Benacre

1 Community Peerspective

A community perspective from the 1840s to 1920s contains entries for the community from the Suffolk Directories of White (1844) and Kelly (1929) and William Dutt’s gazeteer of Suffolk (1927; first prepared in the 1890s)

White

BENACRE, or Binacre, a scattered village, 7 miles S.E. of Beccles, and S.W. of Lowestoft, and 6 miles N.N.E. of Southwold, has in its parish 194 souls, and 2575A; 3R.13P. of sandy and marshy land, extending eastward to the sea beach, near which is Benacre Broad, a sheet of fresh water covering more than 50 acres, and bounding in pike and other fish. It was anciently the lordship and demesne of the Pierpoints, and afterwards passed successively to the Bowetts, Dacres, and other families. It was purchased about the middle of last century of the Carthew family by Sir Thos.Gooch, who was created a Baronet in 1746. 1t now belongs to his descendant, Sir Thos. Sherlock Gooch, Bart of Benacre Hall, a spacious mansion of white brick, in a large and beautiful park, on the west side of the parish. In 1786, one of the workmen employed in cutting the turnpike, which adjoins the park, found a stone bottle, containing upwards of 900 pieces of silver coin, mostly in good preservation, and none older than the time of Vespasian. Sir T. Gooch bought about 700 of them, and the remainder were sold to a Jew, who retailed them at low prices in the neighbourhood.The Church (St. Michael) is a neat fabric, and the living is a rectory, with the rectory of Easton-Bavents and the vicarage of Covehithe united with it, and valued in K.B. at £18 ; and in 1835, at £440. Sir T. S. Gooch, Bart.is patron, and the Rev. Wm. Gooch, incumbent. They support a daily and Sunday school, for the instruction of the poor. The other principal parishioners are Stephen Cox, vict., Walnut Tree; Christopher Smith, bailiff; and Osborne Clacke, Edmund Cottingham, and James Eccleston, farmers.

Kelly

BENACRE is a parish and village, 6.5 miles north from Southwold, 6 south-by-west from Lowestoft station on the London and North Eastern railway, 8 south-east from Beccles, in the Lowestoft division of the county, Blything hundred, petty sessional division and union, Halesworth and Saxmundham county court district, rural deanery of Beccles, archdeaconry of Suffolk and diocese of St. Edmundsbury and Ipswich. To the north a small stream runs into the sea by a sluice, draining some marsh land. The church of St.Michael, rebuilt in 1769, at the sole expense of Sir Thomas Gooch, 3rd bart. is a structure principally of flint with stone dressings, in the Early English style, consisting of chancel, nave, south aisle and south porch and an embattled western tower containing one bell: there are 250 sittings. The register dates from about 1727, the earlier books having been destroyed by fire. The living is a rectory, consolidated with that of Cove-hithe, formerly called North Hales, joint net yearly value £526, with 22 acres of glebe and residence, in the gift of Sir Thomas Vere Sherlock Gooch bart. and held since 1909 by the Rev. Lewis William Wingfield M.A. of University College, Durham. Benacre Hall, the property and residence of Sir Thomas Vere Sherlock Gooch bart. J.F. lord of the manor and sole landowner, is a large mansion of brick, situated in a park of 230 acres, timbered principally with oak, beech and ash; about 1.5 miles distant from the hall is Benacre Broad, a fine sheet of fresh water. The interior of the hall was destroyed by fire in 1925, but has since been rebuilt. The soil is mixed; subsoil, sand. The chief crops are wheat, barley and roots. The area is 2,521 acres of land, 23 of water and 13 of foreshore; the population in 1921 was 229 in the civil and 403 in the ecclesiastical parish.

Parish Clerk, Henry Cable.

Letters through Beccles, Suffolk. The nearest M. O. & T. office is at Wrentham.

Carriers from Southwold & Wrentham to Lowestoft pass through daily

==Dutt==

BENACRE Hall (6. m. S. by W. of Lowestoft), the seat of Sir Thos. V. S. Gooch, Bart., stands close to the little town of Wrentham, its park bordering the main road from Lowestoft to Southwold. It is a large white-brick house, which has been the seat of the Gooch family for several generations. Two distinguished members of the family were Sir Wm. Gooch, 1st Bart., Lieut Governor of Virginia, who died in 1751, and Sir Thos. Gooch, 2nd Bart., Bishop of Bristol, 1737, Norwich, 1738, and Ely, 1747. Another Sir Thomas, 5th Bart., was the first person to suggest to the Government the raising of Yeomanry cavalry corps. The idea, however, seems to have originated with Arthur Young, the agriculturalist. The church, which contains some memorials to the Goochs, was practically rebuilt in 1769. Benacre is a coast parish, and on its E. side, near the beach, is a small broad with a wild-fowl decoy. Several rare birds have been shot in the neighbouhood, including a crane and a little bustard in breeding plumage.

