Article by Steve Livings
The Great Hall with its magnificent double staircase still houses the original unique pipe organ built by Flight and Robson of London. As well as being played manually, it could originally be set to play the overture and a duet (Ah Perdona) from Mozart’s Clemenza di Tito. The pipe organ has been restored over the last few years and is still played today.
Originally the mansion housed an impressive collection of over forty paintings including many classic old masters -Titian, Poussin, Michelangelo, Raphael, Rubens and Vandyke. The public could obtain a ticket from Mile’s Bank in Queens Square in the centre of Bristol, to view the paintings on a Thursday afternoon.
The collection of paintings was sold between 1884 and 1898.Philip Miles died in 1845 leaving Leigh Court to his eldest son. The house remained in the Miles family until 1915 when it was sold to Reverend Burden of Clevedon Hall. It was to become an institution for “Persons Requiring Care and Protection”. The NHS accepted management of Leigh Court hospital from 1957 until 1985.In 1988 Leigh Court was sold to a private company and with successive owners the house has been sympathetically converted for use as office accommodation, conference and meeting rooms. Retaining many of its original features, the house is now restored to its former splendour.
Sir William Miles, 1st Baronet (13 May 1797 – 17 June 1878) was an English politician. He was Tory Member of Parliament (MP) for Chippenham from 1818 to 1820, for New Romney from 1830 to 1832, and sat for East Somerset from 1834 to 1865 as a Conservative. He was a staunch Conservative, a keen philanthropist and deeply religious, at one stage putting forward an amendment in Parliament to prevent trains running on the then newly proposed Great Western Railway on Sundays. When the parish church at Abbots Leigh burned down in 1847, he paid for its rebuilding from his own pocket. Miles was the son of Philip John Miles (1773 - 1845) by his first marriage to Maria Whetham (1776 - 1811), educated at Eton College and Christ Church Oxford he was chairman of Somerset Quarter Sessions for 35 years, partner in the family's bank, Miles & Co (which later became part of National Westminster Bank from 1845 to his death in 1878 and commanded the North Somerset Yeomanry Cavalry as its Colonel. He was created Baronet on April 19th 1859, of Leigh Court, Somerset.
He married Catherine (1798 - 1869), daughter of John Gordon, on September 12th 1823, with whom he had the following children:-
Sir Philip John William Miles, 2nd Baronet (2 September 1825 – 5 June 1888) was an English politician. Educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge, he then served in the 17th Lancers. He was a Sheriff of Bristol in 1853 and partner in the family's bank, Miles & Co from 1852 - 1854. He sat as Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for East Somerset from 1878 to 1885.
In 1878, he inherited the baronetcy of Leigh Court, Somerset, from his father William, who had previously been Conservative MP for East Somerset. He was cousin of Philip Napier Miles, Frank Miles and Katharine Tennant. He supported an amendment to the Representation of the People Act 1884 and the Franchise Bill debated earlier that year that would have allowed votes for women who were householders on equal terms with men. The vote was defeated and women finally received the vote in the UK in 1918.
In 1848, he married Frances Roche (1827 - 1908), daughter of Sir David Roche, Bt, Roche Baronets MP for Limerick, and had the following children:
This inscription plaque to Sir Philip MILES d. 1888 under the tower incorporates a photograph of the corpse. This is early for photography and is the earliest example of this uncommon practice in England that I know of - unless readers know differently. Of course today in cemeteries a photograph is often incorporated in the headstone, a practice we seem to have imported from the continent in the last 10 years or so, where e.g. in France photographs of the commemorated can be seen from the early 20th century in country churchyards.
Sir Cecil Miles, 3rd Baronet (1873 - 1898). He died of acute laryngitis at his London house, 75 Cornwall Gardens, Kensington and was succeeded by his son, Cecil, in 1888.
Sir Henry Robert William Miles, 4th Baronet (1843 - 1915) who succeeded his nephew Sir Cecil Miles to the Baronetcy.
The Miles Family and Leigh Court
Philip John Miles (1773 - 1845)
The original Leigh Court was a Tudor mansion built by Sir George Norton of Bristol in 1558. It was demolished around 1812 after the estate, compromising of some 250 acres, was sold to Sir Philip John Miles in 1811. Philip Miles was a Bristol ship owner, sugar baron and banker. He was immensely rich and was Bristol’s first recorded millionaire. Following various take-overs and mergers, Mile’s Bank is now part of the NatWest Group. Miles commissioned the architect, Thomas Hopper, to build the present Leigh Court in 1814, with Humphrey Repton originally landscaping the grounds. Externally the architectural style of Leigh Court is Palladian and built of Bath stone. The interior style is Greek Revival and decorated in impressive 19th century décor, with many of the original features still intact. Leigh Court - SouthEast Front - 1915 |
 Leigh Court - The Grand Hall - 1915 |
The Great Hall with its magnificent double staircase still houses the original unique pipe organ built by Flight and Robson of London. As well as being played manually, it could originally be set to play the overture and a duet (Ah Perdona) from Mozart’s Clemenza di Tito. The pipe organ has been restored over the last few years and is still played today.
Originally the mansion housed an impressive collection of over forty paintings including many classic old masters -Titian, Poussin, Michelangelo, Raphael, Rubens and Vandyke. The public could obtain a ticket from Mile’s Bank in Queens Square in the centre of Bristol, to view the paintings on a Thursday afternoon.
Leigh Court Paintings 1822 - Stotherd - Pilgrims Progress (as drawn by John Young)
The collection of paintings was sold between 1884 and 1898.Philip Miles died in 1845 leaving Leigh Court to his eldest son. The house remained in the Miles family until 1915 when it was sold to Reverend Burden of Clevedon Hall. It was to become an institution for “Persons Requiring Care and Protection”. The NHS accepted management of Leigh Court hospital from 1957 until 1985.In 1988 Leigh Court was sold to a private company and with successive owners the house has been sympathetically converted for use as office accommodation, conference and meeting rooms. Retaining many of its original features, the house is now restored to its former splendour.
