The Burrell Baronets of Knepp

Sir William Burrell bought The Deepdene in 1791 and permitted by an Act of Parliament, Sir Charles Burrell, William’s eldest son, sold the house to Sir Thomas Hope in 1807. The house passed to his son, Henry, and on his wife’s death passed to Lord Francis Hope-Pelham-Clinton, later the 8th Duke of Newcastle. He went bankrupt, and subsequently Lord William Beresford (3rd son of the Marquess of Waterford) leased the house. Almeric Paget leased the house from 1911 to 1914. The house and 50 acres were sold in 1920, and a further 2200 acres were soldin 1921. It was a hotel during the interwar years and sold to the Southern Railway Company in 1939, which later became part of British Rail. British Rail occupied the house until it was sold in 1967 to Federated Homes Ltd. It was demolished in1969.

Sir Thomas Hope, of Scottish Descent but born in the Netherlands in 1769, came from a rich banking family. He was an author and furniture designer. Anastasius, written in 1819, tells the story of a Greek hero, of considerable ability and courage,absolutely untroubled with conscience, who becomes renegade and goes through various adventures. Anastasius was attributed to Lord Byron and only credited to Sir Thomas Hope on his avowing it in Blackwood’s Magazine. He also wrote the book “Household Furniture and Interior Decoration” in 1807, and thus coined the phrase “Interior Decoration”. He died on 03/02/1831. The Victoria & Albert Museum, London, and the Royal Pavilion, Brighton, contain some of his collections.

Henry Hope, a collector of fine art and gems acquired the large blue diamond that carries his family’s name. The Hope Diamond, at 45.52 carats, is the world’s largest deep blue diamond, and is more than a billion years old. It is today in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.

Benjamin Disraeli, British Prime Minister in 1868 and 1874-80, wrote part of ‘Coningsby’, a political novel, at The Deepdene. His imperialist policies brought India directly under the crown and he was personally responsible for purchasing control of the Suez Canal. The central Conservative Party organisation is his creation.