BURNING OF WROTHAM HOUSE.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3155, 14 May 1883, Page 2

BURNING OF WROTHAM HOUSE.

Wrotham House, the seat of the Earl of Strafford, was destroyed by fire on the nightof March 6. The main portion of the mansion, which is of considerable anti, quity, was enlarged by the present Earl 23 years ago, and it was a fine specimen of an old.fashipned country seat. The building stood in the centre of the handsome park skirting the great north road to London near Barnet, and travel, lers along the road to St Albans will miss a familiar landmark. The fine old mansion had a narrow escape from a similar fate a century and a quarter or more since. For in the winter of 1756-7, when the outcry was loudest against Admiral Eyng, on account of his failure ip the operations at Minorca, the people took np the question with such bitter earnestness that a London mob collected with the intention of marching down to Barnet and pulling or burning down the Admiral’s newly-built house, and were prevented only by the military and civil authorities from carrying their design into execution. The venerable Ear lof Strafford, who is seventy-five years of age, was staying at Wrotham Park when the fire broke out. He remained in the mansion till it became positively dangerous, and then reluctantly allowed himself to be conducted from the burning building, and was driven with Lady Strafford to the residence of a friend. The present Earl spent a very large sum of money on the mansion about twenty years ago, and was exceedingly attached to it. The plate, pictures, and other valuables were saved, but the mansion itself was completely destroyed.