Port Regis & Motcombe Park Timeline

Motcombe
1200s King John has a hunting lodge amidst the thick woodland between Shaftesbury and Gillingham. The hamlet of Motcombe, which is chronicled in the 1244 Dorset Assize Rolls, derives its name from the 'combe' or valley where the 'moot' or local government meeting was held, so it must have been of some importance, lying as it did on the verge of a royal forest. 1642 Henry Whittaker buys Motcombe House, then known as Palmer’s Place, the old manor house dating back to medieval times. 1816 William Whittaker, the last of the family, dies having reconstructed much of the house. 1825 Robert, the 2nd Earl Grosvenor, purchases from the Whittaker trustees the property, which is now called Motcombe House, as well as 10,000 acres, which includes the town of Shaftesbury. 1831 The Earl is created the 1st Marquess of Westminster, and shortly afterwards gives the estate to his eldest son, Richard Belgrave, who had married Lady Elizabeth Leveson-Gower, daughter of the second Marquess of Stafford. * 1837 Richard de Aquila Grosvenor is born, one of thirteen children in the family. 1839 Evelyn, one of the children, dies of typhus, aged 12, and is buried in Motcombe church 1840 The thirteenth and final child, Theodora, is born. 47 years later (in 1887), now Lady Theodora Guest, she gives two of the present bells to Motcombe church. 1845 Richard Belgrave succeeds to his father’s title and becomes the 2nd Marquess of Westminster. 1860s Lady Westminster plants dozens of snowdrops in the woods, the survivors of which are still to be seen, as are the Giddy Gander orchids .... if you know where to look! * 1869 The Marquess’ eldest surviving son, Hugh Lupus, succeeds to his father’s title and is created Duke of Westminster five years later*.		Motcombe House, 1865 Richard, Viscount Belgrave, 1823
		The School
		1881 Dr Alfred Praetorius starts a day and boarding school, with kindergarten, at 45 Weymouth St, London, and calls it Praetoria House. * 1883-4 Praetoria House moves to Folkestone in Kent at 1-3 Grimstone Gardens.
1886 The Duke’s younger brother, Richard de Aquila Grosvenor, is created 1st Baron Stalbridge after parting company with Gladstone over Home Rule and resigning his seat. * 1891 The Marchioness of Westminster dies and is buried in Motcombe churchyard. Baron Stalbridge inherits and moves into Motcombe House with his second wife, Eleanor Hamilton Stubber (died 1911), and their three sons and two daughters.* 1894 Lord Grosvenor contracts typhoid. The drains of the house, which came to rest under the kitchen floor, are suspected, so the old house is pulled down and the stone removed by Charles Prideaux of Motcombe. The stables and the walled garden (older than the house) remain. The new Motcombe House is started. The architects are Ernest George and Peto, assisted by Ethel Mary Charles, who is to become the first qualified woman architect in England. 1895** The building is completed with its 60 rooms and one million bricks.		Lady Westminster, aged 84
		1903 The school is sold to Mr and Mrs Roderick. 1904 Mr Roderick builds new premises in Folkestone and moves the school there. (The former premises are taken over by the Folkestone County School for Girls and named Penfold House.)
1905 Lord Stalbridge agrees to honour his offer to back a debt of £100,000 incurred by a fellow peer. Much of the Motcombe estate is sold and the family wealth undermined.* The family moves to London (22 Sussex Square) abandoning Motcombe House. One of the daughters, Nellie (Eleanor), marries Josceline Grant and emigrates to Africa. They would have a daughter who would become known as Elspeth Huxley. 1911 Lady Stalbridge dies, and is interred in the Motcombe churchyard. 1912 (18 May) Baron Stalbridge dies at his house in London, and is buried at Motcombe. The eldest son Hughie (born 1880) inherits the title and Motcombe House, and moves back to live there in 1914 with his wife, Gladys, and son, Hugh Raufe (known to his friends as Puck). He sells 2000 acres. *
Lord Richard Grosvenor, First Baron Stalbridge		1921 Sir Milsom Rees, the King George V’s ENT specialist founds Port Regis at Kingsgate, Broadstairs, incorporating the pupils and staff from Praetoria House in Folkestone following the retirement of the Rodericks. * His son-in-law, Gilbert C Beall, becomes the first Headmaster of Port Regis. .
		1923 (Lent) The Old Port Regians Association is formed. One of the ex-Praetoria House boys, GL Berry, later became Viscount Kemsley and was the first President (at the age of 14!). He was one of five Berry brothers at the school. Is this a record?!
1925-27 Hughie sells the whole estate, to the dismay of the rest of the family, for £180,350, largely because he feels the S and W Wilts Hunt is not good enough! He goes to be Master of the Fernie Hunt in Leicestershire and Northamptonshire. The freehold of Motcombe House and its surrounding Park is purchased first by Gaskain and Benton (brickmakers) and by 1935 by Charles Prideaux.		1927 A. Howard Evans becomes Headmaster.
		1933 John M Upward becomes Headmaster. *
1939-1945 Motcombe House is occupied first by Pinewood Prep School and then by Consolidated Goldfields of South Africa who evacuate from London. Their records are conveniently stored in the wine-bins in the cellars. The Park is requisitioned and is used first as a 'POW' camp, set up on West Field, and then for Displaced Persons.		1940(13 May) The school evacuates from Broadstairs to Bryanston in Blandford Forum after a landmine, dropped by a German aircraft, lands close to the school and finally persuades Sir Milsom it is time to move!. (The Broadstairs property continues to be known as Port Regis School and is owned and run as a convent school for disadvantaged children by The Daughters of the Cross.)
	1945	(11 May) The school moves to Gorhambury House, Near St Alban’s, the family estate of Lord Forrester, one of the Bryanston governors. *

