Beachborough Manor facts for kids
Beachborough Manor is a historic estate near Folkestone, in Kent, England. It grew into a large property known as Beachborough Park. At its heart was Beachborough House. The house you see today was built in 1813. It is currently owned by the Wallis family. The estate has a special wildlife center, a place for horse riding (an equestrian center), and a bed and breakfast (B&B) for visitors. [1]
The estate was owned by the English Brockman family for many generations. During World War II, it was used as an American hospital by the Allied forces. Later, it became Stowe College for several years. Even a famous person, Prime Minister David Lloyd George, lived there in the early 1900s.
A suburb in Western Australia is named Beechboro. It got its name from Beachborough Manor. This happened when Henry Brockman, who owned land in Australia, divided it into smaller farms. [2]
Beachborough Manor and the Brockman Family
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The first Brockman to own Beachborough was Henry Brockman. Around the year 1500, he bought Beachborough Manor and nearby lands. These included Newington Manor and Cheriton Manor. These areas are a bit north-west of Folkestone in Kent. Today, Cheriton is part of Folkestone. Newington is where the Eurotunnel train station is. Only Beachborough remains as a quiet, rural area. It helps us understand the early history of the estate.
Henry's grandson was also named Henry. He was the father of Sir William Brockman and Zouch Brockman.
Important Brockman Family Members
Sir William Brockman (1595–1654) was an English military leader and landowner. He was also a politician. He fought in the English Civil War. He was knighted, meaning he became a knight, in 1632. Sir William was sometimes imprisoned. During those times, his wife, Ann, Lady Brockman, managed the estate.
James Brockman was the son of William from Newington, Kent. He started studying at Corpus Christi College in Cambridge in 1641 when he was 15. He was born in Beachborough, Kent, and passed away in February 1683.
William Brockman (about 1658–1742) was a Member of Parliament (MP). He was the grandson of Sir William Brockman. He represented Kent in Parliament from 1690 to 1695. He was also a Justice of the Peace (JP) and a Deputy Lieutenant (DL) for many years. He married Anne Glydd. They had three sons: William, James, and John. Both William and John died before their father. This made James the only heir. In 1733, William gave control of the estate to James and retired.
James Brockman Esq. (died 1767) was the last male heir of the Brockman family in Kent. He never married. When he died in 1767, he left his estates to his family priest, Reverend Ralph Drake. Reverend Ralph Drake was the great-nephew of James's mother. This is how the double name Drake-Brockman came about. Reverend Ralph Drake married James's young cousin. He also took the Brockman family name and coat of arms. The estates were then left to him.
Rev. Ralph Drake-Brockman died at age 57 on November 11, 1781. He continued the Brockman family line through his wife's side. He took the Brockman name and coat of arms. However, Beachborough soon passed out of the Drake-Brockman family's direct care.
The Beachborough family was very important in Kent's social and public life. Two Brockmans, Sir William Brockman and James Drake-Brockman, served as sheriff of Kent. A sheriff was a high-ranking official in the county. All those who inherited the Beachborough Estate were part of the "Commission of Peace for East Kent." This meant they helped keep law and order. Several Brockmans in Kent were "armigerous gentry." This means they had a right to use a coat of arms. They also used the title "esquire," which was a title of respect for a gentleman.
Art at Beachborough
Edward Haytley was an English artist. He was asked to paint special pictures of the Brockman family at Beachborough. These paintings are called 'conversation pieces.' They show the family relaxing on their estate. Different parts of Beachborough are shown in the background of the pictures. These paintings are now kept at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia.
