The Men Who Lost America

To mark the 250th anniversary of the 1776 United States Declaration of Independence this unique and special trip to the UK will focus on three of the key men who lost America. You will stay at Knowsley Hall, home to The Earl & Countess of Derby and Drayton House, made famous as location for the film ‘Saltburn’, and from there visit Audley End House. You will hear more about General Charles Cornwallis, Lord George Germain and General John Burgoyne and learn about their stories and their families.

The Cornwallis Sword is believed to be the sword offered by General Cornwallis as a symbol of the surrender of British armed forces and during your stay at Knowsley Hall you will have the extraordinary experience of viewing the sword up close, in a way that is not usually made available to the public.

George Sackville Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville (1716-85)

George Sackville Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville (1716-85) Lord George Germain, later known as Lord Sackville, was a British soldier and statesman, who was Secretary of State for the Colonies. His ministry received much of the blame for the loss of thirteen American colonies during the American Revolutionary War (1776-81). One of Germain’s descendants is Charles Stopford Sackville, who lives today in the family’s ancestral home of Drayton House, Northamptonshire, which preserves portraits and relics of his ancestor Lord Germain. He was closely related to the 3rd Duke of Dorset, a notorious rake, who had a scandalous affair with Lady Elizabeth Hamilton, daughter of the 6th Duke of Hamilton, while she was married to the 12th Earl of Derby.

General John Burgoyne (1722-92)

‘Gentleman Johnny’ Burgoyne was a charismatic British general, dramatist and politician, who is best known for his role during the American Revolutionary War, when he lost the battle of Saratoga in 1777 and surrendered his entire army to the superior surrounding American forces in what was a major turning point in the War. Burgoyne eloped with the 15 year old Lady Charlotte Stanley, the youngest daughter of the 11th Earl of Derby, and he was a close friend to her brother , Lord Strange who later became the 12th Earl of Derby and founded the horse races The Oaks and The Derby. After years of living with his wife in France and Italy, Burgoyne was later reconciled with the Stanley family. Correspondence and documents by Burgoyne remain in the library at the Stanley family’s ancestral stately home of Knowsley Hall near Liverpool.

Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis (1738-1805)

Cornwallis was a general, politician and colonial administrator in India and Ireland, who is best known as one of the leading British army commanders during the American Revolutionary War. His surrender in 1781 to combined American and French forces at the siege of Yorktown ended significant hostilities in North America. The Honourable Caroline Neville, the present Countess of Derby and wife of the 19th Earl of Derby, is a direct descendant of Cornwallis, being the three greats grand-daughter of Richard Neville, 3rd Baron Braybrooke, who had married Jane Cornwallis, grand-daughter of the 1st Marquess Cornwallis.

The Cornwallis Sword

This sword is believed by the Neville family to be the sword offered by Cornwallis as a symbol of the surrender of British armed forces at the siege of Yorktown in 1781. The sword came into the possession of Lady Derby’s late father Robin Neville, 10th Baron Braybrooke of Audley End in Essex, as direct descendant of General Cornwallis.

For More Information

To find out more and to be kept up to date with pans for this exclusive experience please email us at 2026@knowsley.com