Tunnels and boat houses, the Sunbury home of Francis Jack Needham, Earl of Kilmorey
- Apr 30
- 3 min read
Most readers of this website will be aware of Francis Jack Needham, the 2nd Earl of Kilmorey, who created the Egyptian style mausoleum in St Margarets for his young mistress, Prisicilla. He eloped with Priscilla in 1843 when he was 56 and she was 20. He went on to build a magnificent house in St Margarets for them to live in, but unfortunately she died in 1854 and they never lived in it.
The Earl sold the house and the surrounding land to the Conservative Land Society. He moved to Sunbury Court in 1856. This house by the river was built in 1723 by John Witt whose estate stretched for over 100 acres. It was then known as Sunbury Place, and went through a succession of owners, including Anna Maria Delegard and her husband the 2nd Earl of Pomfret who commissioned the Swedish artist Elias Martin (1739-1818) to paint the striking frescoes in the dining room.
Kilmorey was one of a succession of owners of the house, and lived in it until 1862. Those that are familiar with his passion for building, tunnels and rowing will not be surprised to hear that he made a tunnel under the road outside the house, leading to his boat house. The entrance is still there, though the tunnel now comes to a blind end under the road. It has been repaired at some stage with a concrete roof and brickwork, possibly when the military occupied the building in 1918. Kilmorey made tunnels to the mausoleum in St Margarets, and to his boat house in Orleans House (and quite possibly in Woburn Place and to the Gordon House boat house). In Sunbury Court the road between the house and the river would not have been busy, nor was it particularly overlooked, and so why he needed a tunnel to access his boat house is a mystery.
He also did some renovation, though it does not look as though he altered the main building much. However the gate lodge proudly displays the Kilmorey coat of arms and was probably built by him.
There is not much known about his life in Sunbury. The 1861 census shows him living there with seven servants. Intriguingly a visitor was also resident; Katherine Grey a 24 year old unmarried woman. Given the Earl’s proclivities for younger women it is tempting to wonder if this was an amante.
After Kilmorey left Sunbury for Weybridge, Sunbury Court was enlarged by Sir Frederick Dixon-Hartland Bt MP, who added two wings to the main house. After a period as a club, and occupation by the military, it was purchased in 1925 by the Salvation Army. It is the historic place where the High Council of the Salvation Army elects the General to lead the Army. Sunbury Court is also the Salvation Army conference centre, and home to the International College of Officers (essentially the Staff College for future leaders).
The Salvation Army has looked after the buildings well, restoring the paintings and interiors and building sympathetic extensions and additional buildings for the conference centre. The teetotal commitment of the Army can be seen in the basement, where the large wine cellar is now used as storage for the housekeeper.
I would like to thank Angie McSorley for kindly showing me around Sunbury Court.
For further reading on the Earl of Kilmorey and his mausoleum see:
George, A.J.T. Francis Jack Needham, the 2nd Earl of Kilmorey; His Life and Loves. Twickenham: Habitats & Heritage, 2024.
George, A.J.T. The Kilmorey Mausoleum; an Example of Victorian Industry and Art. Twickenham: Habitats & Heritage, 2024.
George, A.J.T. The Gardens and People of Twickenham Park. Bristol: Redcliffe Press, 2025.
A short history of Sunbury Court is available at: https://www.salvationarmy.org/sunburycourt/history
© 2025, Andrew George, all rights reserved
Published 30 April 2026
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