It was once thought that about 1216 this estate belonged to a family named de Kelsey, but our more recent historians say that there is no proof that John and William de Kelsey of that time had anything to do with this Kelsey. They say that the beginning of Kelsey lies in 1408 when Maurice Ie Brun, Lord of the Manor of Beckenham, granted to William Kelshulle a Lease of two meadows, and there Kelshulle built a mansion, near to the lower waterfall.
The Brograves, in the person first of William Brograve, took over from Kelshulle and in 1479 were granted a Licence from the Bishop of Rochester, to erect a Chapel, or Oratory, at “Kelsies”. The Brograve family remained in possession until 1688 when the property passed to the first Peter Burrell.
The first mansion fell into dis-use towards the end of the 18th century and was pulled down some time between 1790 and 1820, for there is no reference to a building there in the Gwydir Sale of 1820. A new mansion was built by the upper lake by Richard Bennett, who had married one of the Burrell daughters in 1766. The ownership remained with the Burrells right through to 1820 when the estate was bought by Edward Gross Smith, and in 1835 he sold to Peter Richard Hoare, the elder; he died on 10th September 1849 at Kelsey and there is a memorial to him in the Parish Church. The property then went to his son, Peter Richard Hoare, the younger; he was made a partner in the Hoare’s Bank in 1842, and inherited the Luscombe Estate in Devon on the death of his uncle Charles in 1851, and thereafter his interest in his Beckenham estate diminished.
Charles A.R. Hoare, second son of the younger P.R. Hoare, then came into possession of Kelsey but he only resided there until about 1895 because of his interest in the training ship “Mercury” down at the Hamble river. The good work he did as Commander, in running this training ship, is recalled in chapter 9 of C.B. Fry’s “Life worth living”. He was the last of the Hoare family to reside at Kelsey and died in 1908.
When the Hoares took possession of Kelsey they converted the house to a Scottish baronial-style mansion by re-facing and adding to the old Bennett House, and added a chapel, dedicated to St. Agatha in 1869. In later years choir boys for this chapel came from Sandhills School, in Kelsey Lane. Sandhills was demolished in 1956 when houses were erected in Kelsey Lane.
The approach to the mansion was through the main lodge in Kelsey Square, off the centre of the High Street, past a gravel pit (shown on maps in 1623), along the present site of Greenways, Manor Way not being developed until about 1911. The only surviving building of either of the two mansions is the cottage with Gothic windows, at the lower end of Manor Way. This is over 200 years old and was once the estate bailiff’s office.
From 1895 the mansion was used as a Convent by the Sisters of All Saints, Margaret Street, until 1901 when it was used by the Kepplestone School for the Daughters of Gentlemen for some years, but according to records had gone by 1909; Kepplestone School had then moved to Overbury Avenue. The estate was then bought and developed by Hay Walker, a consulting engineer, who was the chief engineer for the London Tube Railways.
In 1911 the Local Council, through the working of the Mr. T.W. Thornton, purchased Kelsey Park which was opened to the public in 1913. During the first world war the house was used for military purposes and was demolished in 1921. In 1933 the Council purchased part of the grounds of Cedar Lawn in Wickham Road and made an extension to the Park with a new entrance opposite Tudor Road that opened in 1936.
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Additional to the conversation about Kelsey lakes. Rocque 1746 attempts to show landscaping of Kelsey but I’d take it with a large pinch of salt as the roads are distorted to fit between certain landmarks. Andrews, Drury and Herbert in 1769 seems to show two or maybe three lakes with what is now the upper silt trap. Certainly the drop in landscape lends itself to this, in addition over in Harvington what was Eden lodge had ponds and a weir in its grounds at a later date. Andrews also has roads distorted following Rocque’s layout. Rocque also calls Kelsey lane Churhock Lane and other names are different from later maps.
As Hasted quotes Philipott in some of his references, I found that the History of Kent Thomas Philipott produced in 1659 is available online and as a paperback reproduction. The following is the Kelsey description but source references are difficult to find in any accounts. see https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/A54665.0001.001/1:7.2?rgn=div2;view=toc;q1=Kent+–+Description+and+travel
Original spellings from a retyped version.
“Kelseys lies likewise in this Parish (Beckenham), and may justly exact our Notice; by Deeds written in a Character that hath an Aspect upon the Reign of Henry the third, John de Kelsey, William de Kelsey, and others of that Sirname are represented to have an In∣terest in this Seat, and from hence it is probable the Kelseys of Surrey did derive their first Extraction, however by the Injuries of Time they have been in succeeding Generations cast under the umbrage of an obscurer Fortune: But I return, After this Family had deserted the Possession of this place, which was before the latter End of Richard the the second, I find the Brograves stepped in, and by purchase became Lords of the Fee, a Family which in very old Deeds writ themselves Burgrave, and sometimes Boroughgrave, though now a more easie Pronunciation hath melted it into Brograve, which represents the Etymologie of the Name, to have been in its Origi∣nal perfectly Saxon. In the year 1479, there was a License granted (as appears by the Records of Rochester) to William Brograve by the then Bishop of that Diocess, to erect an Oratory or Chapple at his Mannor-house of Kelseys, the Vestigia or Reliques of which are yet obvious to an inquisitive Eye, and from this William did the Title and possession in an even Current come down to Mr. Thomas Brograve, who being not many years since deceased, his Widow Mrs. Martha Brograve now in respect of Join∣ture, enjoys the present Possession of it.”
