Southside House
Encyclopedia
Southside House is a 17th century house located on the south side of Wimbledon Common
.
The house was built for Robert Pennington, who had shared Charles II's
exile in Holland. In 1687 after losing his son to the Bubonic Plague
, Pennington left London
for Holme Farm, Wimbledon, which at that time was a separate village several miles from the capital. Pennington commissioned Dutch architects to build the house, incorporating an existing farmhouse into the design. Two niches either side of the front door contain statues of Plenty and Spring, they are said to bear the likenesses of Pennington's wife and daughter.
Inside, the house contains many examples of 17th century furniture, and memorabilia connected to the Pennington family. The house's musik room was prepared for the entertainment of Frederick, Prince of Wales
, who visited in 1750. Later visitors to the house were Sir William Hamilton
and Lady Emma Hamilton
together with Lord Nelson
. Lord Byron talked in the gardens with his publisher, John Murray (second of that name), while generations later, Axel Munthe
talked in the same gardens with his publisher, John Murray
(fourth or fifth of that name).
The house passed through the Pennington-Mellor family, eventually coming into the possession of Malcolm Munthe
, the son of Hilda Pennington-Mellor and Axel Munthe
. During WWII Southside House was damaged, and Malcolm Munthe spent much of his later life restoring the house, and another family property, Hellens Manor
to historic showpiece condition.
Southside House is still run by Robert Pennington's descendants today, serving partly as a residence but also as a museum, administered by the Pennington-Mellor-Munthe Charity Trust, and hosting tour groups as well as cultural events such as lectures, concerts, and literary discussions.
Wimbledon and Putney Commons
Wimbledon Common is a large open space in Wimbledon south-west London, totalling 460 hectares . There are three named areas: Wimbledon Common, Putney Heath, and Putney Lower Common which together are managed under the name Wimbledon and Putney Commons...
.
The house was built for Robert Pennington, who had shared Charles II's
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
exile in Holland. In 1687 after losing his son to the Bubonic Plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
, Pennington left 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...
for Holme Farm, Wimbledon, which at that time was a separate village several miles from the capital. Pennington commissioned Dutch architects to build the house, incorporating an existing farmhouse into the design. Two niches either side of the front door contain statues of Plenty and Spring, they are said to bear the likenesses of Pennington's wife and daughter.
Inside, the house contains many examples of 17th century furniture, and memorabilia connected to the Pennington family. The house's musik room was prepared for the entertainment of Frederick, Prince of Wales
Frederick, Prince of Wales
Frederick, Prince of Wales was a member of the House of Hanover and therefore of the Hanoverian and later British Royal Family, the eldest son of George II and father of George III, as well as the great-grandfather of Queen Victoria...
, who visited in 1750. Later visitors to the house were Sir William Hamilton
William Hamilton (diplomat)
Sir William Hamilton KB, PC, FRS was a Scottish diplomat, antiquarian, archaeologist and vulcanologist. After a short period as a Member of Parliament, he served as British Ambassador to the Kingdom of Naples from 1764 to 1800...
and Lady Emma Hamilton
Emma, Lady Hamilton
Emma, Lady Hamilton is best remembered as the mistress of Lord Nelson and as the muse of George Romney. She was born Amy Lyon in Ness near Neston, Cheshire, England, the daughter of a blacksmith, Henry Lyon, who died when she was two months old...
together with Lord Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
. Lord Byron talked in the gardens with his publisher, John Murray (second of that name), while generations later, Axel Munthe
Axel Munthe
Axel Martin Fredrik Munthe was a Swedish psychiatrist, best known as the author of The Story of San Michele, an autobiographical account of his life and work....
talked in the same gardens with his publisher, John Murray
John Murray (publisher)
John Murray is an English publisher, renowned for the authors it has published in its history, including Jane Austen, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Lord Byron, Charles Lyell, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Herman Melville, and Charles Darwin...
(fourth or fifth of that name).
The house passed through the Pennington-Mellor family, eventually coming into the possession of Malcolm Munthe
Malcolm Munthe
Major Malcolm Munthe MC was a British soldier, writer, and curator, and son of the famous Swedish doctor and writer Axel Munthe and his second wife Hilda Pennington-Mellor.-Early life and Second World War:...
, the son of Hilda Pennington-Mellor and Axel Munthe
Axel Munthe
Axel Martin Fredrik Munthe was a Swedish psychiatrist, best known as the author of The Story of San Michele, an autobiographical account of his life and work....
. During WWII Southside House was damaged, and Malcolm Munthe spent much of his later life restoring the house, and another family property, Hellens Manor
Hellens
Hellens Manor, also known as Hellens House or simply Hellens and located in the village of Much Marcle in Herefordshire is one of the oldest dwellings in England, currently primarily composed of Tudor style architecture, but some elements may be far older.-History:The manor was granted to the de...
to historic showpiece condition.
Southside House is still run by Robert Pennington's descendants today, serving partly as a residence but also as a museum, administered by the Pennington-Mellor-Munthe Charity Trust, and hosting tour groups as well as cultural events such as lectures, concerts, and literary discussions.