2 Yeoman

Travellers on the road between Wrentham and Lowestoft are acquainted with the broad expanse of Benacre Park where mighty trees present a picture of wooded splendour, typifying as they do the green heart of an England whose praises are sung in song and story. Also, to many people Benacre Sluice has a familiar sound, whilst the little stream known as the hundred River, trickling between lush meadows gives that refreshing touch which ever appeals to those whose business lies in mighty city or smoky industrial town. Yet the actual village of Benacre is probably unknown except to the very few, in which, of course, there is nothing surprising, for Benacre itself is situated some distance from the busy highway, in a district where the average motorist seldom travels.

The tower of the church, however, can be seen looming above the wealth of branches, and to reach its vicinity it is necessary to turn to the right just through Wrentham, where stands the lodge of Benacre Park, with close by a pleasant and expansive farmhouse, whose weathered appearance harmonises delightfully with the arboreal glories which exist here in such unfettered profusion. Yet despite the numerous natural attractions, the houses comprising Benacre street are very far from being the type one, somehow, expects to find, for instead of homely thatch and plaster they are chiefly constructed of red brick and roofed with slates, their well-built appearance suggesting the town rather than the heart of the Suffolk countryside.

And the church of St. Michael here also has a somewhat modern appearance so far as its interior is concerned, which is partly explained by a tablet on the West wall, stating that: "This church, decayed through length of time, and falling into ruins, was repaired and ornamented at the sole expence of Sir Thomas Gooch, Baronet, in 1769..."

To begin at the beginning, however: St.Michael's comprises chancel and nave, aisle and South porch, and tall and fairly broad tower, and although signs of restoration are obvious in the exterior appearance of the building, these scarcely prepare the visitor for the striking appearance which the interior presents. For the whole aspect here is so different from that usually discovered in a country house of worship. Here there is nothing of that dim effect engendered by.... old stained glass and woodwork almost blackened by age. The appearance, indeed,is so bright and pleasing, so essentially new without being garish, that Benacre Church can claim to be a structure very much out of the ordinary, whilst the old-fashioned box-pews seem in some manner to be suitable for the building they eminently occupy.

Yet age is not entirely lacking here, for the font, of the usual octagonal shape, dates from the early English period as a glance at the arches gracing its bowl readily conveys. Even in this case renovation has been rendered necessary, for although the bowl is in a splendid state of preservation, the stem and base are obviously modern.

Many hatchments hang in Benacre Church, and there are numerous memorials to the Gooch family, one of whose representatives as we have seen, was responsible for the virtual rebuilding of the edifice. To describe the various monuments is impossible, as the church seems to be a kind of mausoleum to the Gooches, which is not surprising in view of the fact that they been lords of the manor of Benacre for a great number of years.

One of the later memorials is a rather posing affair on the South wall of the chancel commemorating Sir Thomas Sherlock Gooch whose death occurred in 1851, and who, over twenty-four years, was "a faithful representative" of the County of Suffolk in Parliament. Another good monument is on opposite wall, and refers to Edward North, who died early in the eighteenth century.

The Norths were also owners of Benacre Manor, and several of the line are commemorated in the chancel. But the most pathetic memorial is undoubtedly a small monument near the priest's doorway, to North Carthew, only son of Thomas Carthew, who inherited the Benacre estate from his uncle Edward North, for the inscription here tells of "A child of the greatest expectations," whose death occurred in 1716, at the age of 5 years, 1 month and 16 days. No piscina and chancel step exist, but there is a very nice screen, which, although not ancient, is delicately carved and artistically attractive. But having reached this point, and after saying so much about the people connected with Benacre Manor, it is now advisable to discover something about the story of this.

As long ago as the eleventh century Benacre Manor was held by Godfrey de Pierrepont, and in the same family it remained for close on three hundred years, when it changed hands through the fact that Simon de Pierrepont, who had been summoned to Parliament as a baron in 1294, left as heir his daughter, Sybil, who became the wife of Sir Edmund de Ufford, thus carrying the estate to the latter. To mention all the owners of Benacre Manor is unnecessary, but later still it went to the Dacres. And the story of one of the Dacres is certainly interesting, showing as it does, that a single act of folly may bring a person high in favour with the mightiest in the land crashing to disaster and a shameful death. Probably, there was never a youth so smiled upon by Fortune as the ninth Lord Dacre. Friend of the eighth King Henry, popular at Court, esteemed by his own people, his life ran on the smoothest of lines. When the Prince of Wales was christened he played a prominent part at the subsequent celebrations. With the Duke of Norfolk and Lord Mountjoy, Lord Dacre welcomed Anne of Cleves to England, and, supported by a gallant company, escorted Anne to the presence of her future husband, who was meeting the lady for the first time. Disaster, however, was not far off. This event occurred in 1540, and in the following year Lord Dacre took part in an escapade which was to have terrible results.

