The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-27 00:00:00

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

HOME CIRCUIT.—CROYDON, Aug. 26.
(Before Baron Bramwell and a Special Jury.)
WOOLLEY V. POLE.

THE CAMPDEN HOUSE FIRE.-SECOND DAY.
The proceedings in this extraordinary cause were again
resumed yesterday morning, at ten o'clock.
Mr. Bovill, Q.C., Serjeant Ballantine, Mr. Mereweather,
Mr. Henry James (specially retained), and Mr. Kosher,
appeared for the plaintiff.

Mr. Lush, Q.C., Mr. Denman, Q.C., and Mr. Garth,
were for the defendant.

The following additional evidence was adduced on behalf
of the plaintiff :
Mr. William Frederick Woolley said—l am the plaintiff
in this action. In the year 1817 I married a lady named
Cope. She had a very considerable fortune. I took Campden
House immediately after the marriage. The rent was at first
£2OO, but was afterwards raised to £290. This continued
until the year 1854.

(Upon the application of the learned counsel, Crozier, a
witness who was to be examined for the plaintiff, and
Temple, who was to be called for the defendant, were or-
dered to be out of Court while the plaintiff was being ex-
amined.)

Examination continued—ln 1854 I purchased the lease of
Campden House, which at this time had 90 years to, run, for
6,000. The house was in a very dilapidated state when I
took it. It was altogether out of repair, and many persons
said I was mad to take it. I laid out considerable sums
upon the building, both internally and externally. I fitted
it up gradually, according to ml own taste, I took out the
whole of the grates and fitted in others according with the
age at which the house was supposed to have been built.
When I bought the lease the place was very much improved,
but I continued the alterations afterwards, and the improve-
ments were going on down to the fire. Whenever I saw
anything I thought would suit me I purchased it. I bought
articles abroad and in country places, and, in fact, wherever
I went. I once purchased an estate in Essex, because there
was some remarkable carving in the farm-house attached to
it, I think I gave £1,500 or £2,000 for the property. The
carving was of the time of Henry VII., and it was very re-
markable. It was afterwards put up in the breakfast room at
Campden House. I bought a great many pictures, both
abroad and in England. I purchased some of the old Italian
masters' pictures, which were not so much appreciated at
the time, tut which afterwards became very valuable. Some
time ago I had an illness, and I was blind for two years,
and my sight now is very bad, and for some time I have had
a servant to go about with me. I can state that there were
28 panelled pictures in Campden House, and every one of
those pictures were of great value. Some were by Spagno-
letti, and others by Velasquez. I used to amuse myself
sometimes by taking pictUres out of frames and putting them
in other positions. There were a great many framed pic-
tures all over the house. I had not a large number of look-

ing-glasses, because such things did not suit the style of
the house. There was one large Florentine glass in the
ball-room, which was very beautiful and valuable, and the
frame was most elaborately carved. My brother-in-law, on
one occasion, said he should notmind giving rue £4OO for this
glass if a room in a house he was building in the Isle of
Wight was large enough to hold it. I bought the furniture
in the same way, from time to time, and when I saw any
article that I thought would suit my house I purchased it.
I gave 150 guineas for a dining-room table, and all the
other furniture was in accordance with it. The house was
full of furniture when the fire happened, and my friends
used to say it was like a broker's shop. A good deal of
varnish was used to bring up the old panelling, after some
coats of white paint had been removed from it by my orders.
I have myself used varnish for this purpose. The places
where it was used were the drawing-room, the hall, and
the staircase. My sister and brother-in-law sometimes as-
sisted me in varnishing part of the house. This was in
1861 and the early part of 1862. 1 never purchased any
varnish myself. A man named Temple was in my ser-
vice, and his wife and a son lived with him. Temple was
originally employed as a journeyman carpenter, and I paid
him thirty-five shillings per week, but afterwards another
arrangement was made. I should think I have laid out at
least £7,000 or £B,OOO upon the house, and I decorated it and
made it as perfect as I could, A good deal of money was
paid to a gilder named Timbrell, who has died sincethe fire.
I believe he was in my service for fourteen years. My wife's
sister, Miss Cope, lived with her from the time of our mar-
riage till my wife died. My wife and her brother and sister
took as much interest in decorating the house as I did
myself. My wife's fortune was about £22,000 or £25,000.
This was in R ia and produced about £1,0(0 per
annum. Mywnisfselin Stadaoclak;ge fortune besides this from her
father, consisting of railway stock and debentures. I
borrowed £13,000 on mortgage from my sister-in-law upon
Campden House and the furniture in it. I used to allow
the theatre on the premises to be used for amateur per-
formances for charitable purposes. Gas wases after
on in the
house. I very
seldom gave evening parc
estaterblinesLweifet
died. I kept no horses or carriages,
and
was very small. For several years I only my
a butler.nl
had no stock or wine in the cellar, and 1 only purchased
small quantities. Besides the £13,000 I borrowed from
whichommy
sister-in-law, I borrowed £3,000 from Mr. Bo
was also lent upon the security of Campden Houseb. Ireandl,Bbsnst
I and my wife took a fancy to an old castle ato Tunbridgea,
I let it to Colonel Waugh, and was about to g
Wells, and we hired it. No furniture was taken there
from
Campden House. Col. Waugh paid me twenty guineas per
week for Campden House. He took away some of my propert y
i
without my consent, but 1 was paid for a portion of t,
While I resided at Tunbridge I had the misfortune to lose my
wife and child, and my health was very much affected in
consequence of those losses. It was my only child. I remained
for some time at Tunbridge after my wife's death, and
when Col. Waugh left Campden House I went back there,
and after some time I determined to go to Brighton. This
waanatlsetiino:B39 I took an unfurnished house, a very small one,
a
the furniture I put into it was brought from Tunbridge
The rest of the Tunbridge furniture was sold by
at this time that I insured the furniture in
the house at Elt a'
en-
tertainedßefore
and in Catopden House with the Sun
Office,
the
idea ozdftli
lettingw Hampdento
House.
r sAt tt i
thisme I
timeen -
in IS6I
the mortgages
r existence,
at their
and Mr. It arradaile were in
time
the their suggestion, the furniture was
insured. At this
and the furniture was
money she had advanced. Thiel:"
partioufnaiture was not insured at all,
Cope's security for the
aenhdad been some fires in the
Pien
185, the
brother pressed for
neighbourhood, an effected, Co
halelY had also pressed
an insurance being
me to increase the amount of the insur zoon the build-
ing, whi•ih was at that time only insured for
Temple if he could rebuild the house for 4000%, I asked
and he
laughed and said it could not be rebuilt for 42e000.
with Mr. Freeth, the-
municatetl surveyor to the e"1
Sun, and
ha look over the property,
sent 6011 W one to and the (ace
agreed to
tape en insurance for £lO,OOO. In the year 1859
for were -(12 00 upon the hour, and
• insured
the B,lllolltlts
e The Brighton furniture was in-
-17,00 upon Lh