Hamble, was the seat of the Third and Fourth Earls of Hardwick. They made their family home in Sydney Lodge, now in the grounds of GE Aviation.

The fourth Earl of Hardwicke, Charles Philip Yorke, (1799-1873) was MP for Reigate before moving to the House of Lords on his father's death.

Here is his part of his obituary from The Times:

"The Conservative party has sustained a loss by the death of the Earl of Hardwicke, which event happened yesterday morning at Sydney-lodge, Southampton, where he had been long suffering from dropsy, erysipelas, and acute disease of the hip joint. The body will be removed to Wimpole for interment in the family vault...."

© Copyright 1873 "The Times"