1773 - Wroughtons and Wilcot Manor estate

A whistle-stop tour of Wroughton succession: Sir Thomas Wroughton died in 1597, and the estate passed to Anne, his widow, and on her death in 1610 to their youngest son George; he died in 1649, succeeded by his son Francis, who died in 1695, when the estate passed first to his brother George and then George’s son (also George). In 1702 the latter’s grandson Francis succeeded, but on his death in 1722 the estate passed to his brother James, who died in 1745 leaving the estate to his son George.

Tragically, George’s only son James died at the age of 17 in the pump-rooms in Bath in 1773 (how?). So George devised that on his death, the estate should revert to his wife Susannah and that on her death the estate would be equally divided between their three daughters, Susannah, Charlotte and Ann.

So from George’s death in 1779 to 1816, Susannah owned Wilcot Manor, and was followed by her daughter Susannah; property at Stowell passed to Charlotte. Ann inherited other land in Wilcot, but on her death in 1804 her property was divided between the other two sisters. This map shows the partition as confirmed in 1820:

When the younger Susannah died unmarried in 1825, Wilcot Manor passed to George Wroughton Montagu, son of Charlotte and Admiral Sir George Montagu. He changed his name to George Wroughton Wroughton at this time. When his father died in 1829, he inherited Stowell as well (where Stowell Park had been built around 1810), so re-uniting the estate.

On his death in 1871, the entire estate passed to his brother, Admiral John William Montagu, who lived at Seend. His son George Montagu died in 1878, leaving four children.

The oldest, George Edward Stirling Montagu (1874-1956) sold Stowell in 1900 and Wilcot Manor in 1919; he was left only with Cross Hayes, though relatives still lived in Little Abbots and Paradise Cottage.