Quebec House

Last updated

Quebec House Quebec House, Quebec Square, Westerham, Kent - geograph.org.uk - 1296826.jpg
Quebec House

Quebec House is the birthplace of General James Wolfe on what is now known as Quebec Square in Westerham, Kent, England. The house is listed Grade I on the National Heritage List for England since September 1954. [1]

Contents

The house dates from the mid 16th century but much of the current appearance is from the 1630s. It was originally called Spiers but renamed in honour of Wolfe's death and victory at the Battle of Quebec in 1759. The house is now owned by the National Trust and open to the public with paintings and memorabilia relating to Wolfe's life.

History

Originally called Spiers, the house was built between 1530 and 1550 as a timber-framed L-shaped building. [2] It was altered in the 1630s, when the current exterior was added. [2] [1]

James Wolfe was the son of a distinguished general, Edward Wolfe who rented Spiers. [3] Wolfe lived there from 1728 until 1738. [4]

The house was renamed after his victory at the Battle of Quebec. [2] It was occupied in 1911 by Canadian author Henry Beckles Willson and his family. [5] Joseph Bowles Learmont of Montreal acquired the house and presented it to the National Trust in 1917. [1]

Architecture and contents

The square brick building has two storeys and an attic with a tiled pitched roof. The three-bay front has three equal gables. There is a water pump by the back door which dates from 1792. [1] A blue plaque along the outer brick wall marks the entrance of the Wolfe's home. [6]

Various pictures relating to the life of General Wolfe are displayed in the house. [7] The purchase of two portraits were assisted by the Art Fund. [8]

The house is surrounded by a garden stocked with plants which would have been available in the 18th century. [9] The coach house has been converted into a tea room and bookshop with an exhibition on the battle and on Wolfe's life. The house itself contains memorabilia and paintings connected to him. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of the Plains of Abraham</span> 1759 battle between British and French troops near Quebec City, Canada

The Battle of the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Battle of Quebec, was a pivotal battle in the Seven Years' War. The battle, which began on 13 September 1759, was fought on a plateau by the British Army and Royal Navy against the French Army, just outside the walls of Quebec City on land that was originally owned by a farmer named Abraham Martin, hence the name of the battle. The battle involved fewer than 10,000 troops in total, but proved to be a deciding moment in the conflict between France and Britain over the fate of New France, influencing the later creation of Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Wolfe</span> British Army officer (1727–1759)

James Wolfe was a British Army officer known for his training reforms and, as a major general, remembered chiefly for his victory in 1759 over the French at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in Quebec.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kew Bridge</span> Bridge in Kew

Kew Bridge is a wide-span bridge over the Tideway linking the London Boroughs of Richmond upon Thames and Hounslow. The present bridge, which was opened in 1903 as King Edward VII Bridge by King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, was designed by John Wolfe-Barry and Cuthbert A Brereton. Historic England listed it at Grade II in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basing House</span> Ruined Tudor house & palace in Hampshire, England

Basing House was a Tudor palace and castle in the village of Old Basing in the English county of Hampshire. It once rivalled Hampton Court Palace in its size and opulence. Today only parts of the basement or lower ground floor, plus the foundations and earthworks, remain. The ruins are a Grade II listed building and a scheduled monument.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bateman's</span> Home of Rudyard Kipling in Burwash, East Sussex, England

Bateman's is a 17th-century house located in Burwash, East Sussex, England. It was the home of Rudyard Kipling from 1902 until his death in 1936. The house was built in 1634. Kipling's widow Caroline bequeathed the house to the National Trust on her death in 1939. The house is a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westerham</span> Town and civil parish in Kent, England

Westerham is a town and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. It is located 3.4 miles east of Oxted and 6 miles west of Sevenoaks, adjacent to the Kent border with both Greater London and Surrey. It is recorded as early as the 9th century, and was mentioned in the Domesday Book in a Norman form, Oistreham. Hām is Old English for a village or homestead, and so Westerham means a westerly homestead. The River Darent flows through the town, and formerly powered three watermills. The total population in 2021 was 4,498.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brasted</span> Human settlement in England

Brasted is a village and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. Brasted lies on the A25 road, between Sundridge and Westerham; the road is named Westerham Road, High Street and Main Road as it passes through the village east to west. Brasted is 6 km west of Sevenoaks town. The parish had a population of 1321 and includes the hamlets of Brasted Chart, Toys Hill and Puddledock. The village of Brasted has a number of 18th-century houses with several antique shops, pubs and residences. The parish church is dedicated to St Martin.

