Place Name
James Cornwallis, 4th Earl Cornwallis (February 25, 1743 – January 20, 1824) was Bishop of Lichfield between 1781 and 1824, he was the nephew of a previous incumbent Frederick Cornwallis. The original house was built in the mid-17thCentury and rebuilt in the 18thCentury for the 1st Earl of Abergavenny. By 1820 he owned the property, having unexpectedly – as the third son of the 1st Earl – inherited the title from his nephew, who had five girls, who were not permitted to inherit his titles. He was certainly well-connected. his parents were Charles Cornwallis, 1st Earl Cornwallis and his wife, Elizabeth, daughter of the 2nd Viscount Townshend, and niece of Sir Robert Walpole. His uncle, Frederick, was Archbishop of Canterbury. Frederick’s twin brother, Edward, was a military officer, colonial governor, and founder of Halifax, Nova Scotia. James’s brother William was an Admiral in the Royal Navy. His other brother, Charles Cornwallis, was the general of the American Revolutionary War. In 1875 the property was bought by John Maxwell, the publisher, who in turn left it to his wife, the author, Mary Elizabeth Braddon who died in 1915. The house was knocked down in 1930 to make way for flats, Lichfield Court.