Snowshill Manor - Broadway, Gloucestershire
The 16th century Snowshill Manor is situated in the village of Snowshill in Gloucestershire, England. The Manor of Snowshill was given to Winchcombe Abbey by Ceowulf, King of Mercia in 821, the same year of his death. In the Domesday book of 1085, Snowshill was listed as ‘Snawesille’, property of Saint Mary of Winchecombe. The Abbey owned Snowshill until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539, when Henry VIII included the Manor in his dowry to Catherine Parr.
Snowshill Manor is built on the site of a priory but parts of the building that stands today, date from around 1550 with extensions added in the 17th and 18th centuries. Over time the house became dilapidated until it was purchased in 1919 by Charles Paget Wade.
Born in Kent in 1883, Charles Wade was the only son of Paget Augustus and Amy Wade, owners of sugar estates on the island of St Kitts in the British West Indies. Paget Augustus was born on the St Kitts and was the son of Solomon Wade and Mary Jones. Solomon was also born on the island and had a career as a dry goods merchant. Solomon bought several sugar plantations after he received compensation from the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833. |
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Mary Jones, the mother of Paget was a black woman believed to have been Solomon’s housekeeper but records show that she was a huckster, someone who sells items door to door or from a stall. Solomon and Mary were unmarried when Paget was born but they married a year later in 1885 and moved to Kent in England in 1861.
Paget bought sugar plantations in St Kitts after his father, Solomon gifted him a large amount of money to invest. In 1882, Paget married Amy Blanche Spencer, a year before Charles Paget Wade was born.
Paget bought sugar plantations in St Kitts after his father, Solomon gifted him a large amount of money to invest. In 1882, Paget married Amy Blanche Spencer, a year before Charles Paget Wade was born.
At the age of 7, Charles was sent off to live with his grandmother in Great Yarmouth, who he called ‘Grannie Spencer’.
Grannie Spencer owned a beautiful and elegant 18th century, Cantonese cabinet that contained many small artefacts that she had collected over the years. Every Sunday she would allow Charles to open the cabinet to look through the various objects that she had accumulated over her lifetime, such as shells, compasses, silver spoons, musical boxes and many more curiosities. This inspired Charles to start his own collection of items, the first items to his collection was purchased from saving his pocket money, he bought 2 bone carved figures of the Virgin Mary holding her Child and 3 small shrines of St Michael.
Grannie Spencer owned a beautiful and elegant 18th century, Cantonese cabinet that contained many small artefacts that she had collected over the years. Every Sunday she would allow Charles to open the cabinet to look through the various objects that she had accumulated over her lifetime, such as shells, compasses, silver spoons, musical boxes and many more curiosities. This inspired Charles to start his own collection of items, the first items to his collection was purchased from saving his pocket money, he bought 2 bone carved figures of the Virgin Mary holding her Child and 3 small shrines of St Michael.
Charles never enjoyed his time at school but after he left he went on to university and qualified as an architect. As well as practising architecture he had a passion for drawing and painting.
In 1911, his father, Paget died and Charles inherited shares in the sugar business which gave him enough income to quit architecture and spending more time concentrating on art and building his collection.
While in France as a Royal Engineer during the First World War, Charles saw an advertisement for the sale of Snowshill Manor in Country Life magazine. Once the war was over he bought the property along with its 14 acres of land. The house was in need of renovating as it had fallen into a state on bad repair. His experience as an architect helped him restore and remodel the house and he turned the farmyard into an Arts and Crafts garden.
In 1911, his father, Paget died and Charles inherited shares in the sugar business which gave him enough income to quit architecture and spending more time concentrating on art and building his collection.
While in France as a Royal Engineer during the First World War, Charles saw an advertisement for the sale of Snowshill Manor in Country Life magazine. Once the war was over he bought the property along with its 14 acres of land. The house was in need of renovating as it had fallen into a state on bad repair. His experience as an architect helped him restore and remodel the house and he turned the farmyard into an Arts and Crafts garden.
Opposite the Manor stands a Priests house which would have been used in the past for visiting clergy, Charles lived in the Priests house and used the Manor to store and show off his collection of items. Amongst his collection of fine furniture, clocks, historic costumes and bicycles is 26 suits of Samurai armour from the 17th and 19th centuries.
Many people heard about the items in Charles’ collection and he was visited by many famous figures including, Queen Mary, Virginia Woolf and J.B. Priestly. Charles’ moto was ‘Let Nothing Perish’ which he added to his own coats of arms that he created.
