The Rev. George Edward Denis de Vitré (b. 1833) and his wife, Maria Pratt née Ibbetson (b. 1826), came to Wokingham about 1873. upon his return from India his country of birth and acquired the residence and farm of Keep Hatch. Soon he transformed the old brickfields of Keep Hatch Farm into ornamental grounds and built the house that became a local landmark. He became greatly interested in the welfare of the parish of Wokingham. At All Saints’ Church he-was always ready to help when required and served as churchwarden for several years.
The Rev. George died in December 1892 and Maria followed him in April 1899. Both were buried in All Saints’ Churchyard.
The de Vitrés had one child, Denis Frederick Denis de Vitré (b. 1867). Denis was educated at Eton and later at Trinity College Cambridge where he obtained a B.A. He studied law and although called to the Bar he never practised. He was a Territorial officer for 28 years and was in command of the Wokingham Company of the 4th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment, retiring with the rank of Major. At the outbreak of the First World War, he was appointed recruiting officer at Wokingham.
He was a staunch Conservative, and was chairman of the Wokingham Conservative and Unionist Association. In November 1912, he was elected onto the Wokingham Royal District Council and Board of Guardians.
In 1900 he married his cousin Blanche Caroline de Vitré (b. 1871). They had three children: Lily (b. 1897) who died in infancy; Sibyl Blanch(b. 1900) and Dora Mary (b. 1902). All were born in Wokingham and Sibyl and Dora Mary never married.
The sisters did not have to work so they lived at the house spending their lives working for their community. They looked after their staff when they became too ill or too old to work. . At one time there were twenty-six servants either living in the house or on the farm.
Sybil was a lieutenant for the 2nd Wokingham Guides from 1925 and was warranted as a captain before becoming district commissioner for Wokingham in 1926. She served during the war after becoming divisional commissioner for the south-east division in 1939.
When a new Forest Division was created Sibyl became divisional commissioner before retiring in 1968. That year she became president. She was highly regarded in Wokingham’s Red Cross community and was commandant for the Wokingham branch until her retirement. Dora Mary was quieter but was just as public-spirited as her sister.
Denis died on May 13th 1924. His funeral took place at St. Paul’s Parish Church, Wokingham after which his ashes were scattered around the buttress outside the main entrance of the building. After the death of Blanche Caroline in 1965 the sisters had to pay death duties and were forced to sell part of their land.
Sybil and Dora Mary died in 1985 on June 7th and July 6th respectively and they were cremated and their remains buried in St. Paul’s Churchyard, Wokingham. Plaques to their memories can be found inside the church.
Messrs. Scammel first purchased the site and it is understood that from then on the gates to the manor house were left open and the public allowed to enter and remove what they wanted. Wokingham Fire Brigade then burned the staircase to prevent children from going upstairs and harming themselves.
Taylor Woodrow then purchased the site . In 1996 the house mysteriously burned down. As the land was found to be unsuitable for housing it was turned into a nature reserve.
