rented for many years to William Stephens (1783-1856) who at one time was the Mayor of Reading. He died in 1856 and it was then rented by William Banbury (1813-1893) who was a banker in the firm Fuller Banbury and Co of London. He was also an art collector and when he moved from Prospect Park in 1880 a sale of some of his paintings was held by Christie's at the House. George and Lucy Liebenrood did not have any children, so when they died Prospect Park was inherited by their cousin Captain John Hancock. He changed his name to Liebenrood in 1865 as a condition of the inheritance. John was born in 1813 near Dover. His father was Rear Admiral John Hancock. In 1847 he married Eliza Cambridge (1818–1888) the daughter of Lemuel Cambridge, a shipowner of Canada. He entered the navy in 1827 and spent 35 years in the naval service, rising to the rank of captain. He died in 1883 and his wife Elizabeth died in 1888. Both are buried in the Church of St Michael, Tilehurst. Their son Major George Engelberts Liebenrood (1847–1928) inherited the house after Elizabeth's death. George was born in 1847 on Prince Edward Island, Canada. At the age of 18 he went to the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He had a distinguished military career and rose to the rank of Major. In 1881 he married Winifred Markham (1858–1930), the daughter of Arthur Bayley Markham of Glendon. The couple lived at Prospect Park for about fourteen years, and then in 1902 they sold it to the Reading Borough Council. Murder The murder of Mary-Ann Leneghan occurred on 7 May 2005. Facilities Restaurant After a long period of dereliction, the Mansion House in the centre of the park has been restored and now houses a Harvester restaurant. Parkland The area surrounding the Mansion House has broad sweeps of short cut grass, with areas of meadow grassland. A pond lies to the south of the house and attracts an assortment of wildlife, while 'The Rookery' can be found to the north - a mature oak woodland and Wildlife Heritage Site. In the south-eastern corner of the park, the Reading Society of Model Engineers runs a miniature railway, which is open to the public on certain days. Sports The park has facilities for a number of sports, including rugby, tennis, bowls, basketball, and table tennis. It