Going back to the time of Whitworth
we find that Sir Robert Shafto was succeeded by his son, Mark. Mark was appointed High Sheriff of the County in 1709 and died
in 1723. His eldest son Robert Shafto then succeeded to
the estate. He entered Parliament and received the honour
of knighthood but died without issue - leaving his brother
John (who also sat for the county) his heir at law. The son
of John Shafto was the "Bonnie Bobby Shafto" of
the well know ballad.
John married Anne Duncombe the heiress of
Duncombe Park in Yorkshire and poor Miss Bellasye, the heiress
of Brancepeth, died for love of him. There is a portrait of
this favoured lover in the Hall at Whitworth, in which he
is represented as very young and very handsome with golden
hair. He was a celebrated courtier and a man of fashion in
his day and is said to have squandered a good deal of the
money that his wife brought to him. He ultimately became Member
of Parliament for the County and died in 1797. He was succeeded
by his son, John, who died unmarried in 1802 - leaving the
estate to Robert Eden Duncombe Shafto who is the grandfather of
the present owner of Whitworth Park.
Click
on the controls to stop, pause and play
Bobby Shafto
Lyrics:
Bobby Shafto's gone to sea,
Silver buckles on his knee;
He'll come back and marry me,
Bonny Bobby Shafto!
Bobby Shafto's bright and fair,
Combing down his yellow hair;
He's the one I really care for,
Bonny Bobby Shafto!
Bobby Shafto Caravan Park
Cranberry Plantation, Beamish,
County Durham, DH9 0RY
Tel: 0191 370 1776
Fax: 0191 370 1783
