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bournemouthecho.co.uk/news 22 Daily Echo, MONDAY MAY 5, 2008 A SEX scandal that rocked the Dorset gen- try and shocked Parliament; cloak and dagger dealings with the law and the locals; a link to smugg- lers and priceless works of art…. the life and times of a disgraced Dorset landowner could provide Hollywood with its latest cos- tume drama. William John Bankes, the noted explorer and pioneer Egyptologist, who is widely credited with rebuilding the Kingston Lacy estate as it is today, fled the country in shame in 1841 having been caught in compromising circumstances with a young soldier in London’s Green Park. Sodomy was a capital crime in those days and, on legal advice, Bankes decamped to Venice after signing over his interest in Kingston Lacy to his brothers George and Edward. He was declared a criminal outlaw and remained in exile until his death in 1855. Or did he? By arrangement with Dorset’s senior legal officials, politicians and local workers, it seems William made at least one clan- destine trip back to his beloved Kingston Lacy to check on the progress of the work he was orchestrating from afar. His biographer, Anne Sebba, has sold the film rights to her highly-praised account of William’s colourful life, The Exiled Collector (John Murray, £8.99), and is hoping a good script will entice the industry big boys to the story. “You can just imagine it, these magnificent settings – Kingston Lacy and Venice, maybe with someone like Jude Law in the lead role,” she says. “It’s very rare you get period stories where the exact loca- tions still exist – it’s not like you have to recreate a dingy Liverpool street or make a vil- lage as in Cranford.” Anne met film producer Richard Foord after a lecture she gave at Kingston Lacy about 18 months ago. “I was being asked questions by a man in the audience who was clearly very knowledgeable and enthused by the subject. He told me afterwards that he was a producer and very interested in making a film about William John Bankes. “Often film rights are bought and nothing happens, but I just have a funny feeling that this one might take off. Richard has said that what they really love in Hollywood is great stories about plucky little Brits, that’s why Calendar Girls and films like that do so well.” A friend of Lord Byron and an MP from the age of 24, William John Bankes became first in line to inherit Kingston Lacy from his father Henry when his older brother, also called Henry, was drowned off the coast of Tunis in 1806. Widely travelled, as a young man William amassed a sizeable collection of antiquities, some of which he sold to the British Museum, and earned a fine rep- utation as a skilled translator of ancient texts. But his private life scandalised high society. He was arrested, tried and acquitted for sexual indecency with a young Coldstream Guardsman in 1833. His father – who testified at his trial – became ill and died little more than a year later. Soon after William appointed the eminent archi- tect Charles Barry, who was also rebuilding the Houses of Parliament which had been destroyed by fire in 1834, to work with him on renovating Kingston Lacy. “So many people have said to me that it’s a poignant story, but I’ve always seen it as a triumphant story born of some- thing quite sad,” says Anne. “Living on his wits in Venice with not much money he came as close as an 18th century gen- tleman could do to having a proper job. I really liked him in that he survived in adversity.” The intrigue continued throughout William’s life – and beyond. Anne believes he made at least one journey back to Kingston Lacy in the spring or summer of 1854, the year before he died. She was told the story of how he slipped into the country through Poole after landing at Studland by the Castleman family of Chettle House, adjacent to the Bankes estate. The Castlemans are descendants of celebrated Dorset smuggler Isaac Gulliver and it seems fairly certain that Gulliver and others were active on the Dorset estates. “Teddy Castleman told me they were brought up with oral history, stories handed down the genera- tions, rather than writ- ten down. It makes sense that there was smuggling on the Kingston Lacy estate as it suited the government at the time to turn a blind eye because they wanted the Napoleonic blockade broken. “William would have known how the local customs worked as he always sent his artefacts back through Poole, so the familes simply arranged his safe passage and made sure he could avoid arrest. I’m sure it hap- pened at least once, if not twice. “Can you imagine the strength of will it took to do that? William lived in Venice but couldn’t swim, so he had to con- quer that fear. Then landing in choppy waters off England, wor- rying about whether he’d be arrested if discovered – there’s so much intrigue and mystery in this story.” The scheming continued even after William’s death. Although branded an outlaw, his body was brought back and interred in the family tomb in Wimborne Minster. The funeral was held in total secrecy on June 13, 1855 – two months after his death in Venice. Bankes family lore has it that a private Act of Parliament was required for his remains to be brought, but there is no such Act. It seems William’s younger brother Edward, who was Canon of Bristol Cathedral and close to Queen Victoria, used his considerable influence. It’s now 25 years since Ralph Bankes bequeathed the entire Bankes family estate to the National Trust and Anne believes William would have been pleased with how it has turned out. “Well, I think he would have preferred it to be preserved for the family, but having it saved for the nation would have suited him I’m sure. It’s certainly bet- ter than seeing the collection split up and sold off and Kingston Lacy is to a great extent a memorial to his spirit and vision.” She also sees some similarities between William and the last Bankes – Ralph’s reclusive and troubled son John, who died of liver cancer in 1996 and is buried at St Nicholas Church, Studland. “They were both exiles in effect and misunderstood by their family. I spoke with many of John’s friends and – even though it may have been for the best – he felt it was cruel that he couldn’t take up his birthright. John had a real affinity with the place and such enthusiasm for it, as did William of course, but wasn’t able to live there.” Anne’s new book, Jennie Churchill: Winston’s American Mother is published by John Murray and available now. Anne will be giving a lunchtime talk at Kingston Lacy as part of National Archaeology Week on July 11. PIONEER: William John Bankes (1786-1855) by Sir George Hayter (1792-1871). Collector and traveller, rebuilt Kingston Lacy (above) to Sir Charles Barry's designs 1835-40. ©NTPL/Angelo Hornak Bankes for the memory Nick Churchill looks at an extraordinary local life AUTHOR: Anne Sebba

