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Sir Richard Child (1680-1750)
It was Sir Richard Child, who was responsible for the rebuilding of the grand palladian mansion Wanstead House, along with further improvements to the grounds and surrounding parklands.
When Sir Josiah Child died, he was succeeded by Josiah, his oldest son by his second wife. Not wanting to live on the estate himself, Josiah leased it to his half-brother Richard, born of Sir Josiah's third marriage, in 1699. On Josiah's own death heirless soon after in 1704, he left Richard to succeed to his title and estate.
In 1715, Sir Richard commissioned Colen Campbell, the Scottish Architect, to design a grand mansion in the Palladian style to replace the older house on the estate, and under the guidance of George London - one of the most famous gardeners of the period - made futher improvements to the grounds, softening the formal geometric lines of the gardens with a more natural approach. The mansion was designed to rival such buildings as Versailles and Blenheim, to become in the east of London what Hampton Court was to the west. The mansion cost an estimated £360,000, and took nearly seven years to complete.
Sir Richard served as MP for Maldon from 1708-10 and for Essex 1710-22 and 1727-34. In 1718 he purchased an Irish peerage, becoming Viscount Castlemaine.
In 1725, Richard's wife Dorothea inherited the Tylney family estates in Rotherwick, Hampshire, when her uncle Frederick Tylney died leaving no male heirs. In 1732, Richard became 1st Earl Tylney, taking also the Tylney name.
Richard had five children. On his death in 1750 he was succeeded by his second son John, his eldest son Richard having died of smallpox in 1734.
The Grade II listed stone pillars that marked the main entrance to the Wanstead House Estate and that can still be seen today at the junction of Overton Drive and Blake Hall Road, bear the interlaced monogram of Sir Richard, one lasting reminder of his association with the estate and history of Wanstead.
See also these other related articles:
| Child, Sir Josiah (1630-1699) | |
| Wanstead House | |