The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-13 00:00:00

WILTON HALL•

(From the Weekly Register.)
Walton Hall, during the conflict between the King and
Parliament, was stoutly defended for the King by tho brave
wife of the proprietor, who was absent at the time of the

siege, most probably with the royal army. The siege was
carried on by Oliver Cromwell, and he gained possession of

.he outbuildings and offices on the opposite side of the lake;

but the mansion had strong doors of English oak, and
strong English hands to guard them, with a resolute

woman to command, so there was no admittance for rebels.

The track of a musket-ball was long pointed out in the
woodwork, showing where Cromwell himself was believed
to have fired at Mrs Waterton, as she was giving orders re-

specting the defence. Another more creditable trace of the

siege is preserved—a ball fired from a swivel gun, placed

on the top of the gateway, which wounded one of the be-
leaguering army as he was making off through the neigh-

bouring woods. Disappointed on being baffled in his ob-
ject of reducing Walton, Cromwell did all the mischief he

could to the property around ; broke do-4a the drawbridge,
destroyed the crops, and drove away a great part of the
cattle,ineluding the carriage horses, leaving only some bul-
locks. When the siege was raised and the Republican troops
withdrawn, great, no doubt, was the joy of the garrison,
and high eulogium pronounced on Mrs Waterton, for her
heroism, by the Cavalier families around. Fct.s were given
in her honour, and, as she had no horses to draw her cer-
riage, and would not fail in keeping her engagements, she
had a team of six oxen yoked to the family coach, and they

bore her in as much state as though they were the best
bred steeds that ever stood in harness.
Sir Bernard Burke, in hid excellent " Dictionary of the
Landed Gently," gives a full account of this ancient Ca.:
tholic family. From this work we learn that Walton Hall
continued in the De Burgh family for several centuries,
until the death of John De Burgh, who left only two

daughters. Of these Jane mtv..ied Sir William Asherhall,
and by the marriage of Constance, daughter and heiress of
Sir William, was Richard Waterton, son of John Water-
ton, of Waterton, this property passed into the family of
the present estimable proprietor about the year 1435.
Long previously, however, the Watertons achiovcd dis•
Unction, The three crescents in their armorial. bca-.7ngs
a-e said to have been gained on the plair3 of Ascalon, and

granted by King Richard the Lion-hearted in approba-
tion of the valour of Sir Robert Waterton, a stout mi-
nder, who took with his own mailed hand, three stan-
dards from the Saracen. They were Lords of Waterton
in 1275 and held high place in Lincolnshire—re-
presenting the county in the Commons, and filling the
office of High Sher:if, and oaten in close attendrace
upon the King of England, and employed in positions re-
ciab:ng sagacity and ability.
Charles Waterton, Esq., of Walton, great grandfather of
the present owner, suffered for his loyalty to the Stuart
dynasty. Like his rncestors this Charles was a devoted
adherent of the Stuarts. His mension was viai.r.l by the

----
supporters of the lienoverian succession, and all the arms
carried away, save a pair of pistols and a dress sword which
escaped notice, Lnd these are now care:ully prc3erved in the
hall. But the owner was carried off too, end not conceal-

