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Of whom Augusta Anne (Gussie) (nee Des Voeux) – wife of Augustus Fredrick Arthur 4^th Baron Sandys – was, little is known. Possibly a talented ceramicist, she lived in Brighton and Leamington prior to her marriage, where she was ‘lightly spoken of’ on account of rumours she had given birth to a child and acted improperly with a married man. Such ‘dreadful falsehoods’ her family emphatically denied.

When Augustus and Augusta married in 1872, the so-called Sandys affair scandal saw members of the former’s family refuse to attend their wedding, and meant Augusta was socially shunned. Quite unfairly, too, given her husband later fathered a son with his chambermaid. Indeed, the rumours about Augusta were never substantiated, whilst Lord Sandys’ love child lived nearby.

Born in 1892, Frederick Richard Warner, known as Richard, was raised by his grandparents in Uphampton Lane, in Ombersley. After his birth, his mother Rose Warner – previously employed at Ombersley Court – moved away and married. We know that on Lord and Lady Sandys’ request, Richard would occasionally visit them with his grandmother. However, after Lord Sandys death any involvement (and any assets paid) between Richard and the Sandys family ended. Richard’s birth contradicted Augusta’s, perhaps naïve, assumption that her husband was in fact impotent since they seemed unable to have a child.

Our archive holds correspondence between Lord Sandys, Lord Lyttelton, Sir John Pakington, Sir Charles Douglas and Sir William Paulet relating to the ‘most serious of rumours in Worcestershire [that] Lady Sandys, when a single woman, [had] had a child.’ In the first letter in a subsequently printed copy intended for Lord and Lady Sandys private consultation, Lyttleton writes to Sandys’ mother, Louisa, that it is ‘with the utmost regret…that after much consideration and consultation with others – Lady Lyttleton and myself will not be able to receive or visit Lady Sandys’.

In response, Douglas (Augusta’s white knight) and Paulet (her uncle) ask Lyttelton to speak personally with Lord and Lady Sandys before arriving at any prejudicial conclusion. What follows is a fierce back and forth that ultimately descends into a tit for tat on ‘mere matters of opinion’. Whilst Douglas argues Augusta did ‘nothing to forfeit her station in society’, Lyttelton and Pakington claim they ‘acted according to well established rules of much importance to social morality’. ‘We do not deny that “rumours” such as you have described exist’, Douglas writes to Lyttelton, ‘[but] you will find that some are false and others exaggerated’. But ‘what were we supposed to do?’, Lyttelton protests, ‘the lady who was the subject of these disparaging rumours and family differences was coming to us as a nobleman’s bride’. In handwritten letters from Lord Sandys to Lyttelton, Sandys refers multiple times to the rumour Augusta had a child before they were married as ‘a wicked untruth’.

First page of a letter from Lord Sandys to Lord Lyttelton – Reference Number: 705:56 BA15492/160/2/51

Second page of a letter from Lord Sandys to Lord Lyttelton – Reference Number: 705:56 BA15492/160/2/51

Although we know Pakington wrote to Lady Sandys regarding the ‘disparaging rumours’, it tells us something of the attitudes towards women and their place in nineteenth century British society, that it was discussed in great depth by ‘gentlemen’ in order to arrive at ‘truth and justice’.

“I conceive that one of the vital safeguards for the morality of our upper class…is the rule that no woman who has gone astray before marriage or after, shall ever again be received into society – I speak of actual and sufficiently established criminality…I conceive that a woman, who has unhappily so fallen, has made [a] gulf between herself and respectable society, and it is in her fault, though it may be also her misfortune, if that condition should be unfavourable to her.”

Lord Lyttelton, 26^th August 1872

Reference Number: 705:56 BA15492/160/2/4

You can read a partial transcript of the letters, here: Sandys Affair Correspondence

Of the catalogued records already held in our collection that relate to the Sandys family of Ombersley, those from the English Civil War are particularly notable. Worcestershire has strong links to the Civil War – a series of mid-seventeenth century battles between the Royalists and the Parliamentarians that saw members of the titled family fight in opposition to one and other.

Of particular interest is Colonel Samuel Sandys (1615-1685) – the eldest son of Edwin Sandys MP for Droitwich (1591-1623) and Penelope (nee Bulkeley) (1586-1680) and an eminent supporter of Kings Charles I and II. Before the war, Samuel was himself an MP, yet at its outbreak he sided with the King – ensuring his exclusion from the House of Commons until Charles II, restored to the throne, appointed him MP for Worcestershire. Our archive holds handwritten letters to Samuel from his ‘assured friend’ Charles I. In one, written in September 1645 at Bridge North, the King assures ‘Sam Sandys’ of his good opinion of him:

‘Sam Sandys,

I am told that some malicious person both to you and my Service hath endeavoured to give you misapprehensions of my good opinion of you…Yet I have thought fit…to assure you in this particular way that there is no gentleman in England upon whose faithfulness and entire affections to my person and cause I do more confidently rely…and whenever it please God to restore me you shall be please to find the effects of my being your assured friend

Charles R’

Letter to Colonel Samual Sandys from King Charles I, 30th September 1645 – Reference Number: x705:56 BA13825/1/12

In another, he writes that ‘whatsoever idle or malicious people tell you, be confident that I am, your assured friend’. In this second personal letter sent a few months later, ‘Sandys’ is asked to send what assistance he can to the Duke of Richmond.

