The Last De Grey Tombs

The final monuments in the mausoleum belong to Thomas, Earl de Grey and his wife, Henrietta, the last De Greys to be buried at Flitton church. The memorial to Henrietta (d.1848), wife of Thomas, Earl de Grey © English Heritage Photo Library. 

In the absence of other male heirs, Thomas, a grandson of Jemima, inherited the entire De Grey estate in 1833. He was a keen architect and soon began work on the new house at Wrest Park (make link to property page). Although his monument, erected after his death in 1859, recalls the older Jacobean style tombs, that of his wife Henrietta, who died before him in 1848, shows a classic Victorian vision of death. The earl and his children mourn below while above, an angel leads her to heaven.

These were the last monuments to be installed in the mausoleum. Wrest Park was inherited by the Earl’s eldest daughter, Anne, Countess Cowper. As she used her husband’s house at Panshanger in Hertfordshire as her main residence, the De Grey mausoleum was no longer required.