Sir William Miles, 1st Baronet (13 May 1797 – 17 June 1878) was an English politician. He was Tory Member of Parliament (MP) for Chippenham from 1818 to 1820, for New Romney from 1830 to 1832, and sat for East Somerset from 1834 to 1865 as a Conservative. He was a staunch Conservative, a keen philanthropist and deeply religious, at one stage putting forward an amendment in Parliament to prevent trains running on the then newly proposed Great Western Railway on Sundays. When the parish church at Abbots Leigh burned down in 1847, he paid for its rebuilding from his own pocket. Miles was the son of Philip John Miles (1773 - 1845) by his first marriage to Maria Whetham (1776 - 1811), educated at Eton College and Christ Church Oxford he was chairman of Somerset Quarter Sessions for 35 years, partner in the family's bank, Miles & Co (which later became part of National Westminster Bank from 1845 to his death in 1878 and commanded the North Somerset Yeomanry Cavalry as its Colonel. He was created Baronet on April 19th 1859, of Leigh Court, Somerset.
He married Catherine (1798 - 1869), daughter of John Gordon, on September 12th 1823, with whom he had the following children:-
-
Sir Philip John William Miles, (2 September 1825 – 5 June 1888). He married Frances Roche (1827 - 1908).
Maria Catherine Miles (1826 - 1909) who married Robert Charles Tudway, MP for Wells and had issue.
Agatha Miles (1827 - 1912) who married General Edward Arthur Somerset, CB; they had eight daughters and one son.
Catherine Miles (1828 - 1911) who married General Sir Robert Onesiphorus Bright, GCB; and had three sons and five daughters.
Captain William Henry Miles, JP (1830 - 1888) who married Mary Frances Kynaston Charlton, daughter of Rev John Kynaston Charleton, they had a son, Eustace Miles and two daughters.
Emma Clara Miles (1830 - 1911) who married the Reverend Hon James Walter Lascelles, son of Henry Lascelles, 3rd Earl of Harewood and had nine children.
Captain Charles John William Miles (1832 - 1874) who served in the 5th Regiment of Foot. He married Elizabeth Maria Lloyd, daughter of Rev Henry Lloyd, but had no children.
Frances Harriett Miles (1835 - 1923) who married Sir William Augustus Ferguson Davie, 3rd Baronet, Senior Clerk to the House of Commons and grandson of General Sir Henry Ferguson Davie, 1st Baronet, they had five children.
Florence Louisa Miles (1840 - 1862) who married The Reverend Francis Edmund Cecil Byng, 5th Earl of Strafford, Chaplain to Queen Victoria. They had two children. She died after giving birth to their second child Edmund Byng, 6th Earl of Strafford.
Arthur John William Whetham Miles (1841 - 1853).
Harriott Ellin Miles (1841 - 1864) who married Robert Gurdon, 1st Baron Cranworth, MP for South Norfolk (UK Parliament constituency) and Mid Norfolk (UK Parliament constituency), JP, she died after giving birth to their only child, a daughter.
Sir Philip John William Miles, 2nd Baronet (2 September 1825 – 5 June 1888) was an English politician. Educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge, he then served in the 17th Lancers. He was a Sheriff of Bristol in 1853 and partner in the family's bank, Miles & Co from 1852 - 1854. He sat as Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for East Somerset from 1878 to 1885.
In 1878, he inherited the baronetcy of Leigh Court, Somerset, from his father William, who had previously been Conservative MP for East Somerset. He was cousin of Philip Napier Miles, Frank Miles and Katharine Tennant. He supported an amendment to the Representation of the People Act 1884 and the Franchise Bill debated earlier that year that would have allowed votes for women who were householders on equal terms with men. The vote was defeated and women finally received the vote in the UK in 1918.
In 1848, he married Frances Roche (1827 - 1908), daughter of Sir David Roche, Bt, Roche Baronets MP for Limerick, and had the following children:
-
Alice Catherine Miles (1850 - 1926) who married firstly in 1870 George Duppa, JP (1818 - 1888) and secondly in 1889 Lt Col Gerard Vivian Ames, 1st The Royal Dragoons (1853 - 1899) having six children between the two marriages.
William John Miles (1852 - 1859).
Edith Clara Miles(1854 - 1875) who married Charles William Mansel Lewis (1849 - 1911) Deputy Lieutenant and High Sheriff of Carmarthen and had two children.
Mabel Constance Miles (1856 - 1944) who married Casamajor William Gaussen (chief guest at the wedding was HRH The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, a friend and shooting companion of Sir Philip Miles) and had issue.
Violet Bessie Miles (1867 - 1883).
Holy Trinity Church (Plaque to Sir Philip Miles), Abbots Leigh
This inscription plaque to Sir Philip MILES d. 1888 under the tower incorporates a photograph of the corpse. This is early for photography and is the earliest example of this uncommon practice in England that I know of - unless readers know differently. Of course today in cemeteries a photograph is often incorporated in the headstone, a practice we seem to have imported from the continent in the last 10 years or so, where e.g. in France photographs of the commemorated can be seen from the early 20th century in country churchyards.
Sir Cecil Miles, 3rd Baronet (1873 - 1898). He died of acute laryngitis at his London house, 75 Cornwall Gardens, Kensington and was succeeded by his son, Cecil, in 1888.
Sir Henry Robert William Miles, 4th Baronet (1843 - 1915) who succeeded his nephew Sir Cecil Miles to the Baronetcy.