Thomas-Chaloner Bisse-Challoner


Thomas-Chaloner Bisse-Challoner DL, JP was a British militia colonel who enlarged the former country house and landscape garden in at Portnall Park, Virginia Water, then considered Egham Heath, sitting on the Bagshot Formation. This laid the foundation for the Wentworth Estate and many of the opulent houses of the sparesly populated area, alongside its proximity to Windsor and Windsor Great Park as the British royal family's wealth and connections expanded enabling them to set up nearby grand homes. He inherited much of his fortune principally via his great-aunt Lydia Challoner and cousin Valentina Aynscombe.

Ancestry, early life, education and family life

Colonel Challoner was the only son of the Rev. Thomas Bisse, of Portnall Park, Virginia Water and Katherine Townsend daughter of Anne Smith, a daughter of merchant Robert Smith, of London and Mortlake.
He was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Oxford.

Father

His father, the Rev. Thomas Bisse, armigerous according to Oxford, attended Wadham College from 1 July 1772, aged 18, and been awarded a BA, 19 April 1776, Battels Christmas 1783, and MA, 22 May 1783. Appointed curate at Kingswear, Exeter in 1784. Rev. Thomas Bisse was the son Thomas Bisse of London,, possibly the Rev. Thomas Bisse, A.M., chaplain of New College 1729 and 1732, a nephew or son of the Rev. Dr. Thomas Bisse preacher at the Rolls Chapel, London, author of The Beauties of Holiness, 1716 and prebend then chancellor of Hereford, and hence was also nephew or son of Philip Bisse, FRS, Bishop of Hereford.
However, his father is more likely to have been Thomas Bisse Drawing master of Christ's Hospital from 1754 to 1766, successor to Alexander Cozens, who mentions a son Thomas, a brother William, niece Joan, and late wife Susanna in his will..
Dr. and Bishop Bisse were sons of Rev. John Bisse, Rector of Oldbury from 1659/60, co. Gloucester, who had matriculated Wadham College 28 March 1655. He was son of Thomas Bisse of Lullington, Somerset, and grandson of Thomas Bisse, and great-grandson of Dr. Phillip Bisse who had been Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford 1561–65, Archdeacon of Taunton, a benefactor of All Souls and had made the inaugural gift of 2,000 books to Wadham College Library. Their mother, Joyce Giles, died 8 September 1717, aged 80.
A cousin, Philip Bisse, a grandson of Dr. Philip Bisse, the Wadham benefactor, was Archdeacon of Cloyne, and possibly he for whom the Bisse arms were registered in Ireland, 25 May 1637.

Half-brother

William Chaloner Bisse was the Rev. Thomas Bisse's son by his second wife, Charlotte, whom he married in 1818, a daughter of Charles Price of Knightsbridge. His aunt Elizabeth Price married 24 June 1799 Jonathan Raine, of Lincoln's Inn and 33 Bedford Row, KC, a Yorkshire born, sometime MP for various Cornish constituencies, and eventually a Welsh judge. Charlotte was left £1,000 per annum, as fixed by my marriage settlement when Thomas Bisse died in 1828. At the same time William was left five shares in the Stafford and Worcester Canal.
He became an Ensign in the 73rd Regiment of Foot on 12 March 1841; was promoted to Lieutenant on 5 April 1844; and to Captain on 12 May 1848. However, he died in Ireland on 8 June 1849 aged 27 and lies buried at Templemore in Tipperary, where his 'brother officers' erected a marble tablet in the chancel of the New Church.

Family tree

Challoner's maternal great–grandfather Robert Smith, a freeman of London, of Thames Street, London and Mortlake, was the common ancestor.
Smith had ten children:
Robert Smith had given Lillie £10,000 on marriage and half his trade and 50 shares in the Sun Fire Office. When Lillie died in 1791 The Scots Magazine'',, reported :
Lillie left three daughters :
Challoner inherited stocks, homes, and residues from: his maternal-great aunt Lydia Challoner of Egham, via his father, by which time they were referred to as: the twenty canal shares now recently made forty; from his aunt Mary Barnard of Fulham ; and from his mother's first cousin Valentina Aynscombe of Mortlake.

Change of name

In 1829, the authorities permitted him to extend his surname: The London Gazette announced this:
Whitehall, 22 January 1829.

