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HilfieldEstate

Page history last edited by PBworks 16 years, 11 months ago

Henry Browne Mason

BUILDER OF HILFIELD, YATELEY

 

By the time Henry Mason purchased the Hilfield estate in Yateley he had tragically lost two wives in childbirth. Like Henry, his third wife Ann Martinez Brown had been born in India, where her father Henry Brown had been Commercial Resident at Ramnad in Madras. Henry and Ann were married on 2 Feb 1831.

 

Henry purchased Hilfield from Browne George Rouviere for £4,000. The incidence of Browne in their two names was perhaps not a coincidence. The court books record Henry's purchase on 15 Aug 1834, and his residence is stated as Ryde, Isle of Wight. Henry described Hilfield as "a nice property of 150 acres, but an inferior house, which I rebuilt under Mr Papworth, architect." Hilfield was one of the largest estates in Yateley, but the house Henry bought was probably that lived in by the Geales in the 16th Century as extended by John and Sarah Ball in the 17th century. Henry wanted a mansion as befiitted his status.

 

Less than a year after arriving in Yateley Henry was appointed a churchwarden, but he was soon in dispute with others about repairs to St Peter's he felt were necessary. A majority did not want to pay the ninepenny rate to finance the repairs. There was also argument about Henry‘s removal of the chancel screen without authority. Some parishioners felt it to be an act of vandalism.

 

Henry and Ann Martinez Mason had several children christened at St Peter's adding to the growing family at Hilfield, comprised of their own, and children from both their previous marriages. By 1838 the family numbered nine children. Then on 5 Feb 1842 Georgiana Ann was baptised. Tragically Ann died the following year and Henry lost his third wife, aged only 39.

 

Henry felt he could not go on living at Hilfield, and moved to his brother Finch's property called Robins Grove, just to the west of Yateley Green. Henry's fourth wife Isabella Susanna Frere also came from a family with strong connections with India. Her brother Henry Bartle Edward Frere (1815-1884) was Commercial Resident at Sattara in the year of her marriage to Henry Browne (1846). Sir Bartle Frere's career in India went from strength to strength, becoming Governor of Bombay (1862-1867). He was appointed first High Commissioner for South Africa in 1877. But by then his sister Isabella, Henry's fourth wife was dead.

 

Henry sold Hilfield in 1849 to William Stevens, whose daughter married John Pakenham Stilwell. Despite rebuilding the old house at Hilfield Henry made a small loss. William Stevens paid £2,051 10s 7d to Henry's own account and £1,848 9s 5d to satisfy a loan, making a total of £3,900. **Robin's Grove* was sold to George Hardwicke Shute in 1853 for £2,864.

 

Henry and his wife moved to Bournemouth where Isabella died 7 Apr 1860. Henry continued to live in Bournemouth, but died at his daughter's house in Winchester 7 Nov 1870 aged 79.

 

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