Fritham House

From the 1860 to the 1880s, as a smaller house, this was rented, and eventually bought, by the Benett family (who were trying to let it in 1890. Pasmore, Houlgate and Heinst: ‘Fritham House was sold in 1891 ... and it was bought by Dr [Frank Emerson] Chapman [1898-1907], whose son captained England at cricket. Dr Chapman ran it as a boys school until 1910, when it was sold again, this time to Daniel Hanbury. Hanbury pulled down the much smaller house and proceeded to build the present house on the same site with stables, laundry, a poultry unit and staff quarters. he added to the property all the nearby land that he could buy. Eventually Fritham House comprised all of the land surrounded by the two roads leading to the village, except for four cottages along the edge, but Moor Cottage belonged to him. Hanbury was determined to create an imposing property, reputedly as a wedding present for his daughter, but he sold it before it was completed to one Henry Stafford Northcote in 1914. it is noted that the house was originally sold to ‘trustees for HSN a person of unsound mind’. He later recovered and the house handed over to him and he proceeded to live there until about 1921. In order to produce a really worthwhile house and stable block, he equipped it with electric light, the electricity being generated by diesel engines housed in Lister Cottage, (hence its appellation by the writer [M. Houlgate]), and he wanted the whole property served by an elaborate water supply ...’