<i>The Death of General Wolfe</i> 1770 painting by Benjamin West

The Death of General Wolfe is a 1770 painting by Anglo-American artist Benjamin West, commemorating the 1759 Battle of Quebec, where General James Wolfe died at the moment of victory. The painting, containing vivid suggestions of martyrdom, broke a standard rule of historical portraiture by featuring individuals who had not been present at the scene and dressed in modern, instead of classical, costumes. The painting has become one of the best-known images in 18th-century art.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Warde</span> British Army general

General George Warde was a British Army officer. The second son of Colonel John Warde of Squerryes Court in Westerham, and Miss Frances Bristow of Micheldever. He was a close childhood friend of James Wolfe, the Conqueror of Quebec. He became a colonel in the Royal Horse Guards.. In 1773 he became colonel of the 14th Dragoons, then in 1791 was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Ireland, a post which earned him the rank of general in 1796.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maidstone Museum</span> Museum in Maidstone, Kent, England

Maidstone Museum is a local authority-run museum located in Maidstone, Kent, England, featuring internationally important collections including fine art, natural history, and human history. The museum is one of three operated by Maidstone Borough Council. The building is Grade II* listed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crockham Hill</span> Human settlement in England

Crockham Hill is a village in the Sevenoaks district of Kent, England. It is about 3 miles (5 km) south of Westerham, and Chartwell is nearby. The village has a population of around 270 people. It contains a 19th-century pub, the Royal Oak, and Holy Trinity church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betsom's Hill</span> Hill on the North Downs, England

Betsom's Hill is a hill on the North Downs. Situated between Westerham and Tatsfield, at the western edge of the county, it lies close to where the A233 crosses the Downs en route to Biggin Hill. This is the highest part of the North Downs, with Botley Hill the highest point, nearby to the west. The hill lies at the western end of the Kent Downs, an area of outstanding natural beauty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wycombe Museum</span> Local museum in Buckinghamshire, England

Wycombe Museum is a free local museum located in the town of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. It is run by Wycombe Heritage and Arts Trust, as of 1 December 2016. It was previously run by Wycombe District Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edenbridge Windmill</span>

Edenbridge Mill is a Grade II listed house converted tower mill in Edenbridge, Kent, England. It is on the west side of Mill Hill, just north of the hospital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Wolfe</span>

Lieutenant General Edward Wolfe was a British army officer who saw action in the War of the Spanish Succession, 1715 Jacobite rebellion and the War of Jenkins' Ear. He is best known as the father of James Wolfe, famous for his capture of Quebec in 1759.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squerryes Court</span>

Squerryes Court is a late 17th-century manor house that stands just outside the town of Westerham in Kent. The house, which has been held by the same family for over 280 years, is surrounded by extensive gardens and parkland and is a grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stubbs Wood Country Park</span>

Stubbs Wood Country Park is in Sevenoaks, in Kent, England. It is located on the Greensand Ridge, close to Ide Hill village. The site is owned and managed by Sundridge with Ide Hill Parish Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eden Valley Museum</span> Museum in Kent, England

The Eden Valley Museum is a local history museum in the market town of Edenbridge, Kent in England. The museum is housed within a Grade II* listed medieval farmhouse. The museum holds notable collections demonstrating the history of cricket ball making, tanning as well as archaeology and an extensive archive of local information. The museum is also notable as the home of a needlework box made by a German POW during World War Two. The box was featured as part of the BBC's 'A History of the World in 100 Objects' project.

<i>The Battle of the Boyne</i> (painting) Painting by Benjamin West

The Battle of the Boyne is a 1778 historical painting by the Anglo-American artist Benjamin West. It portrays the Battle of the Boyne which took place in Ireland in 1690. West's depiction of William of Orange on his white horse became the iconic image of liberation from Catholic Ireland; the painting was widely copied and distributed throughout the nineteenth century. The painting itself is at Mount Stewart, Newtownards, Northern Ireland, and is the property of the National Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Beckles Willson</span> Canadian journalist, soldier, historian and author

Henry Beckles Willson, known as Beckles Willson, was a Canadian journalist, First World War soldier, historian and prolific author.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Historic England, "Quebec House (1244133)", National Heritage List for England , retrieved 14 April 2019
  2. 1 2 3 "History at Quebec House". National Trust. Archived from the original on 8 December 2017. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  3. Salmon, Edward (1909). Hutton, W. H. (ed.). General Wolfe. Makers of National History. Cassell & Company. pp. 1–2. Archived from the original on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  4. "Lieut. General James Wolfe,". The Weald. Archived from the original on 22 August 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  5. 1911 England Census
  6. "General James Wolfe, Quebec House, Westerham, Kent. UK". Waymarking. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  7. "National Trust, Quebec House". Art UK. Archived from the original on 12 June 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  8. "Quebec House". Art Fund. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  9. 1 2 "Explore Quebec House". National Trust. Archived from the original on 8 December 2017. Retrieved 8 March 2020.

51°16′02″N0°04′33″E / 51.267160°N 0.075900°E / 51.267160; 0.075900