Lifestyle
The Ridgelys' wealth afforded them the time and means to pursue a wide variety of leisure activities. They traveled domestically and abroad, from Captain Charles Ridgely who traveled for business, to subsequent generations who traveled extensively for pleasure. The Ridgelys traveled with style, from horse drawn carriages, emblazoned with the family crest, to the automobile in the early twentieth century. Thoroughbred horses, horse racing, as well as fox hunting and steeple chasing were a part of the Hampton estate since its founding. "
Entertaining was equally lavish and the parties even larger under the next generation of owners at Hampton, John and Eliza Ridgely. In 1840, the list of provisions for a party for hundreds of guests included six dozen chickens, 300 hard crabs, five dozen bottles of champagne, and a cake so large it required six dozen eggs. Even smaller parties during this era were extremely elegant. Elizabeth Wirt Goldsborough wrote her sister the following description of her visit to Hampton in 1848: “…she [Eliza] had prepared a sumptuous dinner…Everything was served up in European style—splendid china, glass, silver & a succession of courses, variety of wines—and everything beautifully garnished with flowers…”
By the twentieth century, though family fortunes had declined, there were still opulent special events held at Hampton. In 1916, Captain John and Helen Ridgely hosted a large garden party for their friends, the Theodore Roosevelts. One final large party during the Ridgely era was the debutant party in 1943 for Margie Whitham, hosted by her mother’s first cousin John Ridgely, Jr., the last private owner of Hampton.
Music was an important part of daily life on the estate, with several accomplished musicians in the family. The Ridgely family children played with fine toys. Outdoor activities included baseball, tennis and croquet. Initially, the layout of the gardens and grounds were the purview of the estate's masters. However, the ladies of Hampton became principally responsible for plantings by the mid-nineteenth century. The estate included greenhouses, colorful plantings and falling gardens, and many magnificent trees.
