In 1989, when i was 17 years old, a spend a summer in England. Some of that time was spent in the Malvern Hills. On a couple of night the kids there took me out to Witley Court. Witley Court is a ruin of a giant manor house that burned in 1937. I thought is was the most amazing place. In later years I found out that Bob Dylan has spent the night there after getting booed for going electric. I wrote the first song years ago about my time there. I then started doing some research about the history and started writing more songs about it. This album is the final result. The following are notes telling a little something about each song. Thank you so much for listening!!
Witley Court
This is a song recounting my own personal experience at Witley Court in the summer of 1989. I was living in a town called Malvern near Worchester. I went to Witley Court in the middle of the night and spent several hours there with some friends I made in Malvern. This was before the restoration of the fountains. At night it was an amazingly eerie and haunting place. I never forgot it. I’ve since been back to visit it twice. The violin on this song was performed by Timothy Horner.
The Victorians
The song was taken from extracts of Barrows Journal describing the Second Earl of Dudley’s 21st birthday extravaganza in 1888. The Celebration lasted several days. It included a country ball, which was attended by 214 guests and other festivities that were attended by more than 1,000 people. There were two enormous 110ft/36ft tents large amounts of food and drink. There was a merry-go-round, pleasure boats, and numerous performances by different troupes. The festivities concluded with a fireworks display.
Mr. Nesfield’s Garden
William Nesfield was born in 1793. He graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge and enlisted in the army in 1809, fighting in Spain and Canada. He retired on half pay in 1816 and dedicated himself to painting watercolors between 1823 and 1843. In the later half of his life, Nesfield's passion changed to landscape gardening. Drawing upon pre-18th-century garden styles, he gained a reputation for elaborate designs. His style often combined using elaborate parterres with modern plants. He worked on Regent's Park, St James's Park, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Grimston Park, Holkham Hall, Broughton Hall and Witley Court. At Witley Court, William Nesfield was employed to lay out an ambitious scheme of gardens, stonework and fountains. He called it his “monster work.” His fountain of Perseus and Andromeda, carved in Portland stone by James Forsyth, is reputed to be the largest in Europe. In its heyday is used to play twice a week. This fountain has recently been restored and now plays three times a day for visitors.
Rachel the Countess Dudley
Rachel Gurney was the daughter of Charles Henry Gurney. She was born in 1876. She married William Humble Ward, 2nd Earl of Dudley. She was the owner of the famous Dudley Diamond also known as the Star of Africa. Rachel’s photograph was taken at the Devonshire Ball in 1897. Her costume included a Persian dress of white crepe, thickly embroidered in real dull gold. The skirt was bordered with three lines of green embroidery, studded with amethysts, turquoises, and pearls and a chasuble of solid gold tissue, encrusted with jewels, fell from the shoulders to the hem of the skirt. Armlets and bracelets of dead gold set with the same jewels. Head-dress, two veils, the under one white embroidered with gold, and the upper one purple embroidered with gold, crown of dead gold, encrusted with precious stones, and hanging on the forehead were 15 large drop pearls. In June 1920 the second Earl's wife Rachelwas drowned in a swimming accident in Ireland. At the time, the Dudley family fortune was in decline due to competition from foreign industrialists. Shortly after Rachel’s death, Dudley sold Witley Court.
Fireproof Floors
This song describes some of the interior of Witley Court during its Height under the Second Earl of Dudley and the Countess Rachel. Witley Court was famous for it’s “fireproof floors,” which is ironic because they burned in 1937. I also find it interesting that huge amounts of money and time were put in to gardens and landscaping, when only a select few were allowed to enjoy them.
Lord Balloon
The Foley family owned Witley Court from 1655 to 1837. Thomas Foley VI became known as “Lord Balloon” after an incident in which a hot air balloon got out of control in the gardens of his London house. During his time as the owner of Whitley Court, the family fortuned became greatly diminished due to extravagance and gambling. His son, Thomas VII restored the family’s financial position by marrying the daughter of the Duke of Leinster.
Fiddler Foley
Richard Foley erected the first local slitting mill on the river Stour at The Hyde near Kinver. He was better known as ”Fiddler Foley”, the son of a nailer, according to Dudley parish records, he was baptized on 28th March 1580. The story is that he made his way to Sweden pretending to be an idiot and playing the fiddle. He worked his way into the Swedish ironworks where he became friendly with the workmen, found out how the slitting mill operated and returned to England to set up his own mill. He had problems with the cutters having missed certain details on how to keep them cool and so returned to Sweden and made drawings. This time when he returned to England his slitting mill was successful.
To Dine or Not
This song is taken from and anecdote by Dudley, John William Ward, First Earl of (1818-1885). Dudley purchased Witley Court in 1837 for 890,000 pounds (32 million today). Dudley made his fortune in coal, iron, limestone and fireclay. He also owned iron-smelting works, a railway construction company, and chemical factories. He died insane, often conversing with himself in two voices, one falsetto and one bass.
Porticos
This is just a song about my desire to visit Witley Court again someday.
Just a Touch of Fire
Witley Court burned on September 7th, 1937. The fire, which began in the east wing could not be quelled because the hydrant system had not been maintained and the “fireproof floors” were ineffective. Much of what was left was auctioned off. The great estate of Witley court was left in ruins.
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