Alice’s adventures in the New Forest
The Alice in Wonderland stories written by Lewis Carroll are well known. The stories were created for Alice Liddell and her sisters; she and her husband Reginald Hargreaves lived in Lyndhurst for over 40 years and there are some memorials to the Hargreaves family which can still be seen today.
Alice Pleasance Liddell was born in Westminster on 4th May 1852. She was the fourth of 10 children born to Henry Liddell and his wife Lorina. At the time Alice was born, her father was the headmaster of Westminster School. Henry was appointed to the deanery of Christ Church, Oxford, and the family took up residence there in 1856.
The family became friends with Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a brilliant mathematician who was also a keen photographer. In the presence of Alice and her sisters, Dodgson was able to overcome his shyness and would amuse them with stories and jokes. He also used them as models for his photographic hobby.
The story is born
On 4th July 1862 Dodgson, along with the Rev Robinson Duckworth, took Alice and her sisters Lorin and Edith on a rowing boat trip from Folly Bridge, Oxford, to Godstow. Dodgson made up a story of a girl named Alice and the adventures she had after falling into a rabbit hole. He had created similar stories for the three sisters before, but on this occasion, Alice asked Dodgson to write the story down for her. He agreed to do this and eventually gave her a handwritten manuscript entitled Alice’s Adventures Under Ground.
Dodgson rewrote the original story and sent a copy of the manuscript to his friend and author George MacDonald. George read the story to his children who thoroughly enjoyed it and asked for more. Encouraged by this, Dodgson sought a publisher for the work which was now entitled Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Dodgson had drawn the images to illustrate the first draft he had given to Alice. However, he was not happy with his artwork and commissioned the illustrator and cartoonist John Tenniel to draw the pictures for the book. Tenniel’s illustrations, rather like EH Shepard’s images for the Winnie the Pooh stories, are an intrinsic part of the book. The book was published in 1865, with Dodgson using the pen name Lewis Carroll. A second volume of stories Alice Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There was published in 1871.
The Hargreaves family and Cuffnells
The Hargreaves family had made their fortune as calico printers in Lancashire, the business founded by Reginald’s grandfather, Thomas. Hard work, perseverance and personal tragedies marked the highs and lows of the family firm. Thomas Hargreaves had married Nancy Hoyle, and the couple went on to have five sons: Thomas, Lawrence, Benjamin, Robert, and Jonathan. Lawrence had died of typhoid in 1822. The loss of his favourite son broke the spirit of Thomas senior who died a couple of months later.
In 1838 Thomas Hargreaves junior died of consumption. Benjamin left the business to follow other pursuits, leaving just Robert and Jonathan to run it. When Robert was killed in a riding accident in 1854, Jonathan did not have the will to carry on running the business alone. With his health failing he sold up and moved to Lyndhurst. Jonathan purchased the Cuffnells estate and settled there in 1855 with his wife Anna and children Reginald, Fanny and Emma.
Cuffnells was described in the 1855 sale brochure as “an excellent and modern family mansion, suited to the requirements of a family of distinction and standing in a beautifully timbered and finely undulated park”. The estate covered 168 acres of land and was situated at the south-west of Lyndhurst village. The house had belonged to a politician, the Honourable George Rose, who had enlarged and modernised the property. King George III and his wife Queen Charlotte had stayed as guests at Cuffnells on several occasions. The house had 12 main bedrooms, an enormous dining room and drawing room. The orangery was over 100ft in length. There were servants’ quarters, a tennis court, a two-acre vegetable garden and a small ornamental lake. Much of the estate was farmland with agricultural buildings and cottages.
Jonathan’s health continued to deteriorate, and he was suffering from tuberculosis. In 1862 the family went on an extended holiday to Cannes where the weather brought some improvement for a while. Sadly he died of bronchitis in 1863.
Reginald would inherit the Cuffnells estate when he was 25. His sisters would be provided with an income from the estate when they reached the same age.
Reginald went to Eton College but was not an academic; he preferred sport to studying. In 1872 Reginald attended Christ Church College, Oxford, where after several years of persistent study he managed to qualify for a batchelor of arts degree in 1878.
Marriage and family life
It is uncertain when Reginald and Alice first met at Oxford. Their engagement was announced in July 1880 and the wedding took place in Westminster Abbey on 15th September 1880. Alice was 28 at the time.
Just prior to their wedding, Alice visited Cuffnells for the first time. She wrote to Reginald saying: “I hope it will be a real fairyland to us both as long as we are permitted to enjoy it dear, ‘Wonderland’ come true for ‘Alice’ at last!”
In 1881 their first child, Alan Kneyveton Hargreaves was born. They went on to have two other boys, Leopold Reginald Hargreaves, born in 1883, and Caryl Liddell Hargreaves who arrived in 1887.
