Henrietta, Lady Peachey
Botanical illustrator
1684 - 1754
Henrietta Peachey came to live at Cross Deep Lodge in Cross Deep, Twickenham shortly after the death of her husband, Sir John Peachey, in 1744, and stayed there for the next ten years. A well known botanical artist of her day, she was one of three daughters of George London (c1640-1714) of Long Ditton, Surrey, by one of his three wives. London was sometime Gardener-in-Ordinary to Queen Anne and partner of George Wise (1653-1738) at the Brompton Nursery. Locally he was part designer of the Maze at Hampton Court, for William III and involved with the planting of Chestnut Avenue (as it was later named) in Bushy Park, as designed by Christopher Wren. He bought his Long Ditton estate from, his friend William Talman.
Sir John Peachey (1680-1744) the 2nd baronet was of a family of London merchants who had settled at Ebernoe, Kirdford in the 17th century. They are recorded as living in Petworth in 1679. His son, also John (1720-65), acquired the West Dean estate in Sussex in 1745, in exchange for his Neatham estate, near Chawton, in Hampshire.
Family inheritance
Sir John Peachey's will, made in 1737, allocated £2,000 in trust to each of his unmarried daughters Henrietta and Rebecca. This would be released to them provided they married with the consent of their mother. His daughter Mary, married to Michael Seare was left £1,000. There was a nod to his brother-in-law, John London with a small bequest of £50.
His wife Henrietta would continue to receive an annuity of £50 per annum which she had always enjoyed, the Manor of Selsey and other property and land there together with property at Crookham in Berkshire, for her life. He also left her all his plate, furniture and other belongings. Her will, if she made one has not been traced, nor the date of her death, but it can perhaps be assumed that the daughters received their legacies.
Neither seem to have married, settling in Hampton, perhaps moving from Twickenham when their mother died. Here Henriettta made her own will on 20 August 1771, settling her estate on her sister who was living with her. The will was proved on 24 October 1771. The sisters appear to have lived in reasonable comfort, employing a married couple, Mary and William Kempton as servant and footman.