Family life

He married, firstly, Anne, eldest daughter of Nicholas-Loftus Tottenham, MP, in June 1812, in Ireland, and in the peace following the Battle of Waterloo, went abroad on a Grand Tour with his wife. He came back when his mother died in 1816, returning generally to Naples, Italy 1817–1827. His father's illness accompanied his return alone from Naples. In 1828, he and his wife left Naples forever.
Anne died on 3 December or November 1857, at the implausible age of 82. Her younger sister was recorded in Burke. This Anne was niece of the Anne Tottenham of the Loftus Hall ghost story. Nicholas Loftus-Tottenham was the second son of Charles Tottenham, MP for New Ross, surveyor-general of Leinster, by Anne, second daughter of Nicholas Loftus, 1st Viscount Loftus. Nicholas Loftus-Tottenham was for 14 years the MP for Bannow 1776–1790 and the member for Clonmines from 1790 to 1797. He had married in May 1778 Mary daughter and co-heir of Sir James May, 1st Bt. Loftus-Tottenham was resident or associated with Loftus Hall, Fethard, co. Wexford; Duncannon, co. Waterford; Glenfarne, co. Leitrim; and Holles street, Dublin.
He married, secondly, on 6 January 1859, Henrietta Emma Helena De Salis third surviving and youngest daughter of Count de Salis. There is a monumental inscription to them in Christ Church, Virginia Water. In a book of memorandum he wrote:
Challoner left his estate to her youngest brother, the Rev. Henry Jerome de Salis, whose third son was Charles Fane de Salis, a Bishop of Taunton. When Rev. Henry de Salis died in 1915 his eldest son Rodolph became tenant for life of the Portnall property. However, after a minor struggle with his next brother, he alienated it in 1923. Rodolph, a civil engineer, had in the meantime been a director of the Staffordshire Railway, a Challoner interest.

Death and legacy

When Challoner died on 26 July 1872 he left property valued under £120,000. Viscount Bridport and John Gooch Spicer of Spye Park, Wiltshire were his executors.

Military service

He served in the 1st Dragoon Guards.

County Offices

He was appointed a Justice of the Peace of Berkshire and of Surrey, and a Deputy Lieutenant for Surrey. He became High Sheriff of Surrey in 1838.

Parliamentary candidate

He stood for the West Surrey constituency in the 1852 general election but lost with 1385 votes to Evelyn and Henry Drummond elected as Conservatives.

Royal Regiment of Surrey Local Militia

He became Lt. Colonel and commandant of the third Royal Regiment of Surrey Local Militia from 26 March 1853 to 2 November 1867, when he became an honorary colonel. Its headquarters were at Croydon and then Kingston upon Thames.

Royal Agricultural Society of England

He was a member of the council and trustee of the Royal Agricultural Society of England from c. 1839–. He was chairman of the Finance Committee, Vice-chairman of the General Derby Committee, and wrote several papers which appeared in the society journal. Papers included, Practical instructions for improving and economically maintaining turnpike and parish roads upon the mile system, volume 2, 1841; Report on the Exhibition and Trial of Implements at the Exeter Meeting, volume 11, 1850; and On the Accurate Levelling of Drains, volume 11, 1850.

Bagshot and Bedfont Turnpike Trust

He was chairman of the Bagshot and Bedfont Turnpike Trust, covering part of the road from London to Salisbury and Southampton and later on its subdivision trustee of its 'Western District' Turnpike. He became Trustee of United Roads; of the Hampton to Staines Turnpike Trust; and a commissioner for the Surrey bank part of Staines Bridge from 1836 to 1871.

Seat and residences

Potnalls, Potenall, or Portnall Park, Virginia Water was built c. 1770. In 1804, Thomas' father had it after exchange of land at Tite Hill, Egham with David Jebb, the brother of John Jebb, FRS, then extended or re-built Portnall Park House. His son in turn extended it after 1828.
In 1872 Portnall was staffed by three men in the house; two in the stables; six or seven in the garden; nine or 10 maids; and four or five men on the farm, which encompassed, including rented land,.
When sold to golf course pioneer and property developer Walter George Tarrant to form the core of the Wentworth Estate and Golf Course, Virginia Water for £15,000 in 1923, the mansion and estate comprised with a frontage to the main road. The house had 27 or 30 bedrooms and dressing rooms. There was a 'large square block of stabling' ; a six-booth coach house; barn; cowsheds; bailiff's cottage; bothy; potting sheds; 'good' greenhouses; two walled gardens; five pairs of freehold cottages ; two lodge cottages; and a gardener's cottage.
From the 1830s through 1841 Col. Challoner was resident at 29 Portman Square. In January 1842, Boyle's Court Guide listed him at 169 New Bond Street, and from 1843 until death at 11 Charles Street, Mayfair.
He had two renters' shares in Drury Lane Theatre and was a member of Brooks's.

Arms

Family portraits

Buildings

Art

Heraldry and Arms and silver