To Hazel Jackson:
PS. The reference in British History online is drawn from either or both of Daniel Lysons Environs of London or Hasted’s History and Topography of Kent. Lysons seems to have copied most of Hasted with additions? The map evidence seems to both confirm and contradict some content of these. Hasted has some errors or typos eg getting Jones Raymonds date of death wrong I believe.
Certainly the map dated circa 1780 demonstrates that Cator held much more land around Kelsey, Eden Farm and Langley. Rob Copeland must have found the Foxgrove Manor plan as he passed a copy of it to Bromley Local Studies with his archive. Not having the benefit of digital photography maybe he acquired a photocopy. It was only upon discovering the original Foxgrove Plan that we discovered the Beckenham Manor plan and other British Library material some of which were in the same folio of maps.
To try to answer Hazel Jackson’s questions:
As I was primarily researching Beckenham Place Park and Cator we stumbled upon these maps of the wider area.
The Henry Hoare reference is only to the 1809 map and the site of the old manor house opposite St. Georges.
The 1780 (circa) map refers to the Kelsey park area as ‘gardens of Peter Burrell’ and a lodge referred to as ‘let to Richard Henry Alexander Bennett’ which seems to be a house with corner turrets. The whole of the Kelsey park area is blank apart from the ‘gardens’ reference so no lakes are shown. the maps purpose was to show land possession more than detail although some sites do have more detail. I suspect the map relates to some Burrell/Cator exchanges of which there were at least three referred to on our beckenhamplaceparkfriends.org.uk history page.
The 1809 map shows greater detail of the ‘Burrell Estate’ including Kelsey Park with many fields numbered but any index of field names is missing. Kelsey Park shows two lakes, a large upper lake and small lower lake presumably separated by a wier or fall. I’m happy to share the photos we took subject to the restrictions of the British Library copyright ie low res images not for profit sharing.
The 1809 map was also accompanied by a volume of 50 drawings of various Burrell estate sites which were leased. This includes Kelsey park in similar detail as the 1809 map with details of fields and sizes and showing ‘Richard Henry Alexander Bennett Esq – Tenant’. Contact me via bpp.friends@hotmail.co.uk and I’ll share some images with you.
Thanks for the extra detail re Bennett and the Burrells marriage, I was aware of a connection but not found out that much.
I think the 1799 OS drawing lacks some detail as it was a working drawing and the length of the lake involves a significant drop in land level so wiers or falls would be necessary. I think I can see a division and boat house on it though indistinct. Let me know if we can help in any way.
Mal Mitchell has recently posted some information on this website about two estate maps of Kelsey in the British Library dated 1780 and 1809, as follows:.
“British Library has estate plans of 1780 and 1809 showing the Kelsey Park area under the ownership of the Burrells and Cator. The 1809 shows the lake and two quite separate buildings of about the same footprint as the old manor house opposite the church, though significantly smaller than Eden Farm at that time. The grounds are laid out as gardens and orchard with the grounds around the old manor in the possession of Henry Hoare and some land to the rear of the George Inn owned by Francis Motley Austin. The 1780 plan just describes it as land belonging to Peter Burrell Esq. but Amy Burrell was widowed by this time and prior to the Peter Burrell who became Lord Gwydir by inheritance? The 1780 plan shows some lands adjacent to Kelsey Park along what is now Wickham Road belonging to John Cator and others, some leased to tenants. Gatton Mead, Barnfield House (Stones Farm) let to Parsons? Along what is now Manor Way a house owned by Peter Burrell is let to Rt Hon ??? Bennett Esq. Some writing is faded and unclear but offers and window into details at this time. As Cator and Burrell undertook land exchanges by the 1790’s Cator had removed from the Kelsey area though he still owned the triangle of land enclosed by Chancery Lane, Wickham Road and Bromley Road as well as land nearer Bromley and Shortlands. The plans show more pictoriallly than can be explained in words. “
I am very interested in this as I am currently doing some research into the Lakes at Kelsey Park. The maps referred to are not viewable online, only in person, and I cannot currently get to the British Library so I wonder if I can ask some questions.
Firstly, the comment that “British Library has estate plans of 1780 and 1809 showing the Kelsey Park area under the ownership of the Burrells and Cator. The 1809 map shows the lake and two quite separate buildings of about the same footprint as the old manor house opposite the church,( though significantly smaller than Eden Farm at that time.) The grounds are laid out as gardens and orchard with the grounds around the old manor in the possession of Henry Hoare.” Is this referring to the original manor house on the Kelsey Park estate, only I thought the Hoares did not come into the ownership of any of Kelsey Park until the sale of the Langley Park estate including Kelsey in 1820? There is a reference in British History Online to Mr Burrell acquiring land from Mr Cator, but before 1809, and living on it in some style. The Old Manor House is not referred to in the 1820 sale particulars. Maybe Baron Gwyndir, Mr Burrell’s grandson who inherited the Langley estate from his grandmother Amy Burrell,(Mr Burrell’s wife) had moved into Langley Park by then.
Secondly, how many lakes are shown in Kelsey Park on the 1809 map? The BL has an OS drawing of 1799 of Kelsey showing only one lake. The Sale map of 1820 shows two lakes, so it would be helpful to narrow down the date when two lakes were created, by knowing how many lakes are shown on the 1809.
Thirdly Mr Richard Bennett referred to in the original posting, who recneted the house on Manor Way, was an MP who married Mr Burrell’s eldest daughter Elizabeth Amelia in 1766 and the records record that her father built Upper Lake House for them to live in. I thought this was accessed a lodge on via Manor way.