He was then only twenty-four years of age, and with several companions as high-spirited as himself, Lord Dacre indulged, uninvited in the thrill of the chase at dead of night in a Sussex park. The keepers made no distinction between the adventurous instincts of youthful nobility and the deeds of a common poacher. A fight was the outcome, a fight in which blows were freely exchanged. One of the keepers fell, mortally wounded.

All the young gallants concerned in this lighthearted exploit, which so rapidly turned to tragedy, were arraigned for murder. Lord Dacre, although not responsible for striking the fatal blow, was found guilty of being an accessory. He left this world by way of the hangman's noose, at Tyburn Tree-a disgraceful and sad finish to a career which had commenced so brilliantly.

Although the estates were forfeited, the tenth baron received them back, and it was in his Chelsea home that he entertained Queen Elizabeth on Michaelmas Day during her journey to review the troops at Tilbury Fort. Goose was on the menu, and it is said that this originated the custom of making goose a Michaelmas dish, but what is more important, it was while the Queen was dining that news arrived of the proud Spanish Armada's defeat.

After some changes, Benacre Manor became the property of the Norths, and as we have seen, when Edward North died, he left the estate to his nephew, who erected the spacious mansion which stands within the glorious park just over two hundred years ago.

It was upon his death that the manor passed to the ancestor of the present owner, for Thomas Carthew's widow sold the property to Thomas Gooch, a prelate and scholar of distinction, amongst the many high offices he filled, being those of Bishop of Bristol, Bishop of Norwich, and Bishop of Ely. His brother, Sir William Gooch, fought gallantly in the wars of Queen Anne's time, and was one of those who assisted in defeating the Old Pretender in 1715. Afterwards, he became Governor of Virginia, and so well did he perform this difficult task, that it has been said, he was the only person to hold the position without complaint.

As colonel of a regiment at the siege of Carthagena, Sir William Gooch was bad1y wounded, upon which he retired to England and peace. When he died the baronetcy went to his brother, the bishop, and it was by the son of this high dignitary of the church, that the house of worship at Benacre was so thoroughly repaired.

To tell in detail the story of the Gooches, who were long established in Suffolk before they came to Benacre, would need far too much space. Suffice it that they have filled many positions of consequence, and from their representatives the country has drawn several of its High Sheriffs.

It was a Gooch, too, another Sir Thomas, and the son of the church restorer, who pro-proposed to Parliament that each district should have its detachment of yeomanry cavalry, and he himself became lieutenant to the original Suffolk Yeomanry, when it came into being in 1793.

Now, however, we must leave the manor of Benacre, and refer to something which links the village with very ancient times. In the year 1786 men working on the road here brought to light a stone bottle containing some nine hundred silver coins, about the size of the present sixpence, and dating from the days of the Romans. Treasure trove, however was nothing new to Benacre, for about twenty years before an earthen jar had been found, in which were nearly four hundred pieces of silver belonging to the reigns of King Edward, the First and Second.

Benacre, therefore, has been in the public eve to some extent, but at the present there is little here to attract the attention, but the beautiful prospect of its splendid park, through one of whose owners the house of worship was saved from destruction, so that today the church exists as a mighty monument to the memory of its eighteenth century benefactor.

YEOMAN.


Suffolk Churches Database

3 Landscape of Wealth

On 19th April 1999 the death occurred of Sir Richard John Sherlock Gooch, the 12th baronet, of Benacre Hall.

It was the sale of the contents of the Hall, an eclectic collection of furniture, paintings and works of art reflecting the history of 12 generations of the Gooch family, that triggered the emergence of the family from relative seclusion onto an international media arena. The three day sale on the premises in May 2001 was organised by Sotheby's and raised a total of £8.3 million, a record for any country house sale in the UK. The highlight was an important 13th century painting by the Italian master Cimabue, discovered during the preparation of the sale inventory. The painting, on a wooden panel measuring a mere ten by eight inches, had been hanging unnoticed on a landing for a century. The picture was acquired for the National Gallery under the Acceptance-in-Lieu scheme. The sum agreed for the computation of capital tax was £6.5 million, with an additional £700,000 paid by the National Gallery, thanks to the generosity of Sir Paul Getty.

The panel, 10 X 8in, probably originally formed the upper left hand part of a tabernacle depicting scenes from the life of Christ which had been dismantled at some point in its history. It seems likely that the picture was originally acquired in Florence in the early 19th century by Sir Edward Sherlock Gooch, 6th Bt (died 1856). The painting is one of only seven or eight independent panel paintings by Cimabue that survive and the only one known in private hands. It was validated by experts in New York as being by Cenni di Pepo, called Cimabue (circa 1240-1302). Cimabue was the most important figure in the development of Italian painting in the late 13th Century and is a seminal figure in the history of Western art.

