The Burrell Baronets of Knepp

In a letter written in 1819, Sir George O'Brien described Sir Charles Merrick Burrell’s homebrew as “the devil itself”. Sir George O'brien was Sir Charles's father-in-law.

Between 1830 and 1860, the 3rd Duke of Richmond received 175 letters from Sir Charles and 35 letters from Sir John Kincaid (1787-1862), Knight Inspector of Prisons and Factories.

Inheriting his Baronetcy and Knepp Castle Estate in 1796, and being impressed by the new building on his brother's estate at West Grinstead Park, Sir Charles commissioned John Nash to design something grander for himself. The new castle, built byAlexander Kyffin, was completed between 1809 and 1812. In 1831, Sir Charles inherited West Grinstead Park, combining the properties in an estate of some 5000 acres. He inherited Ockenden Manor at the same time.

Permitted by an Act of Parliament, Sir Charles sold The Deepdene 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.

Written on the commemorative plaque:

In memory of Sir Charles Merrik Burrell Baronet of Valentines, Member of Parliament for the borough of New Shoreham and Rape of Bramber. Born in London on 21/05/1774 and died at Knepp Castle on 04/01/1862.