Port Regis moves to Motcombe Park in January during one of the coldest winters on record! * Summer – new showers for the changing-rooms and rewiring the electric lighting throughout the house. The latter proves a formidable task owing to the thickness of the ceilings: seven inches of concrete!	1947	Port Regis forms itself into a Limited Liability Company with its own board of governors.
	1948	New tennis courts and shooting range.
Before the mansion had been connected to the mains, electricity was generated in a building below the stables. This was probably made from stone from the old Motcombe House demolished in 1894. This is now converted (1951) to become the first staff house, Port Regis Cottage, first occupied by Mr and Mrs Cole and most recently by Mr and Mrs James.	Early 1950s	The outdoor swimming pool is built in the Rose Garden, with the boys doing much of the digging! *
	1962/3	The Science Room and Gymnasium are built at the East end of the Mansion.
	Jan 1969	David CM Prichard becomes Headmaster.
Freehold of Motcombe Park (150 acres) purchased from the Prideaux family for £50,000.	1972
	1974	Cromer Dining Hall and kitchens.
	1976	Co-education introduced with 4 girls – one C former, one D former and two E formers After 6 weeks they were down to only 3, but then numbers grew. *
	1980	Jowett Sports Hall and squash courts, opened by HRH Princess Anne.
	1983	Centenary Hall (Assembly Hall, Theatre, Music rooms and Classrooms), opened by Lord Denning.
	1985	Grosvenor Hall (Senior Girls' boarding house), opened by Christopher Patten.
	1990	Queen’s Hall (Indoor Swimming Pool and Gymnastics Centre), opened by HM The Queen.
	1992	Cunningham Hall of Technology, opened by Sir Edward Heath. Golf Course created on south side of Mansion.
	1993	Port Regis at Kingsgate in Broadstairs closes its doors for the last time to pupils and becomes a residential home for the elderly. In September a Pre-Prep is started on the ground floor of Cole Court, the old stable block.
	Jan 1994	Peter AE Dix becomes Headmaster.
	1995	Prichard Hall (Senior Boys' boarding house), opened by David Prichard.
	1995	Headmaster’s House built on the site of the main buildings of the old POW camp!
	1995	Astroturf (Hockey pitch and 9 tennis courts), opened by Sean Kerly.
	2003	New Dining Hall and Kitchens, opened by Paul Rankin.
	2003	Farrington Music School, opened by Susie Farrington.
	2008	JM Upward Academic Centre, opened by Sir Louis Blom-Cooper, QC, OPR

* For notes on the text above, please click here

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Port Regis & Motcombe Park Timeline