Edward Bouverie (junior) facts for kids
Edward Bouverie was born in 1767 and lived until 1858. He was the oldest son of Edward Bouverie senior, who was a Member of Parliament (MP). His family lived at Delapré Abbey in Hardingstone, Northamptonshire. Edward married Catherine Castle in 1788, and they had eight children.
Unlike his father, Edward wasn't involved in national politics. Instead, he helped his local community. He was a Justice of the Peace (a local judge), a Deputy Lieutenant (a representative of the Crown), and the High Sheriff of Northamptonshire in 1800 (a ceremonial law enforcement officer). He spent his time improving his family estate, collecting art, and owning racehorses.
Delapré Estate
Edward became the owner of Delapré Abbey when his father passed away in 1810. His wife, Catherine, also inherited land, which helped Edward improve and make the Delapré Estate bigger. In 1814, he bought land in Weston Favell, including two main farms, for a large sum of money.
Between 1830 and 1855, a special farm was built on the Delapré estate. It's now called Home Farm. This farm was designed to be very efficient, saving time and effort for the workers. It had a typical layout with a farmhouse and different areas for animals and crops.
Edward also bought land in Far Cotton from the Northampton Corporation in 1823. This land had belonged to St. Leonard's Hospital (an old hospital for people with leprosy) and the Grammar School. There were some questions about this deal, but they were finally sorted out after Edward's death.
Art Collector
Edward Bouverie loved art and collected many important paintings. One famous painting he owned was "Mrs Richard Brinsley Sheridan" by the famous artist Thomas Gainsborough. This painting is now in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.. It was likely a gift to his parents from the Sheridan family.
He also owned a portrait of his mother, possibly holding him as a child, called "Mrs. Edward Bouverie of Delapré and Her Child" by Sir Joshua Reynolds. Another interesting piece was a sketch by the famous Dutch artist Rembrandt called "An Artist in a Studio."
Edward also had a watercolour painting from around 1850. This painting showed the areas of Far Cotton and Delapré exactly as they looked at that time.
Racehorse Owner
Edward Bouverie was a keen racehorse owner. His racing partner was George Payne, who lived nearby at Sulby Hall. Edward's racing colours were all black, while George's were all white. They decided to combine their colours, creating the famous 'magpie jacket' design that became well-known in horse racing.
Their biggest success was with a horse named War Eagle. He was a tall, dark bay horse with long legs. War Eagle was very fast, and his jockey, Sam Mann, used this speed to win the Doncaster Cup in 1847. In the same year, War Eagle also came in second place in The Derby, one of the most famous horse races.
Luckily for the Delapré estate, Edward was careful with his money. He didn't gamble recklessly like his partner, George Payne, who ended up losing a lot of his family's fortune.
Death and Legacy
Edward Bouverie passed away in 1858 at the age of 90. He had been a widower for 12 years, as his wife Catherine had died in 1846. After his death, his eldest son, General Everard Bouverie, inherited the estate and continued the family legacy.