22 Daily Echo, Bankes for the memory · 22 Daily Echo, MONDAY MAY 5, 2008 bournemouthecho.co.uk/news A SEX scandal that rocked the Dorset gen-try and shocked Parliament; cloak and

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Page 1: 22 Daily Echo, Bankes for the memory · 22 Daily Echo, MONDAY MAY 5, 2008 bournemouthecho.co.uk/news A SEX scandal that rocked the Dorset gen-try and shocked Parliament; cloak and

bournemouthecho.co.uk/news22 Daily Echo, MONDAY MAY 5, 2008

ASEX scandal thatrocked the Dorset gen-try and shockedParliament; cloak and

dagger dealings with the lawand the locals; a link to smugg-lers and priceless works of art….the life and times of a disgracedDorset landowner could provideHollywood with its latest cos-tume drama.

William John Bankes, thenoted explorer and pioneerEgyptologist, who is widelycredited with rebuilding theKingston Lacy estate as it istoday, fled the country in shamein 1841 having been caught incompromising circumstanceswith a young soldier inLondon’s Green Park.

Sodomy was a capital crime inthose days and, on legal advice,Bankes decamped to Veniceafter signing over his interest inKingston Lacy to his brothersGeorge and Edward. He wasdeclared a criminal outlaw andremained in exile until hisdeath in 1855.

Or did he?By arrangement with Dorset’s

senior legal officials, politiciansand local workers, it seemsWilliam made at least one clan-destine trip back to his belovedKingston Lacy to check on theprogress of the work he wasorchestrating from afar.

His biographer, Anne Sebba,has sold the film rights to herhighly-praised account ofWilliam’s colourful life, TheExiled Collector (John Murray,£8.99), and is hoping a goodscript will entice the industrybig boys to the story.

“You can just imagine it,these magnificent settings –Kingston Lacy and Venice,maybe with someone like JudeLaw in the lead role,” she says.

“It’s very rare you get periodstories where the exact loca-tions still exist – it’s not likeyou have to recreate a dingyLiverpool street or make a vil-lage as in Cranford.”

Anne met film producerRichard Foord after a lectureshe gave at Kingston Lacy about18 months ago.

“I was being asked questionsby a man in the audience whowas clearly very knowledgeableand enthused by the subject. Hetold me afterwards that he was aproducer and very interested inmaking a film about WilliamJohn Bankes.

“Often film rights are boughtand nothing happens, but I justhave a funny feeling that thisone might take off. Richard hassaid that what they really lovein Hollywood is great storiesabout plucky little Brits, that’swhy Calendar Girls and filmslike that do so well.”

