Rosetta Cottage
| Rosetta Cottage | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Location within Isle of Wight and the United Kingdom | |
| General information | |
| Address | 57 Queen's Rd Cowes, Isle of Wight, PO31 8BW |
| Coordinates | 50°46′02″N 1°18′40″W / 50.7671°N 1.3112°W |
| Owner | National Trust |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 24 (14 Rosetta, 10 East Rosetta) |
Rosetta Cottage, is a Victorian manor house situated in Cowes, Isle of Wight. Initially a single residence, it now consists of two smaller holiday homes, Rosetta Cottage, and East Rosetta Cottage, both of which are owned and operated by the National Trust.[1][2]
It is notable for being the location of the marriage proposal between Lord Randolph Churchill and Jennie Jerome, the parents of future Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
Association with the Churchill family[edit]
In 1873, the American financier Leonard Jerome rented Rosetta for the duration of the annual Cowes Week regatta, which he and his daughter Jennie had travelled to spectate. In a matter of days, she had accepted the proposal of Lord Randolph Churchill in the garden of Rosetta.[3] Their firstborn child was Winston Churchill who went on to become the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the Second World War, and as a result Rosetta has become a significant cultural location.
The engagement between Randolph Churchill and Jerome, and the birth of Winston Churchill are commemorated on a plaque in the pavement opposite the Rosetta.[4] It also claims that Lord and Lady Churchill met at Rosetta, although this is disputed and likely occurred at a party in the days before.[5] A separate plaque can be found on the nearby seafront commemorates that as their true meeting place.[6]
In 2016, Rosetta was one of twelve sites included in the Isle of Wight tourist board's 'Churchill Trail', an island-wide tour of sites they argue were important in the development of Winston Churchill's leadership skills.[7][8]
National Trust Ownership[edit]
On the Trust's Acorn Rating System for a property's facilities, Rosetta Cottage received a 4/5, and East Rosetta Cottage received a 3/5.[1][2]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Rosetta Cottage Isle of Wight". National Trust. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
- ^ a b "East Rosetta Cottage Isle of Wight". National Trust. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
- ^ "Rosetta Cottage, Cowes - a little history".
- ^ "From royal patronage to strong links with Winston Churchill, Cowes has it all". Isle of Wight County Press. 2021-06-05. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
- ^ pixelstorm (2016-04-14). "Lord and Lady Randolph Churchill". International Churchill Society. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
- ^ "Memorials and Monuments on the Isle of Wight - Cowes Meeting place of Lord Randolph Churchill and Jennie Jerome". www.isle-of-wight-memorials.org.uk. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
- ^ Toogood, Darren (19 April 2016). "CHURCHILL TRAIL TO LAUNCH ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT".
- ^ "The Churchill Trail - VisitIsleOfWight.co.uk". Visit Isle Of Wight. Retrieved 2023-07-06.