Manners Street in Wellington, Richmond New Zealand was named after a director of the New Zealand Company, Frederick James Tollemache, whose father's name was Sir William Manners. Tollemache's brother, Algernon Gray Tollemache, settled in Wellington. |
Click on the keyhole link for "Tollemache-Tollemache" and a story of names ... |
Site Note: Maria, daughter of Hon. Charles Tollemache and granddaughter of Louisa, Countess of Dysart, was the sister of Alan's great great great grandfather, William Tollemache, who married Anna Maria St.Maur daughter of the Duke of Somerset. William's other sister Frances Louisa Tollemache married Algernon Gray Tollemache, her first cousin. See texts below for additional information about Ada - August 2003 |
For further information, follow the family line back to William Manners and thereafter to John Manners - the grandfather of Frederick James Tollemache. There are many books available on the history of the house and family. The house is open to the public. Click on the photograph for further details. |
| Recent
information on this era has been kindly supplied by Ann
Davies of Buckinghamshire who
writes: "Louisa Manners/Tollemache, Countess of Dysart, was a witness to the marriage in 1804 of the Count Louis de Noé and Frances Caroline Halliday. Furthermore, Louisa's Will records a bequest to the same Frances Caroline, Countess de Noé, and to one of their children, Louisa Jane de Noé, who was the wife of Russell Henry Manners R.N. Whilst I have much information on the ancestors/descendants of Russell Henry Manners and of the paternal line of his wife, I cannot work out the parentage of Frances Caroline Halliday. I had thought she might be a child of Lady Jane Tollemache and John Delap Halliday, but all my research seems to show that their only daughter was Charlotte Elizabeth Halliday. I also wondered if she could be a child of John Delap Halliday's brother Francis, but cannot find anything to suggest he had either a wife or a child. Another point of interest is that one of the children of the Count and Countess de Noé was born on the Isle of Wight; also that one of Lady Jane Tollemache/Halliday's children, Francis Alexander Halliday, had inherited Steephill Cottage on the Isle of Wight from Wilbrahim Tollemache, 6th Earl Dysart. Just too many coincidences for there not to be a family connection! My interest comes from having inherited some possessions belonging to a grandchild of Russell Henry Manners. She employed and left most of her estate to my late great aunt. This grandchild was an illegitimate child, born in the Victorian era and to protect the name of the family she was "kept under wraps", and lived under an assumed name. My great aunt had always known that her employer was related in some way to one of the Dukes of Rutland, but if she knew any more than that, she never divulged it. However, I took to the family history trail about four years ago, and have now uncovered several lines of her descent. For information I give the following:
I originally assumed that as Frances Caroline Halliday married in 1804, and went on to have 9 children, she was probably the daughter of Lady Jane and John Delap Halliday, but as various sources record just the one daughter, Charlotte, and 3 sons (John Richard Delap, (see below at base of page) William Augustus, and Francis Alexander), I have to wonder if perhaps she might have been something to do with Francis Delap Halliday (Lady Jane's brother-in-law) and perhaps Lady Jane's unmarried sister Frances. Frances Caroline was married by Licence, but the Licence does not appear to have survived."
Ann continues: "I have traced from Mary Rayner and General Russel Manners (one of the sons of Lord William Manners and Corbetta Smyth) as follows:
Russell Manners MP (his father) went off to Prince Edward Island for a couple of years after losing his seat in parliament, then went to Edinburgh where his wife Catherine tracked him down and got a divorce (of historical significance in divorce law history apparently) on the grounds of desertion and adultery. She then went on to marry Sir Thomas Stepney.
Catherine Pollok was one of nine children born to the Rev. Thomas Pollok of Grittleton (who descended from the Polloks of Craigton and Faside), and Susanna Palmer (daughter of Mary Dawson and Charlton Palmer Esq, Attorney of London - going back to the Palmers of Wanlip Hall. Catherine Pollok became a novelist, and, after obtaining a divorce from Russell Manners, went on to marry Sir Thomas Stepney, baronet. Her only child, Russell Henry Manners, entered the Royal Navy at the age of 13yrs. He retired with the rank of Captain, but was later awarded the post rank of Admiral. He also became President of the Royal Astronomical Society. He married Louisa Jane de Noé, daughter of le comte Louis Pantaléon Judes Amédée de Noé (he is recorded in the marriage register at West Molesey, Surrey, as "Lewis Amedie Denoe") - and la comtesse Frances Caroline de Noé, née Halliday (a marriage witnessed by Louisa, Countess of Dysart, who later bequeathed money and property to the Countess.