ing his principles, he underwent imprisonment in York
Castle. When the storm of strife abated he was liberat'l
on parole, rnd allowed to reside in the City of York, where
he was permitted horse exercise, provided, according to the
ignominious provisions of the penal code, the horse did not
eyceed in value £5. He married Anne, daughter of Chris-
topher Crissaon More, Esq., of Barnborough, Yorkshire,
sixth in descent from the great Sir Thomas More. The
present propriet,r, also named Charles, is son of Thomas
Waterton, Esq , and Anne, daughter and sole heiress of
Edward Bedingfield, E..q ,of Oxton. Mr Waterton, mar-
ried, in 1829, Anne, second daughter of Charles Edmon-
stone, Esq., of Cardross Park, county Dumbarton, bneally
descended from the Scottish Kings. By this lady Mr Water-
ton had an only child, Edmund. This talented gentleman
is Privy Chrnaberlain to Ws Holiness Pope Pitts IX.,
from whom he received the Order of Christ in 1858. He is
also a justice of the pease, and deputy lieutenant for the
West Riding of Yorkshire, a Fellow of the Society of h -1-
tiqualies of England and Scotland, and member of the Royal
Irish Academy. He monied in 1862 Margaret Alicia Jose-
phine, second dau7,hter of Jobe Errs, Esq., of Ballina-
'lawn Manor, County Westmeath, M.P. for Athlone, by
wham he hat issue.
The house is built on en island, and approached by a
tasftfal iron bridge, replaced by a wooden one which for-
merly connected the island with the park.
Here formerly stood an old castellat:d mansion, added to
by successive lords of Walton. Considerable additions were
made at the time of the Restoration, for, es we have seen,
the old hall was seriously damaged during the siege; and a
new wing was built in 1860. The present hand AMC and
well er..anged mansion was built towards the ciose of the
last century by Thomas Waterton, Esq., father of the pre-
sent most estimable end distinguish-3 repreoentative of this
ancient race.
The lake surrounding Walton Hall covers 24 acres. Seve-
ral fine paintings by the great masters of art adorn the
dwelling, and birds of vari-1 plumage, admirably preserved,
form characteristic ornaments for the house of England's
greatest naturalist. Among other interesting historical
objects, the Catholic visitor will examine with respect the
house clock of the great rad good martyr Chancellor Sir
Trios. Moro. 'I here is a portrait of this pious and eminent
knight byHolbein,which, with the clock, were brought i ato
this family by the marriage of Anne More of Barnborough
with Charles Waterton, already mentioned.
We must not omit the particular attraction of Walton
Hall. This historic house is distinguished as the chosen
seat of Charles Waterton, one of the most practical scientific
ornithologists of the age; not a mere amateur in the r mai
sense, but one who has dared every danger, shrunk from no
toil, spared no expense in the acquisition and dissemination
of the knowledge of birds. Ho has climbed the loftiest
trees, ranged the drew y swamp, pursued wild beasts over
hills and dales; followed the W.-Kline of creeks and sea
shores, and got himself let down tremendous precipices in
quest of zoological knowledge. He passed years in the bad
climates of Demerara, Guiana, and other distant lands,
and has given his Wanderings to the public to enlighten the
ignorant end instinct the lovers of natural history. His
application of the solution of corrosive sublimate in alcohol
to his specimens, as a preservative :tom insects, alone en-
titles him to be ranked as a benefactor to science, and the
admirable collection at Walton Hall attests the value of his
discovery.
While wandering over remote regions, observing the_
habits of animals when living, and thereby being able to
give back the semblance of life to the skins when dead, Mr
Waterton resolved, on his return irom Guiana, to open
his domain in England freely to all comers, *whether bird
or beast, and, by affording them a liberal supply of food,
and a safe reating-place, mete the experiment of restoring
the harmony of Eden, where ell dwelt in amity. He tells
us his success :—" After years of attention to the economy
of birds, I have succeedcl in getting the bola owl, the
heron, the jackdaw, the magpie, the carrion crow, the mal-
lard, the pheasant, the starling, the woodpecker, the ox-eye
titmonse, the water hen, the thrush, end the blackbird, to
build their nests, and take away their young in safety, at a
stone's throw of each other."* Fortanately he had the
power equal to the will to give effect to his humane end in-
teresting project. A lake spreads its mirror-like outface,
with islands dotting its bosom, fringed with weeping wil-
lows, and verdant laws, with groves musical with birds, and
affording shelter to the aquatic fowl. Trees in towering
pride stand alone, or in groups, suited either for solitude,
or the birds of a feather that flock together. In the isy-
mantled remains of the old gate tower, en almost in-
credible number of tingdoves, starlings, redbreasts, spar-
rows, end other small birds live together in perfect har-
mony, and herons, shy and easily frightened, may be
seen during the day standing on one leg, in statue-
like steadfastness, along the cou'so of a rivulet spe-
cially prepared for their comfort. For the better pro-
tection of the objects of his life-long solicitude, Mr
Waterton cauacd the domain to be enclosed by a lofty wa".
of circular range enclosing about 260 acres, including the
house and lake. This was completed in 1826, and a teles-
cope of great power is mount( 1 in an upper room, which
enables the eye to sweep the surface of the lake end grounds
adjacent. It is most interesting to look through this at the
birds which cluster in scores. On the lake are Egyptian
and Canadian geese, ducks, mallards, widgeon, and teal.
An occasional cormorant and other matins) birds visit Cleir
fresh water cousins, and love this quiet retrett, while water
hens, usually so shy, -..:r7 under the windows of the house,
despite the vigilance of a pair of Egyptian geese, who seem
to consider this a peculiar privilege for themselves, and
drive all other intrusive birds away. As may be supposed
the kindly owner meets a welcome reception when he goes
among the objects of his care. No sooner does he emerge
from the house than be is followed by a numerous train
clamorous for his notice, and no conqueror ever received
more vociferous greeting. Birds flock end beasts follow his
steps, and the sunshine of the heart is his best recompense
—a sunshine which we eataestly hope may be clouded by
no sorrow hero or hereafter.

* L3tter to William Swainson, Esq., Wakefield, 183'

A CAPITAL IDEA.—It seems to us, says our con-
temporary the .Examiner most ingeniously, as if Mr Bright
had stolen all Mr Roebuck's radicalism and republicanism,
and that Mr Roebuck ht's somehow or other got all the
patriotism and conservatism which ought to have fallen to
Mr Bright's share.

A WORD ABOUT NOSES.—A side view of the face,
as you stand a little behind the person you look at,
is the best view, next to looking into the pupil of the eye,
to discover passions by. Talents appear as often in the shape
of the nose as in any other feature. A. long nose, very eharp
at the end, marks superiority, whether it turns up or down,
e g., Edmund Burke, Gerald Hamilton, William Pitt, all
turn up—the aquilines are generally more sagacious. The
sensible or foolish feature in every face, like the active
muscle, is very various; sometimes the seat or throne of
reason, or memory, or passion is in the forehead, sometimes
in the brow, now mole frequently in the eye, again in the
nose; the mouth has it often. It is sometimes in the jaw
and chin. The large, broad lindian chin, as Grattan's and
Stewart's, the painter, is always indicative of geniue.—.Earl
of C4ontnets .Diary.