Totenham House Fete, 1858 |
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| When George William Frederick Brudenell-Bruce succeeded his father
to become the 2nd Marquis of Ailesbury in 1856 he continued the tradition of
giving great (and expensive) entertainments at Tottenhamd House. Among his many
honoured guests over the years were the Prince and Princess of Wales but the
event being celebrated in the picture from the London Illustrated News of 1858
was for a lesser, but probably no less enjoyable, occasion. |
| The report reads as follows:- |
FETE IN TOTENHAM PARK |
On Wednesday week the Marquis of Ailesbury
entertained with princely hospitality, at Tottenham Park, his numerous tenantry
and offices and privates of the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry Cavalry, of which
regiment the noble Marquis is Colonel. This fine body of yeomanry cavalry
assembled in Marlborough for eight days duty on Thursday, the 29th ult. The
regiment consists of ten troops, which contain about four hundred
men. |
On Friday the various troops, with their officers,
mustered in different parts of the town, and proceeded thence to the common,
adjacent to the town, where they went through the usual exercises. On Saturday
the Colonel (the Marquis of Ailesbury), having ordered the men into close
columns, complimented them on their appearance as also on the way they had
performed the various evolutions, and invited the whole body to Tottenham Park
on Wednesday, at five o'clock, with their ladies. On Sunday morning the whole
of the regiment attended Divine service. the larger portion, accompanied by the
band, marched to St. Peter's Church, and the remainder to St. Mary's. On Monday
the regiment underwent upwards of a five hour drill on the common. In the
evening many of the neighbouring gentry and clergy, with the Mayor of
Marlborough, were invited to mess with the officers at the Ailesbury Arms. A
fine buck was supplied by the Marquis of Ailesbury. A vocal and instrumental
concert was given at the Assembly Rooms by Mr. House and the band, assisted by
the members of the Royal Wilts Cavalry. |
