Marble Wall Plaque in The Kilmorey Mausoleum
Internal detail of the mausoleum. A private cemetery of historical interest in St Margarets/ Isleworth. A full history and description is included in the set. This mausoleum which is now a grade II* listed building, was originally commissioned by the notorious eccentric of his day, the 2nd Earl of Kilmorey (also nicknamed as 'Black Jack’ Needham due to his dark complexion at times),
The monument was built in 1854 for his mistress, Priscilla Hoste, who had originally been his ward of court.
They suddenly eloped abroad and then eventually returned to Twickenham, where she had a son called Charles in 1844. Unfortunately, Priscilla then became seriously ill in 1851 with a terminal heart condition, with the Earl deciding to set about constructing a suitable memorial for her in 1853.
She eventually died in October 1854, and was interred in secret, with no-one knowing about it for years afterwards.
A noted Victorian architect of his time, Henry Edward Kendall was employed to design the mausoleum, which he did in the popular and fashionable Egyptian revival style. This Egyptian design is believed to have been derived from a plate in a French book ‘Description de I'Eqypte ’ published in 1809. The shape of the building relates to the shrines at the heart of Egyptian Temples - the place where a treasured image of a god was installed.
Inside the Mausoleum is a fine white marble carved relief of the death bed scene of Priscilla, with the young son Charles and the Earl in attendance. It was carved in Rome by portrait sculptor Lawrence Macdonald, using more than one artistic style.
It is thought that the pink and grey granite Egyptian style mausoleum cost around £30,000? (a very large sum of money in the 1850’s!) not including the subsequent moving costs.
The Mausoleum was originally erected on a plot that the Earl had secured at the Brompton Cemetery in London, then subsequently dismantled, moved and re-built twice.
First when the Earl moved to Woburn Park Chertsey in 1862, and being of unconventional nature and restless as well; six years later he was on the move again. The next time, it was moved to its present site at Twickenham in 1868, where he lived in Gordon House; eventually to be part of the Brunel University complex which has subsequently been re-developed.
In his day, Lord Kilmorey owned all the land between the mausoleum site and Gordon House. According to some rumours and fact, and being the true Victorian eccentric; some tunnels were built, the main one apparently having a tramway between Gordon House and the Mausoleum. This ensured his privacy could be maintained, and would not have to leave his own property when the time came for him to join Priscilla in the Mausoleum. It is said that ‘when in the mood’ he would summon his servants, and in secret, dress in ‘white garb’ and proceed through the tunnel to the mausoleum, where he would lie in his coffin. He lived to the grand age of 92, and in 1880 on his death, his final wishes were carried out.
Since then the mausoleum has had a chequered history, and the site passed eventually to Hounslow Borough Council on condition that access would be maintained, although it was not for some time that anyone entered this hidden burial site.
In an extremely neglected condition, responsibility for the site was passed to Richmond Council, and the maintenance of the grounds to The Environment Trust for Richmond upon Thames, where volunteers have worked exceptionally hard over several years, to get the gardens into the condition you see them today.
Marble Wall Plaque in The Kilmorey Mausoleum
Internal detail of the mausoleum. A private cemetery of historical interest in St Margarets/ Isleworth. A full history and description is included in the set. This mausoleum which is now a grade II* listed building, was originally commissioned by the notorious eccentric of his day, the 2nd Earl of Kilmorey (also nicknamed as 'Black Jack’ Needham due to his dark complexion at times),
The monument was built in 1854 for his mistress, Priscilla Hoste, who had originally been his ward of court.
They suddenly eloped abroad and then eventually returned to Twickenham, where she had a son called Charles in 1844. Unfortunately, Priscilla then became seriously ill in 1851 with a terminal heart condition, with the Earl deciding to set about constructing a suitable memorial for her in 1853.
She eventually died in October 1854, and was interred in secret, with no-one knowing about it for years afterwards.
A noted Victorian architect of his time, Henry Edward Kendall was employed to design the mausoleum, which he did in the popular and fashionable Egyptian revival style. This Egyptian design is believed to have been derived from a plate in a French book ‘Description de I'Eqypte ’ published in 1809. The shape of the building relates to the shrines at the heart of Egyptian Temples - the place where a treasured image of a god was installed.
Inside the Mausoleum is a fine white marble carved relief of the death bed scene of Priscilla, with the young son Charles and the Earl in attendance. It was carved in Rome by portrait sculptor Lawrence Macdonald, using more than one artistic style.
It is thought that the pink and grey granite Egyptian style mausoleum cost around £30,000? (a very large sum of money in the 1850’s!) not including the subsequent moving costs.
The Mausoleum was originally erected on a plot that the Earl had secured at the Brompton Cemetery in London, then subsequently dismantled, moved and re-built twice.
First when the Earl moved to Woburn Park Chertsey in 1862, and being of unconventional nature and restless as well; six years later he was on the move again. The next time, it was moved to its present site at Twickenham in 1868, where he lived in Gordon House; eventually to be part of the Brunel University complex which has subsequently been re-developed.
In his day, Lord Kilmorey owned all the land between the mausoleum site and Gordon House. According to some rumours and fact, and being the true Victorian eccentric; some tunnels were built, the main one apparently having a tramway between Gordon House and the Mausoleum. This ensured his privacy could be maintained, and would not have to leave his own property when the time came for him to join Priscilla in the Mausoleum. It is said that ‘when in the mood’ he would summon his servants, and in secret, dress in ‘white garb’ and proceed through the tunnel to the mausoleum, where he would lie in his coffin. He lived to the grand age of 92, and in 1880 on his death, his final wishes were carried out.
Since then the mausoleum has had a chequered history, and the site passed eventually to Hounslow Borough Council on condition that access would be maintained, although it was not for some time that anyone entered this hidden burial site.
In an extremely neglected condition, responsibility for the site was passed to Richmond Council, and the maintenance of the grounds to The Environment Trust for Richmond upon Thames, where volunteers have worked exceptionally hard over several years, to get the gardens into the condition you see them today.