Osterley Park House
History
The first house on this site was a manor house built for Sir Thomas Gresham, of Royal Exchange fame, and the stable block dates from this time. After many years it fell into disrepair, and the property was acquired by Francis Child.
The Child family were goldsmiths who had become bankers, and they bought Osterley Park as their country retreat. They engaged Robert Adam to rebuild the House, which he did on a neo-classical style. During this time, ownership of the property passed to Francis's son Robert, then to his grandson (also called Robert).
The second Robert's only child was a daughter called Sarah Anne, who eloped in 1782 at the age of eighteen with John Fane, known as "Rapid Westmorland", son of the 9th Earl of Westmorland. The couple were married at Gretna Green, before returning to her father to present him with a fait accompli.
Robert Child was eventually persuaded to forgive his wayward daughter, but he changed his will so that the estate did not pass to the Westmorland family. Instead of passing to his daughter, thence to her eldest son, he left the property to either her second son or her eldest daughter. In the event, it was inherited by her daughter Sarah Sophia Fane.
Sarah Sophia married George Villiers, the fifth Earl of Jersey, and the family name became Child-Villiers. The estate passed down the family until it was given to the National Trust in 1949 by the ninth Earl, whose grandson is the current holder of the title (the ninth Earl's sons having predeceased him).
The bank was sold to Glyn, Mills & Co in 1924, and is now part of the Royal Bank of Scotland.
This information sourced from Osterley Park
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Jersey Road, Isleworth, Middlesex
United Kingdom TW7 4RB