Charles Berners.  c.1734 – 1815

Charles Berners, the eldest son of William Berners, was born c.1734. He was educated at Monk Soham School, six miles from Framlingham in Suffolk. He attended Westminster School where he was admitted in March 1746 to Levett House, leaving in 1752. Later he attended Oriel College, Oxford, matriculating in 1752. He was awarded an MA in 1756.

Charles Berners married Catharine Laroche, daughter of the late John Laroche MP for Bodmin, Cornwall, in June 1765 at Lambeth Palace Chapel. The marriage was officiated by His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Secker. Catherine had inherited Cornish estates from John Robartes, a friend of her fathers, in 1757. Like his father before him, Charles had attended Westminster School and Oxford University.

They were blessed with four children: Charles (1767), Henry Denny (1769) and twins William and Maria (1771). While Charles the younger, remained a lifelong bachelor, his two brothers and sister each married into the Jarrett family . 

Charles and his family were living at Ramsholt, Nr Woodbridge when his father died in 1783. For much of their life they had lived in South Town, Nr Yarmouth. His uncle, Henry, lived comfortably at Hanwell Park.

Ten years after his father died, Charles built the impressive 96 feet tall obelisk in Woolverstone Park in memory of his father, which could be seen from the mansion and the river. 

In the year following William Berners’ death, Charles began the process of buying neighbouring land and expanding the estate which would continue for the next one hundred or so years. In 1784, he purchased land in Holbrook and Harkstead from Sir Charles Kent, one time MP for Thetford (1784 – 1790) and High Sheriff of Suffolk (1782). He paid £20,178.

Part of this purchase was Holbrook Gardens, an area of land shown on Hodskinson’s map with an ornamental lake, three fishponds and an ornamental plantation. The gardens were already planned with a formal patte d’oie or “goose foot” design with five paths radiating from a central point to the north of the lake. The gardens and plantation were a short 15-minute carriage ride from the Hall and would become a place for shooting and fishing, recreation and relaxation.

In 1824, David Elisha Davy wrote a journal entry for Tuesday, July 13^th: “Holbrook gardens …nothing can be more delightful than the appearance of the whole place… nothing can be more retired & romantic than this pond; the trees coming down to the water’s edge, & hanging over it in many places.”

The same year Francoise de la Rochefoucauld visited Suffolk and recorded his impressions of Woolverstone Hall in “A Frenchman’s Year in Suffolk, 1784. He describes Woolverstone as: “…a fine enough house in the modern taste; however, its position gives it all its merit; it is on top of a hill in the middle of an immense park, very ill-kept. It consists merely of a large expanse of enclosed ground artlessly covered with turf and trees; the vistas are neglected. In a word, it is as nature intended.” 

At this time, most farmers in Suffolk owned their own farms which suggests that they were either inherited or enough wealth had been acquired in order to buy them. Many of the farms were quite small and enclosed. “Everywhere the air of opulence and neatness.” The fields owed much of their fertility to a trade in muck that was brought back from London on the barges that had taken down fresh produce to the city inhabitants. 

It was against this background that Charles Berners started buying up surrounding farms and land during his period as squire of Woolverstone Park between 1783 and 1815.

• 1786 Erwarton Hall and living, bought for £17,000 from Lord Egremont. Hawkes Farm, Erwarton, £400, Alderton’s Farm in Harkstead £840
• 1789 Bigmore Farm £1,755
• 1795 Freston Tower Farm £6,000
• 1801 Chempton Farm. £4000
• 1803 Glebe lands in Harkstead £495. Glebe lands in Chelmondiston £168
• 1813 Carrington’s Farm £12,500

Catherine died on Monday 3^rd March 1800 in Queen Anne Street East, just on the side of the Berners Estate in London. One month later, Charles’ brother Rev Henry Berners of Hambleden, Buckinghamshire died at Hanwell Park. Charles died on Sunday 7^th May 1815. The Bury and Norwich Post noted his: “hospitality and liberal conduct to his tenantry and dependents, will make his loss regretted.” He was 81 years old.