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another well known Kent family. He was one of the
Commissioners appointed to confiscate the land of the Recusants. Sir
Thomas Twisden, 3rd Bart. (Plate XI), who married Anne Musters, an
heiress, largely rebuilt the house, in the style of Sir Christopher
Wren, in 1714, especially the West Front. Their eldest son, Sir Thomas
Twisden, 4th Bart., spent most of his time travelling abroad, and is
supposed to have collected some of the Dutch and German stained glass
about 1729. He came to a violent end at Grenada, eloping with a nun. The
younger son, Sir Roger Twisden, 5th Bart. (Plate XI), was country
gentleman first and last. He lived extravagantly, courted the heiress of
Addington Park, Elizabeth Bartholomew, in a coach and four, and added to
the amenities of the park. In his curious will (which tried to exclude
his second son, Lieutenant William Twisden because he had made a
marriage, unapproved and unrecognized by the family, with Mary Kirk, who
had nursed him back to health) he laid the foundations of a family
dispute which brought about the dissolution of the Bradbourne Estate.
His eldest son, Sir Roger Twisden, duly succeeded as 6th
Bart., and was decorator of the house, making many internal and external
alterations. He left only a daughter, Rebecca, who married Thomas Law
Hodges, of whom more later. Sir Roger was not on speaking terms with his
disinherited brother, and on one occasion they fought with swords all
down Malling High Street. |
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In due course, the youngest brother, John Papillon Twisden (Plate XII),
who to his intimates subsequently confessed that he was a
"usurper", wrongfully succeeded as 7th Bart. He was always in
pecuniary difficulties and it was during his time that Clare Park had to
be sold off from the estate. He travelled to Italy and is said to have
brought back the marble mantlepieces. By his wife, Elizabeth Geary
(Plate XII), he had one son, John, who was weakly and simple. He
succeeded as Sir John Twisden, 8th Bart., but had no issue. His wife's
father, the Rev. William Coppard, tried to establish himself at
Bradbourne but Sir John defeated these attempts. At his death the title
fell into abeyance and the future of the estate came into dispute.
Though it was generally recognized that Captain John Twisden (Plate
XIII), son of the disinherited William, was the legitimate heir to the
title and should have been de jure 7th Bart., instead of Sir John
Papillon Twisden, he never consistently laid claim to it. Thomas Law
Hodges, however, pressed the claims of his wife, Rebecca, to possession
of the estate under the will of Roger, 5th Bart., their common
grandfather. At one period the rival claimants, Captain John Twisden and
his family and the Law Hodges, occupied different apartments in
Bradbourne at the same time, meeting only for meals in the Great Hall.
After dramatic plots and interminable legal enquiries, the
estate was divided up. Captain John Twisden retained Bradbourne with |