Boughton House, Kettering, England

The following is from the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest.

HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT

About 1472 Richard Whetehill, a Merchant of the Staple, Lieutenant of Guines Castle and comptroller of the town, marches and mint of Calais, purchased one of the two manors of Boughton. In 1473 he retired from his posts and gained licences to crenellate and to make a park of 100 acres (about 41 hectares).

The property changed hands several times over the next half century, and in 1528 was purchased with the adjoining manor of Weekley by Edward Montagu (died 1557), a successful lawyer who subsequently much enlarged his Northamptonshire estates by purchase and rebuilt the house at Boughton. His son Edward (died 1602), MP and sheriff, entertained the Queen here in 1564.

He was succeeded by his son Edward (died 1664), who was created Baron Montagu of Boughton in 1621. In 1647 Boughton was one of the houses visited by Charles I to play bowls while under arrest at Holdenby (see description of this site elsewhere in the Register).

His second son, Ralph Montagu (died 1709), succeeded in 1684. An ambitious politician who held various appointments at Court and served as ambassador to France (i1669-72 and 1676-8) he married twice, in both instances to wealthy and titled women. After several years spent in exile in France he returned to England in 1685 and began an ambitious scheme to rebuild the house and lay out extensive gardens. Ralph, who was made Earl of Montagu in 1689 and Duke in 1705, entertained William III at Boughton in 1695.

He was succeeded by his son John, 2nd Duke (died 1749), who held Court offices but whose interests were mainly gardening and antiquarian studies, and who did extensive works in the park.

His heir was his daughter Mary, wife of George Brudenell of Deene, 4th Earl Cardigan (died 1790), in whose favour the dukedom of Montagu was recreated in 1766. Their son predeceased them and the estates passed to the son of their daughter Elizabeth, who had married the 3rd Duke of Buccleuch. Boughton descended thereafter with the dukedom, and remained in private hands in 1998.