Gregory Page
Encyclopedia
The heads of three successive generations of the same English
family were each named Gregory Page. A wealthy family whose fortune was not inherited but initially accumulated through trade, the Pages were closely associated with the development of north-west Kent
(now south-east London
) during the 18th century.
.
for Shoreham
in West Sussex
in December 1708, a seat he retained until 1713. Created a baronet
(3 December 1714), Page regained the seat in 1715 and held it until his death.
His wife, Dame Mary Page (nee Trotman - daughter of Thomas Trotman of London), with whom he had four children, died on 11 March 1728 aged 56 and was buried at Bunhill Fields
in the City of London
, with an epitaph
that hinted at a painful illness (possibly Meigs' syndrome)
His daughter, also Mary Page, married Edward Turner
in 1718. Page and his son-in-law invested in the South Sea Company. Page died in 1720.
Page invested a substantial part of his fortune into further property, particularly in what was then north-west Kent. In 1723, he built a manor house in the Westcombe Park
area, just north of Blackheath
, but later preferred to live in a huge mansion at Wricklemarsh nearby. This was designed by architect
John James, built for £90,000, and stood in a 250 acres (101.2 ha) park, once the property of Sir John Morden
. A ground plan and cross-section through the mansion's rooms were included in Vitruvius Britannicus in 1739, and according to a contemporary description, Wricklemarsh was:
(The surrounding land later formed part of the Blackheath Park housing estate created by John Cator
, after he purchased Wricklemarsh in 1783).
Page's fields of interest were said by the Dictionary of National Biography to include "scholarship and languages, engineering
, construction
, naval architecture
and surveying
, collecting
and building". The Wricklemarsh mansion was lavishly furnished and housed Page's art collection, with paintings by Rubens, van Dyck
, Claude
, Poussin
, Veronese
, Salvator Rosa
, Nicolaes Berchem, and a group of ten pictures by Adriaen van der Werff
. Six Dutch East India wood chairs inlaid with the Page/Kenward arms in mother of pearl are in the Sir John Soane's Museum.
Page was the founder and patron of the dining club, the Free and Easy Society, for which a number of Qianlong Chinese armorial punch-bowls were made c.1755.
Page's other property investments included the purchase of Battlesden Manor
in Bedfordshire
from Lord Bathurst
in 1724.
In 1733, for £19,000, Page bought the dilapidated Elizabethan manor house at Well Hall Place, Eltham
, demolishing it to build a new mansion home, Page House (eventually demolished in 1931).
Page also supported the creation of a new charity in London called the Foundling Hospital
. In its Royal Charter
, issued in 1739, he is listed as one of the original governors. The charity worked to save abandoned children off the streets of the capital.
Upon his death in 1775, Page's fortune was bequeathed to his great-nephew Sir Gregory Turner, 3rd Baronet of Ambrosden
, Oxfordshire
, who added 'Page' to his surname to become Sir Gregory Page-Turner, 3rd Baronet
. Page was interred in the family vault at St Alfege's Church, Greenwich
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
family were each named Gregory Page. A wealthy family whose fortune was not inherited but initially accumulated through trade, the Pages were closely associated with the development of north-west Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
(now south-east London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) during the 18th century.
First generation
Gregory Page (1626 – November 1693) was a wealthy London merchant, shipwright and director of the British East India CompanyBritish East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
.
Second generation
His son (c. 1669 – 25 May 1720), also named Gregory Page, followed in his father's footsteps as a merchant. He was elected MPMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Shoreham
Shoreham-by-Sea
Shoreham-by-Sea is a small town, port and seaside resort in West Sussex, England. Shoreham-by-Sea railway station is located less than a mile from the town centre and London Gatwick Airport is away...
in West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
in December 1708, a seat he retained until 1713. Created a baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
(3 December 1714), Page regained the seat in 1715 and held it until his death.
