When the Old meets the Anicent

George Nicholson, a name that fell if no anyone will know who George is.

Waverley Abbey House

 

George uncle of Florence Nightingale. “The Lady of the Lamp”.  George during the 19^th century purchased Waverley Abbey House; it is here that Florence visited. 

A blog below about the Nursing around the time of Florence Nightingale

https://swanseafamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2020/07/nursing.html

Walter Scott

Also said to have visited is the Scottish author, Walter Scott.  Scott, it is thought used the name for his first novel, Waverley (1814), this novel was the first in the Waverley Novels, historical novels, based around the Jacobite uprising of 1745.

Waverley (1814)

 

Sir John Aislabie
Chancellor of the Exchequer

The current Waverley Abbey House was built during 1723, after the land was purchased by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir John Aislabie.  The house was influenced by the architect of the day, Colin Campbell.   During the 1760s the house, is though to have been moved by the then current resident, Thomas Orby Hunter.  Hunter was born in America, 1714.  He political connected with Pitt, when in 1746, he became his Chief at the Pay Office.  Hunter was a man of business and not an effective parliamentarian.  During 1758, he undertook the existing and import post of Superintendent of Supplies to the armies in Germany. 

Towards the end of the 18^th century, Waverley Abbey House, was sold to a London merchant, John Buncombe Poulett Thomson.  Thomson was the head of J. Thomson, T. Bonar and Company, a successful trading firm which had dealings with Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire. His son, Charles was born 1799, at Waverley. 

Charles Poulett Thomson

Charles entered politics and he was the first Governor General of the United Province of Canada.  He was given the title of Baron Sydenham.

The House was sold again this time in 1832, to George Nicolson, Guildford magistrate. Again during 1870 the House sold to the former merchant and May or Liverpool, Thomas Darnley Anderson. The Anderson family reminded at the house until 1946.

During the First World War, the House was used a military hospital affiliated with the Cambridge Hospital, located in Aldershot.  Over 5,000 solders were treated here during the duration of the war.

However, the beginnings of the House, start in 1128, when twelve monks and an abbot, travelled from L’Aumone Abbey located in Normandy, as a request of the Bishop of Winchester, William Gifford.

Their role was the establish the first Cistercian monastery in England. the monastery lasted for the next 400 years, until King Henry VIII, closed all the monasteries under the Dissolution of the Lesser Monasteries Act, of 1536.  A year later, Henry, gifted the land to the Treasurer of the King’s Household, William Fitzwilliam.

ruins of the Waverley Abbey

 

Located at the entrance of the ruins of the Abbey, is the Field Gun Emplacement.  During the Second World War, the Abbey formed part of the defences called the “GHQ Line”. The General Headquarters Line was a defence line built during the Second World War, after the Fall of France, 1940.  It designed to protect London and the industrial part of the country and considered the last chance of defence.

Field Gun Emplacement - Pillboxes

Close of one of the pillboxes, is Mother Ludlam’s Cave.  It is thought to be dated as old as the 13^th century, when a spring rising in the cave, was rerecorded in the “Annals of Waverley Abbey”.  Symon, a monk, is credited in 1218 as identifying the spring as a suitable water supply for the Abbey.

Entrance to Mother Ludlam's cave

 

Mother Ludlam according to legend is supposed to be a white witch.  Ludlam would loan utensils and that a large cauldron, which was loaned out wasn’t returned, it ended up in Frensham Church.