Russell Manners and Louisa de Noé had at least seven children, including Frederick Stepney Manners, a civil engineer who fathered an illegitimate daughter, Catherine Frances Manners Pearceof his child was Emily Kinsman Pearce, a milliner, and daughter of master tailor, John Pearce. Although they were never married, the . The mother Manners estate was passed down to the mother and daughter respectively. There being no further descendants, what was left of the estate was then inherited by their housekeeper, Amy Toomer, my Great Aunt. Algernon Tollemache (who went to New Zealand and made his fortune) - brother of Frederick, married Frances Louisa Tollemache/Manners, the daughter of Louisa's son Charles. She was first married (3/6/1850) to George Richard Halliday, who was almost certainly the grandson of Lady Jane Tollemache/Halliday, by her son Francis Alexander Halliday (who inherited an Isle of Wight cottage from Wilbrahim, 6th Earl) and Anne White."
One of the items that has come from my great aunt is a diary that was written by Henry Francis Manners, brother of Frederick Stepney Manners. Henry was besotted with Ada and they were planning to marry. Henry was studying to be an Engineer at Armstrong's at Elswick (Newcastle), and one page of the diary talks of a visit to a church in Newcastle for Ada's "conversion" and his "amendment" - a pre-marriage requirement when the bride and groom were from different faiths. Henry was a Jesuit and Ada a member of the Church of England. However, sadly, Henry contracted TB and died in 1865 at the age of 23."
Site Notes - with thanks to Ann Davies for providing scans from relevant pages of the diary. The diary of Henry Francis Manners reveals a number of interesting observations quite apart from the fact of the existence of the relationship with Ada in the first place. He writes about one of the most vital stages in the handling of the affair as follows: “Mama and Papa in my secret for first time. M. long suspected it. Good choice. Difficult to obtain. The Forbes anti-catholic.” The following comments are also significant for what is suggested about Ada’s health as a young woman. “Freddy and Algernon know Ada to be sick but as I’ve the right to say I take her for better or worse, her love will soon find out the sincerity with which I mean it.” His parents were obviously supportive of the match in practical ways too. “M. will talk to her of me and help me to gain my end. P. approves of the union most cordially. His influence with Freddy and Algernon …” The support of his parents must have been an important issue for him because of the family religion. The religious difference seems, understandably, to have caused him much soul searching and appears to have set him on a quest to justify the match both in terms of faith and in practical strategy. There is a note, which places him at the “Oldstock’s” where he “took Communion and got (a) candle”. At the same time, he must have taken advice from the priest there since he jotted down much of this in his diary. The advice included an exhortation to “lay the foundation for a first-class engineer” and to “work always at something: History, Geography, Chemistry …Languages.” He wrote also, “Keep near God. He will take care of you.” He seems to have taken some comfort in the guidance of this priest who was “In favour of early marriage” and offered, “perfect leave to encourage this natural affection (in the state of grace). [God is the] influence of another love on (a) young man’s life. If a woman love a man she will embrace his religion too …” He makes mention also of one Father Eyre who “sees our difficulty about my arranging with parents” and that, for a practical approach, he should “treat like an ordinary love affair”. He seems to suggest that he would himself become a priest should the “present sort of life not suit me.” – presumably, should his marriage to Ada be blocked. In the event, his courting appears to have been successful and the marriage would have taken place but for his untimely death.
The date of this record appears totally woven into entries for 1865 – whereas official sources have the death date of Louisa Maria Tollemache as 1863. The writing may indeed show “d. May 7/63” as it is difficult to distinguish. However, this being the case – and being some two years after the event - it would seem that Henry Manners was making a public show of his identity with the family. The words underlined make it clear that he considered himself 'family' by virtue of his relationship with Ada. Ann notes that one of
the diary pages starts with "Visit to dear Flora
at Mortlake". This was one of Henry's sisters who
died 20 Aug 1862, aged 15yrs, and was buried at St Mary
Magdalene, Mortlake. The next one to be buried there was
Henry himself in August 1865, followed by his father in
May 1870, his mother in Dec. 1875, his sister, Sara,
in May 1905 and his brother, Frederick, in Jan 1924. The
latter's funeral was attended by the 5th Lord Sudeley. Just over two years after the death of Henry Francis Manners, Ada Maria Tollemache married Charles Douglas Richard Hanbury-Tracy - 4th Lord Sudeley - by which marriage the maternal line of this site was continued through the birth of their eldest child, Eva Isabella Henrietta Hanbury-Tracy. Click on the keyhole link to read Ada Tollemache's "Gossip Notes" about the family and to access a number of other Tollemache family history pages.
