Exhibition: The History of Walton Hall

Owners of Walton Hall: The Pinfolds

Fanny Maria Pinfold: Later years

The 1901 census shows that Fanny Maria was attended by her lady’s maid, Jane Sharratt, and five other servants including a cook, Mary Frost, two housemaids, a kitchen maid, and a footman at Walton Hall. Her coachman John Brown lived in Milton Road close to the Hall, possibly at Walton Lodge.  In April 1902 Jane Sharratt took her own life by drowning in the River Ouzel not far from Walton Hall. An inquest followed and several witnesses from the household gave evidence. However Fanny Maria, who was described as an invalid at this time, was not called. According to newspaper reports, Jane Sharratt “…occupied a bedroom by herself – adjoining that of Miss Pinfold’s” and that she “…was in the habit of going into Miss Pinfold’s bedroom about three o’clock each morning to give her some light refreshments. Miss Pinfold was an invalid. She was very much surprised when told of the occurrence”.

Fanny Maria Pinfold died on 30 October 1902 aged 73 and it is evident that she was a much loved ‘Lady of the Manor’. The following notice appeared in the ‘Croydon Weekly Standard’ a week later: “Death of Miss Pinfold – The inhabitants of the village of Walton have, we understand, lost a good friend in the death of Miss Pinfold, who died at her residence, Walton Hall, on Thursday October 30, at the age of 73. Although living a somewhat retired life, Miss Pinfold had a very kindly nature, and many will miss her generous and thoughtful acts.”

Fanny Maria’s obituary and an account of her funeral were reported in the ‘Bucks and County Observer’ on 8 November 1902, part of which can be read here: “Quite a sad gloom was cast over this village, Fenny Stratford and surrounding district on Friday, when it became known that the earthly career of the beloved Lady of Walton Manor had been brought to a close by the hand of death, and many were the expressions of regret heard on every hand. The deceased lady succeeded to the Walton Manor estate… nearly fifty years ago, but ill-health prevented her from residing here for many years, but which, fortunately, as years passed greatly improved during which time the Hall was tenanted by several families until 1893, in which year, to the joy of the tenantry of the estate and the villagers, Miss Pinfold’s health had so much improved that the esteemed lady was able to take up her residence at the Hall, and during the nine years that have passed Miss Pinfold endeared herself in the hearts of every inhabitant of the village… To the tenantry of the estate she was ever considerate and kind. The cottagers and poor have lost a friend indeed. Many hearts have been gladdened at Christmas time by gifts of warm clothing and presents of good fare at the festive season, indeed her many acts of charity and kindness will ever be remembered”.

The funeral took place at St Michael’s Church, Walton on Tuesday 8^th November 1902: “Numbers were to be seen wending their way to the sacred edifice to pay their last respects to the departed. Shortly before three o’clock the funeral cortege started from the Hall and wended its course by the route which the deceased lady, now borne upon the shoulders of servants and tenantry of the estate, had so many times traversed… On arriving at the Church the coffin was taken within the sacred edifice, where the first portion of the beautiful service of the Church of England for the Burial of the Dead was performed in a very impressive manor by the Rev. Donald Tait (cousin of the deceased)… The remaining portion of the service was conducted at the grave, which is next to those of the deceased’s parents near the south porch of the church, in the presence of a very large assembly.”  Photographs of Fanny Maria's headstone and the Pinfold family plot are shown on this page. 

On the death of Fanny Maria, two hundred years of ownership of the Walton Estate by the Pinfold family came to an end. She had no children or siblings and left the estate to her cousin Mary Katherine Seagrave, a relation on her mother’s side of the family. The Walton estate was valued at £57,624. In her will, Fanny Maria expressed that there should be no hearse or mourning coach at her funeral, and that her bearers should be paid £2 10s each and her servants were to receive £5 each for mourning. She left monetary gifts of £3000 each to Edward-Seagrave, Frederick, Charles and Louisa Sumner, children of the Rev. Oliver Sumner who had married into the Seagrave family in 1855. Everything else went to her cousin Mary who was to decide the fate of the Walton estate at the beginning of the twentieth century.