The owners of Lackham in the Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries ...

The Manor of Lackham IV : 19 th & 20 th century owners
marriage was reported in the Gentleman’s Magazine 57 . It is strange that
George was not referred to as late and that the only location given is
Langham as he had died four years previously, in 1807, at his home Castle
House in Calne, Wiltshire 58 .
Langham Hall is only 5 miles north east of Horksley, which is the location
of Westwood House. In 1808 Charles, George and Mary’s eldest son,
married Anne Watson, daughter of Lt. Col Watson of Westwood House 59
and Charles and his wife later lived there for a long time - for example
Charles is described as being “of Westwood House, Essex” 60 in 1842 in
the report of the marriage of his daughter Julia.
Castle House in Calne is approached from the town centre by Castle
Street and was said by John Aubrey 61 to have been on the site of a
castle, but no trace has ever been found and the debate continues. The
current house was probably built in the mid 17 th century for Walter
Norborne 62 . The house was extended in 1770 to a design by Robert
Adam and it was this U shaped house that the Rookes would have known.
At least two of Henry I and Margaret’s daughters also lived in the area;
Margaret died in Bath in 1816 and Elizabeth in 1837, none of the
daughters had children 63 .
57 Gentleman’s Magazine (1811) vol 81 pt 2 p490 “May 9 th Rev RW Ford of
Rissington Parva co Gloucester to Jemina, third daughter of George Rooke esq
formerly of Langham Hall Essex”
58 Gentleman’s Magazine (1807) vol 77 pt 1 p487 27 May At Castle House Calne
co Wilts George Rooke esq formerly Captain 6 th or Enniskillen Dragoons
59 The Monthly Magazine vol 25 p180 March 1808
60 Gentleman’s Magazine July 1842 p535
61 Aubrey, J Topographical Collections edited and enlarged by Jackson, JEJ
62 VCH Wiltshire vol 17 pp34-41 “Calne: The town to c. 1800”
63 Zavallis L. pers. comm.. 2009
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