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The life and times of an upper class family #44

...Grey, 2nd Earl and Whig Prime Minister from 1830-34. It was he who the famous Earl Grey tea was named after, after a special taste was created by adding Oil of Bergemot to black tea. His administration was also responsible for passing the first Reform Act of 1832 which changed how the elections were done and meant that the middle classes could vote also. Once Hugo and Emily were married they moved to Hoar Cross and lived in Old Hall which was a hunting lodge near to where they were later to build Hoar Cross Hall. Tragically, after moving into the Hall, which took nine years to build, Hugo died from injuries sustained in a riding accident some fourteen months ea...

Meet the Neighbours - Alton Towers #82

...d created Earl of Shrewsbury in 1442.  Sadly, the castle was destroyed during the English Civil War. A painting of Alton Towers in 1880   Moving on a few centuries to the 17th century, the former castle was redeveloped and turned into a hunting lodge.  The house was three stories high and incorporated one of the castle’s towers, which remains part of the present-day building.  The Talbots split the house into two properties and used their half as a summer residence.  By 1801, the 15th Earl of Shrewsbury decided that the hunting lodge was beyond repair and commissioned a gothic-style country house to be built on his estate.  This doubled the size o...

Hoar Cross Hall - a bit of history #11

...ll to the Earl of Sefton and left to live in Derbyshire; although the family owned large amounts of property all over the Midlands in at least five shires. The Meynell family claim to be descendants of the Norman baron, Hugo de Grand Mesnil, who came over with William the Conqueror.  He is said to have died in Leicester in 1093 and his descendants settled in Derbyshire and Yorkshire.  The sons of Hugo went off to the First Crusade and a representation of Hugo’s shield can be seen in one of the windows of Hoar Cross Church.  Sir Hugo de Mesnil of Langley Mesnil represented his county under Edward III in five parliaments and thus started a long line of desce...

Hoar Cross Hall meets Downton Abbey #99

...With the new Downton Abbey film out this month I thought I would do a comparison of the two family homes, Downton and Hoar Cross Hall, the latter being my old family home for those of you who are new to these blogs.  Although Downton Abbey is fictional, the house on which it is based is not, it being Highclere Castle in Hampshire which was built in 1679 and is owned by the Earl of Carnarvon. Hoar Cross Hall was the original home of the Meynell Ingram family who first came from Leicestershire and was built in 1863.  Hugo Meynell of Quorndon was the High Sheriff of Staffordshire and Member of Parliament for Lichfield and the family owned considerable property in...

The Life and Times of an Upper Class Family #41

...Grey, 2nd Earl and Whig Prime Minister from 1830-34. It was he who the famous Earl Grey tea was named after, after a special taste was created by adding oil of bergemot to black tea. His administration was also responsible for passing the first Reform Act of 1832 which changed how the elections were done and meant that the middle classes could vote also. Once Hugo and Emily were married they moved to Hoar Cross and lived in Old Hall which was a hunting lodge near to where they were later to build Hoar Cross Hall. Tragically, after moving into the Hall which took nine years to build, Hugo died from injuries sustained in a riding accident some fourteen months ear...

The life and times of an upper class family #42

...Grey, 2nd Earl and Whig Prime Minister from 1830-34. It was he who the famous Earl Grey tea was named after, after a special taste was created by adding oil of bergemot to black tea. His administration was also responsible for passing the first Reform Act of 1832 which changed how the elections were done and meant that the middle classes could vote also. Once Hugo and Emily were married they moved to Hoar Cross and lived in Old Hall which was a hunting lodge near to where they were later to build Hoar Cross Hall. Tragically, after moving into the Hall, which took nine years to build, Hugo died from injuries sustained in a riding accident some fourteen months ea...