Gilston Park

John Hodgson (1805-1882) built Gilston Park House in about 1852. He bought the property on which a very old house stood and demolished it leaving only the porch which is still present today.^[3] John was a very wealthy land owner who held numerous properties in various counties as well as a house in Hyde Park, London. He also owned a large amount of land in Eastwick.^[4] In today's terms his estate was estimated to be worth about 100 million pounds.

John was born in 1805 in Wanstead. His father Thomas Hodgson (1759-1841) was also a landowner and left him several properties in his will. However John subsequently added substantially to his own wealth. He was a magistrate and at one time the High Sheriff of Hertfordshire.^[5] John did not marry and had no children. His older brother William Hodgson (1803-1886) who was a barrister^[6] was also a bachelor. He retired early and came to live at Gilston Park. Both brothers undertook a huge rebuilding of their estate including Eastwick. The rebuild included farms, domestic accommodation, schools and almshouses. It has been described as “a model Victorian estate”^[7] John died in 1882 and William inherited the house. When he died in 1886 it was inherited by his nephew Edward Salvin Bowlby.

Edward Salvin Bowlby (1830-1902) was also a barrister. He was married twice. His first wife was Maria Rimington who died in 1879. His second wife was Elizabeth Vans Agnew daughter of Robert Vans Agnew of Barnbarroch Hall.^[8] His eldest son by his first marriage was Arthur Salvin Bowlby and it was he who inherited the house when Edward died in 1902.

Arthur Salvin Bowlby (1872-1932) continued running the property as a farming estate. In 1903 he married Catherine Mary Bond who was the daughter of Edwin Edmund Bruton Bond who was a Lieutenant in the military. Arthur was a personal friend of the famous painter Philip de László who frequently stayed at Gilston Park.^[9] Between 1914 and 1923 De Laszlo painted eight portraits of the Bowlby family. Two of them – Arthur and his wife Catherine are shown. Arthur died in 1932 and his son Francis Edward Salvin Bowlby became the owner.

Francis Edward Salvin Bowlby (1904-1983) and his wife Lady Joan Catherine Bowlby (nee Trotter) lived at Gilston Park until he sold it in 1947.^[10] The house became a Country Club. In the early 1950s it was the set for several movies. Stills of the films showing the house can be seen at these references.^[11][12][13]

• "Hertfordshire Genealogy: Places: Gilston Park, Gilston, Herts". Hertfordshire-genealogy.co.uk. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
• "About Gilston Park Estate". Gilstonparkestate.com. Archived from the original on 1 January 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2018.

51°47′47″N 0°05′18″E / 51.79626°N 0.08837°E / 51.79626; 0.08837