His wife, Dame Mary Page (nee Trotman - daughter of Thomas Trotman of London), with whom he had four children, died on 11 March 1728 aged 56 and was buried at Bunhill Fields
Bunhill Fields
Bunhill Fields is a cemetery in the London Borough of Islington, north of the City of London, and managed by the City of London Corporation. It is about 4 hectares in extent, although historically was much larger....
in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, with an epitaph
Epitaph
An epitaph is a short text honoring a deceased person, strictly speaking that is inscribed on their tombstone or plaque, but also used figuratively. Some are specified by the dead person beforehand, others chosen by those responsible for the burial...
that hinted at a painful illness (possibly Meigs' syndrome)
- In 67 months she was tapped 66 times … 240 gallons of water drawn without ever repining at her case or ever fearing the operation (240 imperial gallons is equivalent to 1,100 litres).
His daughter, also Mary Page, married Edward Turner
Sir Edward Turner, 1st Baronet
Sir Edward Turner, 1st Baronet was an 18th century investor, landowner and baronet.He was born in London the son of John Turner, an well-to-do London merchant and educated at Bicester Grammar School. Like his father he became a merchant in London, a Director and sometime Chairman of the East...
in 1718. Page and his son-in-law invested in the South Sea Company. Page died in 1720.
Third generation
Page was succeeded by his eldest son, the second baronet, also named Sir Gregory Page (c. 1695 – 4 August 1775). A minor in the care of two guardians, he inherited several properties and a substantial fortune in South Sea Company shares, which were sold just before the so-called ‘South Sea Bubble’ burst in the autumn of 1720, ruining thousands of investors.Page invested a substantial part of his fortune into further property, particularly in what was then north-west Kent. In 1723, he built a manor house in the Westcombe Park
Westcombe Park
This article is about the London district. See Westcombe Park rugby club for details of the rugby club - now based in Orpington.Westcombe Park is a largely residential area in Blackheath in the London Borough of Greenwich, south-east London, England....
area, just north of Blackheath
Blackheath, London
Blackheath is a district of South London, England. It is named from the large open public grassland which separates it from Greenwich to the north and Lewisham to the west...
, but later preferred to live in a huge mansion at Wricklemarsh nearby. This was designed by architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
John James, built for £90,000, and stood in a 250 acres (101.2 ha) park, once the property of Sir John Morden
John Morden
Sir John Morden, 1st Baronet was a successful English merchant and philanthropist who also served briefly as an MP...
. A ground plan and cross-section through the mansion's rooms were included in Vitruvius Britannicus in 1739, and according to a contemporary description, Wricklemarsh was:
- "one of the finest houses in England, resembling a royal palace rather than a residence of a gentleman. The gardens are laid out in the most elegant manner and both the paintings and furniture are surprisingly fine. All rooms are hung with green or crimson silk damask and the cornices, door-cases and chair-frames are all carved in gilt. The chimney pieces are all fine polished marble."
(The surrounding land later formed part of the Blackheath Park housing estate created by John Cator
John Cator
John Cator was a wealthy timber merchant and landowner responsible for the layout of much of the areas around Blackheath and Beckenham, both in London — and both of which were in the county of Kent during the late 18th century.The son of a Herefordshire timber merchant and Quaker, Cator...
, after he purchased Wricklemarsh in 1783).
Page's fields of interest were said by the Dictionary of National Biography to include "scholarship and languages, engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
, naval architecture
Naval architecture
Naval architecture is an engineering discipline dealing with the design, construction, maintenance and operation of marine vessels and structures. Naval architecture involves basic and applied research, design, development, design evaluation and calculations during all stages of the life of a...
and surveying
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
, collecting
Collecting
The hobby of collecting includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever items are of interest to the individual collector. Some collectors are generalists, accumulating merchandise, or stamps from all countries of the world...
and building". The Wricklemarsh mansion was lavishly furnished and housed Page's art collection, with paintings by Rubens, van Dyck
Anthony van Dyck
Sir Anthony van Dyck was a Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England. He is most famous for his portraits of Charles I of England and his family and court, painted with a relaxed elegance that was to be the dominant influence on English portrait-painting for the next...
