HAM House & Garden A determined family
In 1626 William Murray moved to Ham House. William, a wily Scotsman, earned his living at the court of Charles I. He and the king were close friends and shared a similar taste in art and interior decoration.
With the king’s patronage William furnished the house fashionably. However, when the Civil War (1642 – 1649) brought a change of power, William was forced to fl ee to the continent. He left his resourceful wife, Katherine, in charge of the house and estate and their four daughters.
Their eldest daughter Elizabeth was an extraordinary character. Highly intelligent and tenacious, she steered the house ably through Cromwell’s rule.
Elizabeth inherited a love of fi ne decoration from her father. The lavish interiors she created at Ham were the height of fashion in the 1670s and today offer an unparalleled example of 17th century courtly taste.
With her second husband, the Duke of Lauderdale, she also created the impressive formal gardens surrounding the house.
After Elizabeth’s death in 1698, the house was never again comprehensively re-decorated. As you visit today imagine stepping back to an era of luxury! The intriguing out-buildings include an ice house, a dairy with unusual cast iron “cows’ legs”, and the earliest known purpose-built still house, the 17th century equivalent of an in-house pharmacy.
Rich in history and atmosphere Ham house was built to impress in its day and it continues to do so today.
Happy birthday to Ham!
In 2010 Ham House and Garden celebrated its 400th anniversary. Heralded as the most complete survival of the Restoration period in Britain, its sumptuous rooms display exotic and rare collections that offer a unique glimpse into the fashions and court lifestyle of 17th- century England. Woven into the history of this great house are tales of ambition, greed and scandal to rival the richness of its interiors, which are regarded by many to be haunted.
In 2010, visitors were invited to discover more about this mysterious ‘time capsule’ on the River Thames, with a special programme of events and activities to celebrate Ham House’s 400th birthday, and one of our most captivating and mysterious historic gems.
Described in previous centuries as a ‘sleeping beauty’, this incredible house and its collections remain intact today. To celebrate 400 years of survival, staff and volunteers highlighted their favourite features in the house and invited visitors to nominate their own ‘Favourite Piece of Ham’. Victoria Bradley, House and Collections Manager, revealed a few from her list...
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An extraordinary 17th century survival!
“Nothing evokes Ham’s sumptuous style so much as the ivory cabinet, designed as a show-piece and entirely veneered in ivory, which is both shocking and impressive. The Duchess’s original silk damask wallhangings for the Queen’s Antechamber, still in existence, are equally stunning, the panels embroidered with metal thread to catch the light from the candles. These would have been impressive purchases in the 17th-century as few could afford this level of luxury. I also love the windows that date from the original building in 1610, featuring beautiful, elaborate metal catches, handles and antique glass.”
Food was also important to a household of this size, and throughout 2010, visitors enjoyed such delights as ‘real mince pie’ and ‘spiced apple pudding’, created from authentic 17th-century recipes and using fresh ingredients from the kitchen garden. An historic chocolate cake recipe, unique to the house and with a ghostly tale attached, was also recreated. The story, involving the sighting in the gardens of a WWI captain on the day he died in France, is in keeping with the timeless atmosphere that pervades the house to this day, with many visitors reporting ghostly sightings, in particular of the Duchess and her little dog.
A highlight of the birthday celebrations was the Time Travellers weekend (3 & 4 July), which saw Ham House immersed once more in the year 1626. New owner, Will Murray, hosted a country fayre, with musicians, market stalls, dances and games, but his big day was unexpectedly interrupted by the arrival of the King’s favourite, the Duke of Buckingham. Visitors soaked up the atmosphere of early Stuart Britain and watch the story unfold.
On 23 May, everyone was invited to join in singing a ‘Happy Birthday’ to Ham, to include a few house-themed favourites such as Madness classic ‘Our House’. The event, run in co-operation with St Mary’s University College, saw professional vocal coach Patsy Burn putting everyone through their paces, and after, visitors can strolled through the grounds, enjoying picnics and the dulcet tones of Ham’s guest community choirs.
Ham House and Garden, Ham Street, Richmond-upon-Thames, TW10 7RS T. 020 8940 1950
E-mail.
hamhouse@nationaltrust.org.uk Web.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hamhouse
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