Hestercombe House & Gardens
Cheddon Fitzpaine, Taunton, Somerset
The Warre Chest C17th German. 'Miss Warre' was Elizabeth Maria Tyndale Warre (1790-1872), only child and heir of John Tyndale Warre (1757-1819) of Hestercombe. She was the last of her family to live in Hestercombe House. Emma Graham-Clarke was Miss Warre's niece, (actually her first cousin once removed). "On the evening of Tuesday, March 26 1872 a telegram, informing me of the sad news that poor Miss Warre had had a stroke. It was too late to start that night, but early next morning I set off with my maid Salome. On my arrival at Hestercombe, I found my brother, John King Eagles, there - but alas! I was too late to see dear Miss Warre alive. She had died at 6 a.m. The keys were given to me de, I began at once to search for the Will, but with no result. My brother had wisely sent for Mr Cox, the lawyer, who arrived the next day. The search was continued. In the course of the day my John, J. A. Graham-Clarke, arrived from Frocester Manor. On this day, 28th, I suddenly remembered the old York & Lancaster chest kept in Miss Warre's study. We sent for the blacksmith, & after great difficulty he opened it. There were seven locks on the inside. It was then left in my charge, and in the afternoon, being alone, I went to examine it. Putting my hand down into it, I drew up a thick roll of Bank Notes, & again a bag of gold. On making this discovery I thought it right to send for the lawyer & the other two. "Put down your hand again, Mrs Clarke," Mr Cox said. I did so, & drew up in succession twenty seven rolls of Bank notes, besides bags of gold and silver amounting to (in all) £12,370/7/3½ (£ 1,006,000 in 2013 money).
We placed it all on a large tray, & by the lawyer's advice, locked it up till the house should be quiet at night, when we four, myself, John, my brother & Mr Cox, seated at a card table exactly as if we were preparing for a game of whist, instead of so serious a matter. First the lawyer counted each roll, passing it on to us to recount in turn, & then entering the account of each in a book. We were thus engaged till 2 a.m. when we were so tired that we thought it best to put off counting the coin till next day. I ought, perhaps, to say, that before closing the chest, on pulling up the papers, I found a very yellow document, on which I spied the word "Codicil". I handed it to the lawyer, saying:" This must be something legal, perhaps it is the Will we are in search of." "It is a Will," he said, "but more than 50 years old." This proved to be Miss Warre's will, & the only one that was found.