Cimabue's work drew inspiration from contemporary Byzantine painting as well as from classical and contemporary sculpture, introducing a new style of painting into his native Tuscany which had a profound influence on younger Tuscan artists, most notably Giotto and Duccio.

The sale by Sir Richard’s heir, Major Timothy Gooch, was followed by plans for a £3million conversion of the Grade II Listed Benacre Hall, its Service Wing and Stable Block, into 12 self contained luxury apartments and garaging, which was completed in May 2003. So ended the command of a substantial Suffolk estate by a family that appeared as yeoman farmers in the parish records of Ilketshall St Margaret during the 16th century.

The Benacre Estate was originally purchased by the Right Reverend Sir Thomas Gooch, 2nd Baronet, Bishop of Norwich and Ely (died 1754). Matthew Brettingham probably designed House between 1763-64. The fortunes of the family had been founded by Thomas’ father, William Gooch. He was born 1681 in Yarmouth, and died in London having served as Governor of Virginia from 1727 through 1749. Technically, Gooch only had the title Royal Lieutenant Governor, but the nominal governor, Willem Anne van Keppel, 2nd Earl of Albemarle, was in England and did not exercise much authority. Gooch's tenure as governor was characterized by his unusual political effectiveness. One of his greatest successes was the passage of the Tobacco Inspection Act of 1730. The Act called for the inspection and regulation of Virginia's tobacco, the most important crop of the colony. Tobacco planters were required to transport their crop to public warehouses where it was inspected and stored. The Act raised the quality of Virginia's tobacco and reduced fraud; this greatly increased the demand for Virginia tobacco in Europe.

Gooch's military policy focused on protecting the western territory from Native Americans and French encroachment. He promoted the settlement of the Shenandoah Valley in order to buffer the rest of the colony from Indian attacks, and to prevent the French from settling the land.

He had many military credentials including fighting under John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough in his campaigns in the Low Countries and with Admiral Edward Vernon in his expedition against Cartagena, New Grenada (now in Colombia) as part of the ‘War of Jenkins' Ear’. During King George's War, Gooch received an appointment as brigadier-general in charge of the army raised to invade Canada, but declined. He was made a baronet in 1746 and a major general in 1747. Also in 1747, he made a speech condemning all religious groups aside from the established Church. However, in 1738, Gooch had given a group of Presbyterians the right to settle new territory under the conditions of the English Act of Toleration. In 1749, he left Virginia and returned to England, no doubt with a considerable fortune.

Gooch married Rebecca Staunton (for whom Staunton, Virginia is named), the daughter of a squire in Middlesex, England. The two had a son named William who grew up in Williamsburg. William became a naval officer, but died of the "bloody flux" at the age of 26, shortly before his parents returned to England. Gooch honoured himself with the naming of Goochland County, Virginia in 1727.

The next step up for the Gooches was the marriage of his brother and heir, Thomas into the family of Sherlock. He married Mary Sherlock, the sister and heiress of Thomas Sherlock, Bishop of London. The bishop had purchased the Holme Park estate, part of the manor of Birmingham, which subsequently passed to the Gooch family. It was Sir Thomas Gooch, the third baronet, who started to develop this area of Birmingham, which by then was ripe for development as the small village rapidly grew into a significant manufacturing town. He built leashold properties, naming many streets after his family or parts of the country that were of significance to them- hence Gooch St, Sherlock St and Suffolk Street. Although the family extended their Suffolk property portfolio into neighbouring Wrentham, it was the income from their Birmingham properties that enabled the Gooches to dominate the landscape of Benacre. To put the relatively small Benacre estate into a Victorian economic context, figures from the 1874 return of rental incomes indicate that English country landowners received on average about £1 per acre. At the upper end were aristocrats like the Earl of Ilchester, who owned 15,000 acres of Dorset downland from which he gained an annual income of about £18,000.

Benacre’s significant asset was an abundance of game. Benacre Broad was also important for native wildlfowl and game cover was augmented by the planting of large areas of trees. In 1880 Sir Francis Gooch had a Decoy pipe constructed on the Broad; but soon after it was made the shooting was let, and the Decoy in consequence was never used ; nor has it been worked since, the subsequent baronets preferring to shoot the wildfowl which resort there. The relatively small park was more valuable in providing seclusion from the main road to Lowestoft, the traffic being diverted away from the house by the creation of a turnpike.

Pictures- Benacre park and hall; Goches' Birmingham; Cimabue's painting