The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-08-03
HATFIELD H0TS
SALISBURY HOME 4
History Of the Residence Of Eng
lands Late Premier.
BOTH 1oLD AND INTERESTING
Has Been Identified With ecclesiastical
Royal and Political Life-Boy>
hood of King Edward
Spent There.
BOTH loLD AND INTERESTING.
Has Been Identified With Ecclesiastical
-.
Cwritten for The Times.)

CWritten for The Times.)
While Americans have much to be
proud of, as far az historical landmarks
and examples Of the beauties Of ancient
architecture are concerned, we cannot
pretend to compare with England. the
mother country. In Virginia. we have.
perhaps. the finest type of colonial houses
in this country. and we can point with
pride to William and Mary College. found
ed before the United States were insti-
tuted; to the great University of Inc
Stale, founded by Thomas Jefferson. him
self, and many another object of more
than passing historical interest But the
eldest structure in the confines Of our
State, the natural pride of Virginia. how
.evsr wonderful 1t may be, we must con-
TESS that Its origin is shrouded in a deep
and impenetrable myStery.
In view of the recent resignation Of the
premiership Of Great Britain by Lord
Salisbury, after the longest term of that
Office ever held. save by Sir Robert Wal
role. Mr.. Pitt and Lord Liverpool. his
residence Is at present of even more alb
scrbing interest than ordinarily. And so
let us turn our steps towards Hatfield
House, a house so old. so saturated with
events Of history. with all so beautiful
and imposing that 1t may be ranked with
the town OF London. Westminster Abbey
and Windsor Castle. The grounds, the
forests. have remained as they were. with
little change, through many ages. A rec
crd Of the place may be found in the
dccmsday book by any one fortunate
enough to possess a copy.
THREE PHASES IN HISTORY.
A recent writer on the subject says:
There are three phases in Hatfeld's
h;ct4
The first began with its assignment to
the Bishops of Ely, who gave it the name
OF Bishops Hatfield. In HOO. we learn.
it had a house sufficiently large to ac-
commodate royalty and its retinue as
guests. It was Bishop Morton, of Ely,
who built the old place. the remains of
which may be seen standing to-day. What
scenes of righteousness and gaiety must
the fine old open timbered roof and the
beautiful ancient stained glass windows
haTe looked down upon In the past! In
this apartment Sir Thomas Pope whled
away the monotony Of the Princess Eliz-
abeths existence, with pageants and
Mosques, until Queen Mary spltefully
bade such 'folleries cease, and here also
the Virgin Queen held her first privy
council and received from Sir Robert Ce-
Gil the oath of allegiance. which he so
faithfully kept for forty years. Nor must
forget to add that in the old palace
Prince Edward. Bluff Halls son, passed
his boy1lood and learned to read ard write.
and like his half-sistery Elizabeth. first
heard the news CT his accession to the
throne. But the Princess Elizabeth was
dong a very foolish thing when the mes
senger brought the intelligence that her
sister Mary was dead. Tradition says that
she was then seated under an oak tree
in the park. 1t was November. and if
that month had in those days any of its
modern reputation, I can only remark
that Her Majesty was a foolish young lady
to openly court pneumonia and rheumatism
by sitting out of doors. Old age and In
firnlities have crept upon this tree. and
the only vitality it is capable Of showing
is the few leaves which annually make
their appearance on its gnarled and
weather beaten remains
Queen Victoria evidently believed the
story of Queen Elizabeth and the tree,
for on her visit to Hatfield House in
1876 she secured one of the acorns and
had 1t planted at Windsor Castle. It is
also to tradition that we owe the story
that Queen Elizabeth on this occasion
wore a large. broad brimmed hat, and
that hat is among. the most valued of the
mary treasures of this great house Hat
fi.!d was maintained as a royal palace
until 1907, when James l., ca sting q cove
tons eye on Theobald's. Sir Robert cecil's
taS'AiSr S|ASaldi1SCu I1dllElu 1OI II, ana lluS
e?ded the two phases. ecclesiastical and
royal.
CHANGES IN THE MANSION.
Sir Rohert pulled down part Of the
house and built the present mansion The
cost Of this new house was estimated at
sS.5oO $500. but labor and material
was cheaper then than now, for it cost
the last marques in 1886 $4,000 (S250. UD)
on what We're termed merely "renova-
h9 CT
Cecil certainly got his moneys worth.
Only those apartments known as the
State apartments are ever viewed by
the public. The rooms occupied by the
family are never shown. The labora-
tory of the MARQUES of Salisbury, of
which so much is written and said is
also behind closed doors The laborat tory
and the other a room used for chemical
experiments. The bedrooms are as a
rule. beautiful. The principal one is
King James Room" which is furnished
with an enormous bedstead richly carved
and covered with q. cloth of gold. 1t is
said that the King used to put in his
spare time il slumber here.
Another room is called "The Cromwell,
ROOM but Cromwell never slept here.
It gets its name from the fact that it
contains a bed In which Richard Cron1-
well slept when he and the bed were both
at Hoddesdon.
Another apartment is the Victoria
Room" in which the late Queen stayed
upon her visit to this house in 1916 The
custom is observed here Of calling GER
tain rooms after distinguished persons
who have from time to time occupied
them Thus we find the "Beaconsfield
Room The Wellington Room etc.
Some of the rooms take their names from
the names Of the woods employed in their
panelling, such as oak. ash. elm. the
timber having been grown on the estate.
Mr.. Frank Claten says: Zone is I'M
pressed when walking through the state
rooms, VITA the beautiful carving and
wainscot panelling. the ma gnificent tap-
estry. the enormous mantlepieces. with
their yawning fireplaees, lifted with mas
siye steel dogs. on which rest the crack
ling fagots. and the pictures and curios.''
One cannot give a detailed description
of all the rooms, but there are some that
cali for more than passing comment. This
beautiful marble hat, 50 feet long by 80
feet wide, is one which fills tha visitor
pY,3,, lie -