Letter to Colonel Samuel Sandys from King Charles I to Samuel Sandys, 7th November 1645 – Reference Number: x705:56 BA18325/1/11

‘Sam Sandys’ raised the best part of two Cavalier regiments during the Civil War. In 1643, he was commissioned by Prince Rupert to raise money to support his regiment of horse. Then in 1644, as Governor of Evesham, ‘the trusty and [well beloved] Colonell Sandys’ received an ‘order from the King’ for his regiment to be sent to Sir John Winter, to replace the forces withdrawn by Charles I in the Forest of Dean. Both of these documents we hold at The Hive.

Samuel fought at the Battle of Powick Bridge in opposition to his cousin, another Edwin Sandys – a fellow colonel but this time leader of the Roundheads, who was badly wounded and later died of his injuries. The victor at Powick, Samuel fought again at the Battle of Edgehill in 1642, where he was himself hurt and his brother Richard killed. He also commanded a troop in the Royalist march on Brentford. A year later, Samuel took command of the prestigious Worcester garrison that withstood siege by the Parliamentarian army. In 1645, he was commissioned by the King to become Governor of Worcester, which gave him the authority to slay any person that threatened the peace and security of the city and garrison of Worcester.

Commission from King Charles I to Colonell Samuell Sandys – Reference Number: x705:56 BA13825/1/10

A handwritten letter from King Charles I to Sam Sandys regarding him becoming Governor of Worcester – Reference Number: x705:56 BA13825/1/9

Samuel’s brothers Martin and Henry Sandys were also Cavelier officers. Henry died of injuries sustained at the Battle of Cheriton, Hampshire, in 1644, and Martin was ordered by King Charles and the Council of War at Worcester to enlist the inhabitants of the city to his regiment; and to expel them from it if they refused. An order sent from Charles II to Earl Marshall of Carlise, concerns the precedency of Henry’s children. Dated 10^th July 1673, it allowed them to succeed him following his death as the heir apparent to Edwin Sandys MP.

The involvement of members of the Sandys family in the English Civil War was significant, whether fighting in battles or mustering Royalist armies. Though they fought mainly in defence of English royalty, it is interesting that not all did. Perhaps we shall learn more of the story as we begin to catalogue the many records that make up the Sandys Archive.

An order signed and sealed by Oliver Cromwell to not attack Thomas Winter, 4th September 1651 – x705:56 BA13825/1/13

Born Cynthia Gascoigne, Cynthia Sandys, wife of 6th Baron Arthur Fitzgerald Sandys Hill, was more than a woman of means and fortunate family connections. She had a variety of interests. She studied physics and chemistry at Leeds University, worked as a nurse during the First World War and as Justice of the Peace. She loved parties and had an interest in politics, sitting as a Magistrate and as Chair of the local Conservative Association. On her mother’s side, Ida Copeland – one of the earliest women MPs – was her cousin. Ida won her seat in 1931 standing against Sir Oswald Mosely – founder of the British Fascist Party.

Cynthia worked hard for the St John’s Ambulance, Women’s Institute and Girl Guides, but her claim to fame was as a Medium. Known for her ability to channel letters from deceased family members and acquaintances, she first turned to spiritualism following the deaths of her father, and brother in law, Richard. Material relating to Cynthia in the Sandys Archive, includes letters written by her husband Arthur to the couple’s son (also called Richard) in which he refers to Cythina’s abilities as a Clairaudience. Often considered a form on clairvoyance, clairaudience is the ability to hear voices from the spirit world.

In one letter, Arthur reports that Cynthia had been in touch with his ‘dear’ deceased brother:

‘He said that, on leaving his body, he found himself standing beside it and he said Good gracious – Artie was right; I must go and find him, and tell him…I’m not sensitive, so I didn’t feel his presence. It was a most merciful release.’

In 1957, Cynthia and Arthur’s eldest daughter Patricia died, but Cynthia’s gift meant she remained in contact. Arthur’s letters tell us more:

‘Now here’s a queer thing. Your Mother was in the Hall the other day and heard someone calling. It wasn’t my voice, but she came up to enquire, and I denied all knowledge. When writing the next day, Pat explained that she was able to make her voice heard because your Mother was so completely surrounded by wood […] She said it was a great thrill for her, but it was an even better one for her Mama, who got gooseflesh all over and recognised (but disbelieved) the intonation.’

Over a ten year period, Cynthia collected a series of letters from ‘Pat’ – an extensive selection of which she published in the book Letters from our daughters – a copy of which can be found in our Local Studies Reference Library. In it, Pat refers often to her cousin ‘Flo’, as in Florence Nightingale, Cynthia’s first cousin twice removed.

Arthur, too, had an interest in spiritualism. Despite some scepticism, in about 1930 he had himself began attending psychic sessions. ‘I rang up the Little Marchioness [Mary, Marchioness of Downshire and Baroness Sandys] several times’ he writes to Richard, ‘It was quite a new affair calling up someone who passed away in 1835’.

Lord Arthur FitzGerald Sandys Hill and Lady Cynthia Sandys at their daughter’s wedding, 1954 – Reference: 899:156 WPS5183