Bredenbury Court: As remodelled by T. H. Wyatt for W. H Barneby, 1873.

Evesham Standard & West Midland Observer - 4th July 1931

Death of Greswolde-Williams

Landowner and Sportsman

The death took place at Broadwas Court on Thursday, of Mr. Francis Wigley Greswolde Greswolde-Williams, at the age of 57. Mr. Greswolde-Williams had been in failing health for sometime.
Mr. Greswolde-Williams was the grandson of Mr John Williams, of Pitmaston Worcester, whose son, Mr Francis Edward Williams, married Miss Anne Greswolde, daughter of Mr Henry Greswolde, of Malvern Hall, Solihull, and by his marriage became entitled to the Warwickshire and Worcester estates belonging to the Greswolde family. Mr. Greswolde-Williams was a son of Mr. Henry Edward Williams, who was the third son of Mr. Francis Edward Williams, and on the decease of his uncle, the late Mr John Francis Greswolde-Williams, of Henwick Grange, Worcester. Mr. F. W. G. Greswolde-Williams succeeded to the Greswolde and Williams' family estates, which were situated in the counties of Worcester, Warwick, and Hereford. Mr. Greswolde-Williams married in 1895., Miss Ross, the daughter of Mr. And Mrs. Colin George Ross.
The Williams' were descended from a wealthy South Wales family which settled in Herefordshire in the sixteenth century and acquired extensive landed estates in this and the adjoining county of Hereford.
In 1920 Mr. Greswolde-Williams sold a good deal of his property in Warwickshire, and a few years later put in the market the Bredenbury estate near Bromyard, which he acquired from the late Mr H. Barneby. At one time Mr. Greswolde-Williams lived in Strensham, but later went to Bredenbury, but he left there during the war years and the family then used Broadwas Court. But they were not in England all the year, for they spent many months of the year in British East Africa, where Mr. Greswolde-Williams had acquired large estates. It was his custom to go there about November of each year and stay till the following March. There he pursued shooting and sport of horsemanship, of which he was very fond. He was a fearless, even caring, horseman in earlier days and initiated horse polo games on Pitchcroft and elsewhere. While in East Africa he had the misfortune to injure one of his eyes in a gun accident and could not follow shooting sports so much afterwards, but he always bred game for his friends, and was keenly interesting in shooting in Africa. There his only son, Lt. F. H. J. Greswolde-Williams died in 1923. Probably because of his frequent absences abroad he took little part in the public life of the County, but he was made a Justice of the peace in 1900 and he was High Sheriff in 1906-7, and was a Deputy Lieutenant.
Mr. Greswolde-Williams took a very keen interest in racing. He owned several horse, and when in the country he was a regular attendant at race meetings, and was one of the stewards of the Worcester meeting for some years. In later years he took an interest in flying and bought a flying machine in which he was driven by a pilot.
One of his daughters married Lt. Noel Summers, of Rathfarnham, Co. Dublin, and another Capt. C. R. BillyardLeake, of hare field Park, Middlesex.
A third daughter died a few years ago. On March 10, 1926. Mr. Greswolde-Williams married at Kenya Colony, Pamela Sophia Fjastail.


Frank Greswold Williams,esq.,of Bredenbury Court, Bromyard, on a bay hunter.
by Thomas Percy Earl.


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