From the archive: Prince Frederick Duleep Singh and Ancient House, Thetford

Prince Frederick Duleep Singh is one the most interesting personalities found in the SPAB archives. Born in London in 1868, Prince 'Freddy' was the youngest son of the last Maharaja of the Sikh Empire. He had a deep interest in archaeology and historic buildings and was a dedicated SPAB Member and volunteer.

The Prince spent the last twenty years of his life at Blo' Norton Hall, an Elizabethan manor in Norfolk. In April 1898, SPAB Secretary Thackeray Turner wrote to the Prince to draw his attention to the proposed plans to rebuild the entire north section of the Thetford Town Hall, an undertaking the SPAB thought unnecessary and harmful to the ancient structure.

Turner called upon the Prince to use his influence in the area and, as he was a member of the SPAB, asked him to inspect the building on the Society’s behalf.

With the Prince’s help, the SPAB’s advice was taken up by the local authorities. The relationship between the SPAB and the Prince continued until his death in 1926 – there are 19 historic case files in the SPAB archive that contain letters and reports from him.

Our most notable collaboration with Duleep Singh was the repair and preservation of Ancient House, a 15th-century townhouse on Whitehart Street in Thetford, Norfolk. In 1921, the Prince purchased the building and presented it to the Mayor and Corporation of Thetford as the home for a future local museum. The Museum was opened three years later and it is now run by Norfolk Museums Service.

As well as bequeathing many items to the Museum’s collection, the Prince funded the repair of the building. The SPAB was consulted extensively. On surveying the building in 1924 there was a panel above the first-floor fireplace which needed attention and it was suggested that a new wooden panel with an inscription of the building’s significance and brief history be commissioned. On consulting the Prince, it was decided to include the Thetford seal, which was thought to date from the 12^th century. The new design was assigned to Joseph Armitage, a sculptor and carver, but the Prince had some suggestions of his own. He describes this as ‘a very crude sketch of the coronet’.

This is just one example of Prince Frederick’s hands-on approach, showing his passion for ancient buildings. A long-time member of the SPAB, under his Deed of Gift of the Ancient House to the Town Council in 1921, it was stipulated that should anyone wish to carry out any structural alterations to the building, the SPAB must be consulted first. This has ensured the good condition of the building in the years since. The Ancient House today looks almost identical to the photo above from nearly 100 years ago.

The SPAB archive is one of the oldest collections of material wholly dedicated to buildings conservation. Please help us to keep access to the archive free for everyone and make a donation to support the archive.