Reginald may not have been an academic but he was a kind and considerate man who was friendly and sociable. He spent his time managing the estate. Reginald was a local justice of the peace and chairman of the Conservative Club. He was a member of Lyndhurst Parish Council and a district commissioner for the Scouting association. Reginald enjoyed hunting shooting and fishing, and was a cricketer of some merit. He played for Hampshire in 12 matches. He captained the local cricket team at Lyndhurst and had a cricket pitch created at Cuffnells where some competitive matches were played.
Alice ran the house and organised their social life. She arranged for balls, parties and gymkhanas to be held at Cuffnells. Later she became a sponsor and the first president of the Emery Down Women’s Institute. Both Reginald and Alice supported local ventures including fundraising for schools and a new working men’s club.
The First World War
Their oldest son, Alan, had joined the army instead of attending university after leaving Eton. He was commissioned into the Rifle Brigade and fought in the Boer War in South Africa. He was promoted to the rank of captain in 1910.
When the First World War was declared he was part of the British Expeditionary Force sent to France. In October, whilst leading his men into an attack near Hazebrouck, he was shot though the right lung. After lying on the battlefield for two hours he was rescued and taken to hospital. For this action Alan was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. He returned to his battalion in March 1915 and served as a company commander. During the battle of Fromelles on the 9th of May 1915 he was leading an attack when he was wounded in the stomach. He was taken to the safety of a trench and later brought to an aid post where he died soon afterwards.
Leopold and Caryl both joined the army soon after the outbreak of war. Leopold was badly wounded while serving with the Irish Guards on 10th September 1915. He was brought back to England to convalesce. Leopold returned to his battalion the following year and, during the battle of the Somme on 15th September, he gallantly led his men into an attack when he was wounded again. Ten days later, during a further attack, Leopold and his men captured a German position. Unfortunately, they came under British artillery fire and, despite messages being sent to the gun battery, the barrage continued. Leopold was mortally wounded and was awarded the Military Cross for his actions.
Caryl, who was serving in a Scots Guards battalion in France was brought home to England.
Post-war
The loss of two of their sons must have been devastating for Alice and Reginald, and they erected a memorial to Alan and Leopold in St Michael’s Church, Lyndhurst. Their names are also inscribed on the Lynch Gate war memorial at Christ Church, Emery Down, and the war memorial at Bolton’s Bench. In 1926 Reginald died aged 73. He was buried in the Hargreaves family plot in the churchyard at Lyndhurst.
Cuffnells estate passed to Caryl, who ensured his mother could remain living there. The Hargreaves had spent freely over the years, and the family finances were greatly diminished. The cost of maintaining Cuffnells house and estate, and paying for staff, grew ever more. Caryl decided to rent the house out at £650 a week. There were no offers of interest.
Desperate times called for drastic measures and in 1928 Alice put her manuscript edition of Alice’s Adventures Underground up for auction at Southeby’s. Other Lewis Carroll items were on offer in the same auction. American bookdealer Dr ASW Rosenbach placed the winning bid of £15,400. This would be worth approximately £811,000 today. The rental board outside Cuffnells was duly removed.
In 1932 Alice was invited to the US to participate in celebrations of the centenary of Lewis Carroll’s birth. She attended with her son and sister Rhoda. This was a huge adventure for Alicen and she was able to celebrate her 80th birthday in New York. She was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Columbia and was treated as a celebrity, being photographed and interviewed by the media. She returned to England on the cruise liner Aquitania.
Alice had rented a house in Kent to be nearer her one remaining sister. In 1934 she became unwell on a drive home and slipped into a coma. She died peacefully on 15th November. She was cremated at Golders Green and her ashes were interred in the Hargreaves family grave at St Michael’s Church Lyndhurst.
What remains?
Cuffnells house became a hotel for a few years after Alice had died. During the Second World War it was requisitioned and used by a search light battery. It became dilapidated, and post-war became too expensive to repair. It was demolished in 1952. From 1946 to 1954 Cuffnells Park was the home of the New Forest Show.
Although Cuffnells House was demolished, the lodges at the entrance to the two driveways remain. On the western lodge house. Reginald Hargreaves’ initials RGH can be seen over the front door. The Hargreaves’ family names can be found on memorials in Lyndhurst Parish Church and Christ Church Emery Down.
Did Alice find ‘Wonderland’ in Cuffnells and the New Forest?
Do you know someone by the name of Alice? If so, please put them in touch with the New Forest Heritage Centre who are holding a special Gathering of Alices event on 4th May 2.30pm-5.30pm. There will be a tea party and an opportunity to take part in an Alice in Wonderland-inspired project. The event is free. More information can be found at www.newforestheritage.org.uk/eventsandexhibitions
The Heritage Centre also holds an excellent collection of material on Alice, the Hargreaves family and Cuffnells. This can be viewed via the New Forest Knowledge website or by booking an appointment to visit the centre.
Nick Saunders MA is a local historian and chairman of the Milton Heritage Society. He can be contacted via nick@miltonheritagesociety.co.uk