John Richard Delap Halliday married Elizabeth Stratford in February 1797. The eldest child, a daughter, of this marriage was Elizabeth Jane Henrietta Tollemache. She married Captain Christian Frederick Charles Johnstone. Her father, the Admiral (as he later became), took the name of Tollemache on inheriting property from his aunt. The Hallidays had built their fortune out of the sugar plantations of Antigua. One writer describes Elizabeth's appearance as "fragile" - as being "lovely, with a delicate pointed face, enormous dark eyes, a cloud of hair, a rosebud mouth and a childlike wistful charm." Elizabeth
was something of a rebel. She had fallen head over heels
for the Captain and the marriage took place in oposition
to any advice or blessing from her parents. However,
within three months her ardour died. Johnstone was a man
of modest means and she was unable to live "to the
manner born". It was her own husband - jibed at and
ridiculed by his wife- who pleaded with his father-in-law
to arrange a separation. This the Admiral tried to do but
Elizabeth flared into a fit of rage and rushed away to
Paris where her Grandmother, Lady Aldborough "held
court". Here, she discovered that she was pregnant
and because of this, she was eventually persuaded to
return to her husband. A daughter was born and the family
tried to live again as a unit; but it did not work. Early after the New Year of 1823, Captain Johnstone was invited to travel to Dorset for a shooting party with friends (Henry Charles Sturt and his new wife, Lady Charlotte Brudenell). No sooner was he out of the way than Elizabeth fled the house and ran to her father - who, it seems, had little sympathy, for they quarrelled heatedly and Elizabeth rushed off once more to Paris and her grandmother. The rest, as they say, is history - for it was here that she met the young, handsome and dashing Lord James Thomas Brudenell and eloped with him. An action at law followed but James Brudenell did not contest it and offered to settle for anything the court decided was fair and just. Johnstone and Brudenell had been boyhood friends and, in Brudenell's estimation, neither his nor Elizabeth's honour was impuned nor could he be accused of seduction since Elizabeth had already left him - and her marriage - behind. Johnstone was awarded one thousand pounds. Brudenell felt sufficiently on his honour, however, to offer satisfaction but his offer of a duel was turned down - the 'aggrieved' husband replying to his messenger thus:
An Act of Parliament dissolved the marriage and Lord Brudenell married Elizabeth Tollemache at Ham House in a private ceremony in June 1826. They had already lived as man and wife for three years - and one year more as a married couple brought the curtain up on another disaster. Thereafter, Lord James Thomas Brudenell's affairs became "legendary". As one biographer puts it, " ... whole villages in Northamptonshire were said to have been populated with the children denied him in marriage." Subsequently, Elizabeth Tollemache ran off with yet another lover. She died in 1858. James Thomas Brudenell was the 7th Earl of Cardigan - of Balaclava (25th October 1854) fame - or notoriety ... The Charge of the Light Brigade
The Brudenell family - Northampton
Later, as Brudenell-Bruce, this family was to be associated with Douglas and Babs Anstruther (Maternal line Grandparents in this site) through Judy Brudenell-Bruce, who visited their house in Hertfordshire in 1935 and 1936.
From The Anstruther Guest Book - the, as yet, unpublished years.
Connected also by marriage - "Judy" was Judith Iris Keppel - daughter of of Major Bertram Keppel and Alice Evelyn Hanbury-Tracy daughter of Ada Maria Tollemache and 4th Lord Sudeley (Hanbury-Tracy). |
Manners/Tollemache family descendant, Alan
Tollemache of New Zealand, explains as follows: "Algernon Gray
Tollemache used Wellington
as a base and amassed a huge fortune which was eventually
left to his niece Ada." 
Another
of the de Noé children became a famous
French caricaturist - known as Cham.
A diary discovered ...
In 1865, he chronicles that Roehampton Park
(formerly owned by a fellow Jesuit and peer of the realm)
“comprises 4 acres built by architect who
afterwards was given the job of building Somerset House”
(Bombay?) and that the chapel was built “to hold
100 persons”. He remarks on the “fine
Cedars of Lebanon, Laurels, Vines” and a
“peach that bears in May a yield of £50”
for which “Turners of Richmond” offered
purchase. Also, in his entries for 1865, he records
some details about Louisa Maria Tollemache: “Louisa
Tollemache b. Aug. 27/32 d. May 7/6?. Daughter of Hon. F.
Tollemache. Buried at Petersham (c: W. Felix) under
beautiful marble slab. A garland of mine is on her
coffin. R.I.P.” Then he signed his name
below with a small cartoon flourish of the garland.
