GEORGE HAYTER, (British, 1792-1871); (Nov 2008), [22Aug2018]. link

Heath-Caldwell, J.J., jjhc.info., James Ramsey Cuthbert, (nd), [03Mar2018]. link

RIBA, architecture.com., Image Library, Design for alterations and additions to 39 Berkeley Square, Westminster, London: ground and first floor plans, SC22/4(1), SC22/4(2). (2017), [26Feb2019]. link

University College London, ucl.ac.uk., Legacies of British Slave-ownership, James Ramsey Cuthbert, (2019)[28Jan2019]. link

© Katy Cox, 20^th March 2018.