The history of Dudmaston Hall

The Wolryche family

In 1403, the heiress Margaret de Dudmaston married William Wolryche of Much Wenlock. The Wolryche family remained connected to Dudmaston for the next 370 years.

Their descendant, Francis (1563–1614) married Margaret Bromley (1566–1616), who came from a family of high-ranking lawyers and politicians in the court of Elizabeth I. This connection would prove important for the next generation. Their oldest son Thomas Wolryche, 1st Baronet (1598–1668), was taken under the wing of his uncle Edward Bromley, an Exchequer lawyer and a trustee of Dudmaston’s estate.

There is no known record of what Francis Wolryche’s house looked like, but in 1673 it was marked on a map as a large, fortified manor containing 24 hearths (only seven houses in the county had more). There is evidence recorded of steeply pitched stone-tiled roofs and diamond-pane windows.

Between 1620–5, Thomas Wolryche served as Member of Parliament (MP) for the neighbouring town of Bridgnorth. A loyal supporter of the King, he was knighted in July 1641 and made a baronet less than a month later. When the British Civil Wars (1642–51) broke out, he raised a force to fight for the King and the following year was appointed governor of Bridgnorth Castle. The besieged Royalist forces surrendered to the Parliamentarians at the castle. Parliament fined Thomas £730 14 shillings, money he failed to get back when the monarchy was restored in 1660.

Thomas Wolryche, builder of Dudmaston

In 1689, Thomas Wolryche, 3rd Baronet (1672–1701) was awarded the title from his uncle Francis Wolryche (1627–89) through act of parliament. Francis had inherited the baronetcy but had been declared mentally incapable of managing the estate. Thomas had ambitious plans. In 1689 he married Elizabeth Weld (1673–1765) of Willey, who came from a prosperous local family. Thomas set about building a completely new house. The architect was probably Francis Smith of Warwick. It was begun in 1695 and largely complete by Thomas’s death in 1701, with a red brick exterior and plain sandstone window surrounds.

Subsequent generations inherited and died young. In 1701 the title passed to 10-year-old John Wolryche, 4th Baronet (1691–1723). He drowned when crossing the River Severn drunk, after celebrating a winning day at Chelmarsh races in 1723.

With heavy debts, Dudmaston eventually passed to John’s sister, Mary Wolryche (?–1771) who managed the house and estate alongside her mother Lady Elizabeth Wolryche, née Weld (1673–1765) and uncle, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Weld (?–1774).

William Wolryche-Whitmore and Lady Lucy Bridgeman

In 1815, Dudmaston passed to William Wolryche-Whitmore (1787–1858), an intriguing political figure who became a spokesman for liberal causes, free trade and the removal of legal restrictions on Catholics. In the 1820s he commissioned local builder John Smalman to make changes to the house to make it more comfortable for his wife, Lucy Bridgeman (1792–1840) who suffered ill-health. The changes included remodelling the attic storey, creating a large new library with floor-length windows, a new dining room and installing central heating.

Between 1820–34, William served as a Whig Member of Parliament (MP) for Bridgnorth and then Wolverhampton focusing on trade, agriculture and commerce. He served on the East India Committee, and warned of the effect of British colonialism on India’s economy. He advocated for improvements to the lives of people in India, including those in the sugar and indigo trades.

During the 1830s, he frequently presented and supported anti-slavery petitions. He also spoke against the power of West Indian plantation owners and argued the case for emancipated labour. At the same time, he was one of the Colonisation Commissioners for South Australia, which played an important role in the British colonisation of Australia and New Zealand.

Dudmaston in the 20th century

During the agricultural depression of the early twentieth century, Dudmaston not only survived but thrived financially. This was due to the innovative forestry work of Captain Geoffrey Wolryche-Whitmore (1881–1969). He trained and studied modern methods of forestry in Germany. In 1910 he planted 200 acres of fast-growing conifers as a cash crop on sandy soil unsuitable for farming. Geoffrey served in Egypt during the First World War, returning from the front having never seen action due to his deafness. His woodland legacy remains an important feature of Dudmaston today.

In 1952, Geoffrey's niece, Lady Rachel Labouchere (1908–96), inherited Dudmaston with the understanding that the estate would ultimately pass to the National Trust. Rachel and her diplomat husband, Sir George Labouchere (1905–99), had travelled the world together. In 1966, on Sir George’s retirement, the Laboucheres made Dudmaston their home, with the intention of displaying the house to the public. This included Lady Labouchere's collection of botanical art and Sir George’s remarkable collection of modern art, particularly by Spanish painters and sculptors. These artists used their work as a form of rebellion against the regime of General Franco in the 1960s.  

In 1978 Lady Labouchere gifted Dudmaston, including the house, collections, gardens, woodland and 3000-acre working estate, to the National Trust. After her death in 1996, the house, as she had specified, became the family home of her Hamilton-Russell cousins.  

Dudmaston and the National Trust

Across the estate, the innovative spirit of Geoffrey Wolryche Whitmore is continued. A major project began in 2022 to improve nature regeneration and public access. The Trust is actively developing Sir George’s legacy of modern art, with the acquisition in 2021 of an outdoor sculpture by local artist Antony Twentyman.

Further reading

• Paddy Kitchen, ‘Unexpected Harmonies’, Country Life, 1987

• Charles S. Spencer, ‘Ambassador Extraordinary: The Collection of Sir George Labouchere, British Ambassador to Spain’, Apollo, January 1964, pp. 80-81

• Mr Wolryche Whitmore (Hansard)