Many people heard about the items in Charles’ collection and he was visited by many famous figures including, Queen Mary, Virginia Woolf and J.B. Priestly. Charles’ moto was ‘Let Nothing Perish’ which he added to his own coats of arms that he created.
Charles enjoyed his evenings by entertaining guests, taking them around the Manor to show off his collection. He would dress up in different costumes and disappear into secret rooms with tine corridors and small staircase’s, reappearing in other rooms wearing a different costume, surprising his guests. He never installed electricity into the house as he preferred his collection to be lit up by candlelight.
In 1946, Charles married Mary Graham, the daughter of a vicar. At this point in his life, he was in his 60’s and they started spending more time in St Kitts but still stayed at Snowshill when in England. In 1956 during a visit to England, Charles was taken ill and was taken to Evesham Hospital where he sadly died on the 28th of June. Mary died many years later in the nearby village of Broadway.
In 1946, Charles married Mary Graham, the daughter of a vicar. At this point in his life, he was in his 60’s and they started spending more time in St Kitts but still stayed at Snowshill when in England. In 1956 during a visit to England, Charles was taken ill and was taken to Evesham Hospital where he sadly died on the 28th of June. Mary died many years later in the nearby village of Broadway.
Five years before Charles died in 1951, he approached the National Trust offering Snowshill Manor and his collection to be safeguarded for future generations to enjoy. The National Trust accepted the offer and still have everything in place where Charles placed everything. Charles wrote about the house:
“Old am I, so very old,
Here centuries have been
Mysteries my walk enfold,
None know deed I have seen”.
“Old am I, so very old,
Here centuries have been
Mysteries my walk enfold,
None know deed I have seen”.
Charles was a very eccentric man who would often wear his historic costumes from his collection, some dating back to the 17th century, on a daily basis. Due to his appearance an that he slept with a large stuffed bat above his bed, it was rumoured that Charles was a vampire, there is no evidence to support this an I’m sure he would have used this rumour to his advantage.
At the top of the house is a room that is known as ‘The Witches Garret’, which shows his hidden fascination of witchcraft and the occult. The room contained items relating to the ‘dark arts’, some is believed to have belonged to a medieval alchemist. There is a large pentagram painted on the floor and other occult symbols painted on the walls. When the National Trust took over the property, they didn’t want to show this room and its items to the public. The National Trust contacted Cecil Williamson who was running the nearby Museum of Witchcraft in Bourton On The Water, to take the items for his museum. Delighted, he took and showed them proudly in his museum until the locals took a dislike to it, probably because in the 1950’s Christianity was still strong in England, especially in the countryside. The Witchcraft Museum moved to Boscastle in Cornwall but sadly many of the items were lost in the devastating flood in 2004.
Many Visitors to Snowshill Manor have said that the house has a strange feeling to it before even entering and some people just won’t enter.
Some of the National Trust guides have reported hearing footsteps in different rooms when the house has had no visitors. They believe that its Charles Wade checking on his collection, making sure everything is in its rightful place.
One of the guides was doing her regular shift one afternoon. She was standing in the doorway in between the Music Room and Ann’s Room when she noticed a girl in an old fashioned green dress after a group of visitors had passed through. The girl walked towards her, walking across Ann’s Room, turning around and walked back towards the corridor, disappearing right in front of the guide. She checked to see if she was in the corridor outside of the room but she was no where to be seen, she could only see the next group of visitors walking towards her.
Some of the National Trust guides have reported hearing footsteps in different rooms when the house has had no visitors. They believe that its Charles Wade checking on his collection, making sure everything is in its rightful place.
One of the guides was doing her regular shift one afternoon. She was standing in the doorway in between the Music Room and Ann’s Room when she noticed a girl in an old fashioned green dress after a group of visitors had passed through. The girl walked towards her, walking across Ann’s Room, turning around and walked back towards the corridor, disappearing right in front of the guide. She checked to see if she was in the corridor outside of the room but she was no where to be seen, she could only see the next group of visitors walking towards her.
When Charles Wade was restoring the oldest part of the house on the first floor, he took a small piece of timber from one of the rooms and sent it to a clairvoyant that he’d heard of who lived in Brighton. The clairvoyant had no knowledge of Snowshill Manor and he didn’t tell her where the timber came from. She wrote the following in a letter:
“Two houses upon a steep slope – the larger, lofty and mysterious. In the lofty house in an upper room, late at night there is a girl in a green dress of the 17th century – she is greatly agitated – she paces anxiously up and down the room – she doesn’t live here and will not stay the night”.