A friend of Lord Byron and anMP from the age of 24, WilliamJohn Bankes became first inline to inherit Kingston Lacyfrom his father Henry when hisolder brother, also called Henry,was drowned off the coast ofTunis in 1806.

Widely travelled, as a youngman William amassed a sizeablecollection of antiquities, some ofwhich he sold to the BritishMuseum, and earned a fine rep-utation as a skilled translator ofancient texts.

But his private life scandalisedhigh society.

He was arrested, tried andacquitted for sexual indecencywith a young ColdstreamGuardsman in 1833. His father –who testified at his trial –became ill and died little morethan a year later. Soon afterWilliam appointed the eminent

archi-tectCharlesBarry, whowas alsorebuilding theHouses of Parliamentwhich had been destroyed byfire in 1834, to work with him onrenovating Kingston Lacy.

“So many people have said tome that it’s a poignant story, butI’ve always seen it as a triumphant story born of some-thing quite sad,” says Anne.

“Living on his wits in Venicewith not much money he cameas close as an 18th century gen-tleman could do to having aproper job. I really liked him inthat he survived in adversity.”

The intrigue continuedthroughout William’s life – andbeyond.

Anne believes he made at leastone journey back to KingstonLacy in the spring or summer of1854, the year before he died.She was told the story of how heslipped into the country throughPoole after landing at Studlandby the Castleman family ofChettle House, adjacent to theBankes estate. The Castlemansare descendants of celebratedDorset smuggler Isaac Gulliverand it seems fairly certain thatGulliver and others were activeon the Dorset estates.

“Teddy Castleman told me

theywere

broughtup with

oral history,stories handed

down the genera-tions, rather than writ-

ten down. It makes sense thatthere was smuggling on theKingston Lacy estate as it suitedthe government at the time toturn a blind eye because theywanted the Napoleonic blockadebroken.

“William would have knownhow the local customs workedas he always sent his artefactsback through Poole, so thefamiles simply arranged his safepassage and made sure he couldavoid arrest. I’m sure it hap-pened at least once, if not twice.

“Can you imagine the strengthof will it took to do that?William lived in Venice butcouldn’t swim, so he had to con-quer that fear. Then landing inchoppy waters off England, wor-rying about whether he’d bearrested if discovered – there’sso much intrigue and mysteryin this story.”

The scheming continued evenafter William’s death.

Although branded an outlaw,his body was brought back andinterred in the family tomb inWimborne Minster. The funeralwas held in total secrecy onJune 13, 1855 – two months after

his death in Venice.Bankes family lore has it that

a private Act of Parliament wasrequired for his remains to bebrought, but there is no suchAct.

It seems William’s youngerbrother Edward, who wasCanon of Bristol Cathedral andclose to Queen Victoria, usedhis considerable influence.

It’s now 25 years since RalphBankes bequeathed the entireBankes family estate to theNational Trust and Annebelieves William would havebeen pleased with how it hasturned out.

“Well, I think he would havepreferred it to be preserved forthe family, but having it savedfor the nation would have suitedhim I’m sure. It’s certainly bet-ter than seeing the collectionsplit up and sold off andKingston Lacy is to a greatextent a memorial to his spiritand vision.”

She also sees some similaritiesbetween William and the lastBankes – Ralph’s reclusive andtroubled son John, who died ofliver cancer in 1996 and isburied at St Nicholas Church,Studland.

“They were both exiles ineffect and misunderstood bytheir family. I spoke with manyof John’s friends and – eventhough it may have been for thebest – he felt it was cruel that hecouldn’t take up his birthright.John had a real affinity with theplace and such enthusiasm forit, as did William of course, butwasn’t able to live there.”

● Anne’s new book, JennieChurchill: Winston’s AmericanMother is published by JohnMurray and available now.Anne will be giving a lunchtimetalk at Kingston Lacy as part ofNational Archaeology Week onJuly 11.

PIONEER: William John Bankes(1786-1855) by Sir GeorgeHayter (1792-1871). Collectorand traveller, rebuilt KingstonLacy (above) to Sir CharlesBarry's designs 1835-40.©NTPL/Angelo Hornak

Bankesfor thememoryNick Churchill looks atan extraordinary local life

AUTHOR: Anne Sebba