Childwickbury circa 1850

From the Dust Cover

Childwickbury (pronounced Chillickbury) was and still is a large private estate about three miles to the north of St Albans.

This History of Chidlwickbury, from medieval times to the present day, is about the owners and the community that lived there.

In Medieval times the Manor of Childwick belonged to the Abbot and monks of St Albans. At the dissolution of the Monastery in 1540 this manor came to the crown and various families owned the estate down the centuries.

The Lomax family, who built the original mansion, resided there for 188 years. In 1854 the Toulmin family became the new owners and the first ,ajor improvers of the estate.

In 1883 Childwickbury was brought by John Blundell Maple who continued improving the property until his death in 1903. Racing was his passion and it was he who founded the famous Childwickbury Stud.

'Jack' Barnato Joel, a diamond and gold merchant, purchased the estate in December 1906 and Childwickbury became his country home. He bred many successful horses at the stud.

On his death in 1940 his son Harry 'Jim' Joel inherited the estate and Stud. Described as ' ... one of the great English Owner-breeders, and one of the most popular men on the Turf ...' he was the leading owner in 1967.

In 1978 estate land and most of the estate houses were sold. Childwickbury Mansion and parkland were brought by the film producer Stanley Kubrick.

H. J. Joel retained the Stud and continued living at Childwick Hall until his death in March 1992.

The Childwickbury Stud was brought in early 1993 by a company headed by the Marquese de Moratalla and remains as a Stud to the present day.

CONTENTS

Foreword

Introduction to the Childwickbury Estate and the Owners

The Toulmin Family at Childwickbury 1854 - 1883

The Maple Family at Childwickbury 1883 - 1906

The Joel Family at Childwickbury 1906 - 1992

Childwickbury - 1978 to the present day

The Childwickbury Stud

The Church of St Mary and the Childwick Green School

The Hawkswick Estate

The 'One Bell' Public House and the Childwick 'Club'

19th century Childwickbury

20th century Childwickbury

The Childwickbury Fallen - WW1 and WW2

Census Analysis 1851 - 1901

Sir George Clausen RA RWS HRBA 1852 - 1944

The Wills of J B Maple and H J Joel

Acknowledgements

Bibliography

List of Illustrations

Index

Review

A beautifully produced and illustrated history of an estate, making use of estate papers as well as publicly available material. The extensive quotations from sales catalogues give a good idea of the property at various dates in its history.

For anyone researching Victorian St Albans the sections on the Toulmin family and John Blundell Maple are of particular interest, while those interested in horse racing in the 20th century will enjoy the material describing the Joel family and the Clildwickbury Stud.

I spotted one item of personal family interest in that in 1927 Cheapside Farm, Sandridge, was purchased to become part of the stud farm. Prior to that date it had been owned by Earl Spencer and farmed by my great uncle Arthur John Reynolds. The tenancy may well have been associated with the adjoining Heath Farm, under my great grand father, Jacob Reynolds, who died in 1926, and Earl spencer decided to make changes.

See also my comments on Hawkswick