“Two houses upon a steep slope – the larger, lofty and mysterious. In the lofty house in an upper room, late at night there is a girl in a green dress of the 17th century – she is greatly agitated – she paces anxiously up and down the room – she doesn’t live here and will not stay the night”.
A few years later, a Mrs Clegg gave Charles some papers relating to Wormington Grange in nearby Broadway. The papers contained the details of a Star Chamber case, a secret court meeting, relating to the secret marriage of Ann Parsons.
Ann Parsons, who was only 15, came from the Parsons family of Overbury in Worcestershire. When her widowed mother died in 1602, she left in her will an estate worth 1000 marks. Ann could claim this when she turned 16 or if she married. Her guardian was Richard Datson, the half brother to Sir William Savage of Elmley Castle. Sir William drew up a contract for the marriage of Ann to his son, George Savage. While George was away, serving an apprenticeship, one of Savage’s servants, Anthony Palmer had a secret affair with Ann and promised that if they married he would share his house and lands.
Ann Parsons, who was only 15, came from the Parsons family of Overbury in Worcestershire. When her widowed mother died in 1602, she left in her will an estate worth 1000 marks. Ann could claim this when she turned 16 or if she married. Her guardian was Richard Datson, the half brother to Sir William Savage of Elmley Castle. Sir William drew up a contract for the marriage of Ann to his son, George Savage. While George was away, serving an apprenticeship, one of Savage’s servants, Anthony Palmer had a secret affair with Ann and promised that if they married he would share his house and lands.
In 1604, on St Valentines Eve, Anthony Palmer and many companions, abducted Ann and took her to Snowshill Manor. He had arranged for the Reverend Richard Stone from Broadway to meet him on an upper floor to perform a marriage ceremony at midnight, not knowing that it was against the law of God and the Church because Ann was in a contract with George Savage. After the wedding, Ann didn’t want to stay at Snowshill Manor so they travelled to Chipping Campden, just like the clairvoyant had written in her letter to Charles Wade.
They were followed and were soon caught by Sir William Savage and his servants. Sir William took Ann and placed her in the charge of her grandmother, without anyone knowing where she was. Word soon got to Palmer, so he went to the Ann’s grandmother’s house, where he stabbed her and carried Ann away. After a little time, they were caught, Anthony was charged with abduction of Ann. Both Anthony and Ann said that they were not aware of the marriage contract between Ann and George Savage. There is no record of marriage so no one knows if Ann and Richard stayed married but after her death it was recorded that her name was Ann Clarke of the pedigree Parsons of Overbury. So all we know is that she had remarried at some point in her life.
Charles Wade named the room where the illegal marriage took place, Ann’s Room after finding this information. But who is the girl in the green dress, is it Ann Parsons?
The room to the right of the entrance of the Manor was named the ‘Zenith Room’ by Charles Wade. There is a record of a duel where one of the people taking part was killed. Workers and visitors to the Manor say that they still hear the clashing of swords coming from that room on occasions.
The room to the right of the entrance of the Manor was named the ‘Zenith Room’ by Charles Wade. There is a record of a duel where one of the people taking part was killed. Workers and visitors to the Manor say that they still hear the clashing of swords coming from that room on occasions.
In the 19th century, the house was lived in by Charles Marshall who run the land as a farm. After he died, a farm labourer named Richard Carter saw the spectre of Charles Marshall many times riding a black pony. He consulted the local vicar who told him to confront the spirit and ask:
“What troublest thou here in the name of the Lord?”. The ghost told him to meet him at midnight in one of the farm buildings. Carter met the ghost of Charles Marshall and he gave him a message to pass on the Marshall’s widow. No one knows what the message contained but according to local legend, the message included information about a stash of money that he’d hidden in the house. Marshall’s widow could suddenly afford to erect new buildings on the Snowshill estate.
Villagers of Snowshill refuse to walk down the lane that runs in front of the Manor. Many people have witnessed a shadowy figure wearing a habit, not dissimilar to a monk. They believe that he could be a monk from the Benedictine Priory that stood in the location of the Manor in Medieval times. A similar, if not the same shade has been seen in the local pub, The Snowshill Arms and he also makes an appearance in the Manor. He has been seen in the kitchen and on the stairs near Ann’s Room.