, Claude
Claude Lorrain
Claude Lorrain, , traditionally just Claude in English Claude Lorrain, , traditionally just Claude in English (also Claude Gellée, his real name, or in French Claude Gellée, , dit le Lorrain) Claude Lorrain, , traditionally just Claude in English (also Claude Gellée, his real name, or in French...
, Poussin
Poussin
Poussin refers to:*Charles Jean de la Vallée-Poussin Belgian mathematician*Charles-Louis-Joseph-Xavier de la Vallée-Poussin Belgian geologist and mineralogist, father of Charles Jean*Nicolas Poussin , French painter...
, Veronese
Paolo Veronese
Paolo Veronese was an Italian painter of the Renaissance in Venice, famous for paintings such as The Wedding at Cana and The Feast in the House of Levi...
, Salvator Rosa
Salvator Rosa
Salvator Rosa was an Italian Baroque painter, poet and printmaker, active in Naples, Rome and Florence. As a painter, he is best known as an "unorthodox and extravagant" and a "perpetual rebel" proto-Romantic.-Early life:...
, Nicolaes Berchem, and a group of ten pictures by Adriaen van der Werff
Adriaen van der Werff
Adriaen van der Werff was an accomplished Dutch painter of portraits and erotic, devotional and mythological scenes. His brother, Pieter van der Werff , was his principal pupil and assistant.-Life:...
. Six Dutch East India wood chairs inlaid with the Page/Kenward arms in mother of pearl are in the Sir John Soane's Museum.
Page was the founder and patron of the dining club, the Free and Easy Society, for which a number of Qianlong Chinese armorial punch-bowls were made c.1755.
Page's other property investments included the purchase of Battlesden Manor
Battlesden House
Battlesden House was a large manor house situated in parkland, Battlesden Park, close to the hamlet of Battlesden in Bedfordshire, England.A manor house was constructed in the late 16th century and was associated with the family of Lord Bathurst before he sold the estate to Sir Gregory Page in 1724...
in Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
from Lord Bathurst
Allen Bathurst, 1st Earl Bathurst
Allen Bathurst, 1st Earl Bathurst PC , known as the Lord Bathurst from 1712 to 1772, was a British politician....
in 1724.
In 1733, for £19,000, Page bought the dilapidated Elizabethan manor house at Well Hall Place, Eltham
Eltham, London
-Parks and open spaces:There is a large variety of open green space in Eltham, in the form of parkland, fields and woodland.*Avery Hill Park is large, open parkland, situated to the east of Eltham. It is most notable for its Winter Garden, a hothouse containing tropical trees and plants from around...
, demolishing it to build a new mansion home, Page House (eventually demolished in 1931).
Page also supported the creation of a new charity in London called the Foundling Hospital
Foundling Hospital
The Foundling Hospital in London, England was founded in 1741 by the philanthropic sea captain Thomas Coram. It was a children's home established for the "education and maintenance of exposed and deserted young children." The word "hospital" was used in a more general sense than it is today, simply...
. In its Royal Charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
, issued in 1739, he is listed as one of the original governors. The charity worked to save abandoned children off the streets of the capital.
Upon his death in 1775, Page's fortune was bequeathed to his great-nephew Sir Gregory Turner, 3rd Baronet of Ambrosden
Ambrosden
Ambrosden is a village and civil parish in Cherwell, Oxfordshire, England, southwest of Bicester to which it is linked by the A41 road, and from Oxford. The 2001 Census recorded a parish population of 1,749 people. The parish is bounded by the River Ray to the south, its tributary the River Bure...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, who added 'Page' to his surname to become Sir Gregory Page-Turner, 3rd Baronet
Sir Gregory Page-Turner, 3rd Baronet
Sir Gregory Page-Turner, 3rd Baronet was a wealthy landowner and politician in late 18th century England, serving as Member of Parliament for Thirsk for 21 years....
. Page was interred in the family vault at St Alfege's Church, Greenwich
St Alfege's Church, Greenwich
St Alfege Church is a Church of England place of worship in the town centre of Greenwich in the eponymous London Borough.-History:The church is dedicated to, and reputedly marks the place where Alfege , Archbishop of Canterbury, was killed by Viking raiders on 19 April 1012.The second church built...
.