Ham House
House museum · London, England
Politicians, royals & nobility
History
Ham House is a 17th-century house set in formal gardens on the bank of the River Thames in Ham, south of Richmond in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. The original house was completed in 1610 by Thomas Vavasour, an Elizabethan courtier and Knight Marshal to James I. It was then leased, and later bought, by William Murray, a close friend and supporter of Charles I. The English Civil War saw the house and much of the estate sequestrated, but Murray's wife Catherine regained them on payment of a fine. During the Protectorate, his daughter Elizabeth Murray, Countess of Dysart, successfully navigated the prevailing anti-royalist sentiment and retained control of the estate on her father's death in 1655.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Ham House”, CC BY-SA 4.0.
About Elizabeth Maitland, Duchess of Lauderdale
Elizabeth Maitland, Duchess of Lauderdale was a Scottish peeress. She was the eldest daughter of William Murray and his wife Catherine, the Earl and Countess of Dysart. She was raised in English court circles during the years leading up to the English Civil War and received a well-rounded education from her parents. Her first husband was Lionel Tollemache, with whom she had eleven children. In 1672, three years after Lionel's death, she married John Maitland, 1st Duke of Lauderdale and gained a prominent position in the restored court.
From the Wikipedia article “Elizabeth Maitland, Duchess of Lauderdale”, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Visiting
This is a house museum. Opening times, tickets and access change, so check the official website before you travel. Get directions.
