Two Sad Stories from Cockayne Hatley

Two sad little histories from Cockayne Hatley

Margaret Emma Henley (4 September 1888 – 15 February 1894)

W.E. Henley, the Victorian poet whose most famous poem is Invictus, had only one child, Margaret Emma. She is buried in Cockayne Hatley churchyard. She died of meningitis, aged only 5, in 1894. The Henleys did not live in Cockayne Hatley but the Lord of the Manor at the time, Harry Cockayne Cust, was a great friend of Henley and suggested that his young daughter should be buried in the quiet surroundings of the countryside.

Margaret was a pretty child as seen by a sketch made by Violet, Marchioness of Granby (later Duchess of Rutland).

Henley acted as a mentor to many aspiring writers and became a great friend of J M Barrie, author of Peter Pan. Margaret called Barrie “fwendy”, whence Barrie derived the name of Wendy in his play. She may also have served as the inspiration for the 'Reddy' of Barrie's Sentimental Tommy and for Margaret Dearth, the "dream-child" in Barrie's 1917 play Dear Brutus.

A tombstone, designed by Onslow Ford, with beautiful bronze work by the artist, is erected to Margaret with inscribed the verse by Milton from Samson Agonistes:

“Nothing is here for tears/Nothing to wail or knock the breast/Nothing but well and fair”

On her father’s death in 1903, he was buried with her and his memorial (designed by John W Simpson) was placed at the back of Margaret’s tombstone. His wife was later buried with them. The verse by Henley: “Let me be gathered to the quiet west/The sundown splendid and serene” is inscribed on the stone.

At this period, the Hall at Cockayne Hatley was leased to the Marquis of Granby by the owner, Harry Cockayne Cust. Harry and Violet Granby, the Marchioness, were lovers and he fathered her daughter, Diana, who was baptised in St John the Baptist church in 1892. Diana later became known as a society beauty as Lady Diana Cooper. She was the younger sister to Lord Haddon.

While the Granby family were resident at Cockayne Hatley Hall the eldest son, Lord Haddon, led a small procession of children at the funeral of Margaret Henley. Tragically only seven months later at Cockayne Hatley, he too died, aged 9 years. His coffin was taken from Cockayne Hatley to Sandy station and then by special train to Grantham to be buried in the family mausoleum at Belvoir Castle. His funeral as the heir presumptive to a dukedom was attended by thousands of the family’s tenants and employees as well as by family and friends.

Violet, his mother was devastated at his loss and as a final tribute to him, she spent many years sculpting an effigy of him which now lies in the family chapel at Belvoir Castle. This copy, in Italian marble, was made for the chapel at Haddon Hall, Derbyshire, which is one of the seats of the Duke of Rutland.

Inscribed around the plinth is “Forever wilt thou grieve and he be fair.” And, at the foot of the base: “Hope of my eyes/Something is broken that we cannot mend/ With Grief, Remembrance/ Pride and Love, I decorate/ his Memory/ Dear dear little Boy/ You give us all Perpetual Benediction. Entirely designed and modelled/ by his Mother.”

Henley wrote this verse to the memory of his daughter, Margaret, and to Lord Haddon and dedicated to Violet

Two Days

(February 15 – September 28 1894) [the two death days]

To V.G [Violet Granby]

That day we brought our Beautiful One to lie
In the green peace within your gates, he came
To give us greeting, boyish and kind and shy,
And, stricken as we were, we blessed his name:
Yet, like the Creature of Light that had been ours,
Soon of the sweet Earth disinherited,
He too must join, even with the Year's old flowers,
The unanswering generations of the Dead.
So stand we friends for you, who stood our friend
Through him that day; for now through him you know
That though where love was, love is till the end,
Love, turned of death to longing, like a foe,
Strikes: when the ruined heart goes forth to crave
Mercy of the high, austere, unpitying Grave.