Story Search Results

Meet the Neighbours - Blithfield Hall #78

...The first Baron, Hervey Bagot, was created a Baronet of Blithfield Hall in 1627 for his part in the Civil War – he was also High Sheriff of Staffordshire.  His son, grandson and great grandson also represented Staffordshire in the House of Commons. The Hall, with its embattled towers and walls is mainly Elizabethan and was originally a fortress complete with moat but in the 1820s a Gothic façade was added by the designer John Buckler, it is thought.  The interior decoration was carried out by Gothic-style plasterer, Francis Bernasconi, a man of Italian descent who became one of the most successful ornamental carvers and plasterers in Georgian Britain. T...

The Origins of the Stately Home #39

..., Duke or Baron. Often they were Members of Parliament and Justices of the Peace due to their high education and would act as the local 'law' in their community. Buckingham Palace has 775 rooms   Most of these houses were built in the 17th and 18th century as manor houses in the heart of an agricultural estate, so effectively they were like farms with a farmhouse albeit a bit grander! The Lords that owned the manor houses would then provide employment for large numbers of indoor and outdoor staff in the rural community. It also provided the owner with income from rents and produce. When the Industrial Revolution came along it meant more houses were being...

The origins of the stately home #43

..., Duke or Baron. Often they were Members of Parliament and Justices of the Peace due to their high education and would act as the local 'law' in their community. Most of these houses were built in the 17th and 18th century as manor houses in the heart of an agricultural estate, so effectively they were like farms with a farmhouse albeit a bit grander! The Lords that owned the manor houses would then provide employment for large numbers of indoor and outdoor staff in the rural community. It also provided the owner with income from rents and produce. When the Industrial Revolution came along it meant more houses were being built for the newly rich industrialists...

Hoar Cross Hall - a bit of history! #14

...HOAR CROSS HALL - A BIT OF HISTORY:  Due to many requests asking about the history of the house, this week I'm taking a break from my family's story to look back a few hundred years of what happened before we lived there!     Hoar Cross was part of Needwood Forest, the 11th century lands of Henry de Ferrers.  The land was passed down to Henry’s son and subsequent various people over the course of 500 years ending with the Webb family, around the 1730s, who bought the land and house known as the Manor of the Cross.  This was quite a large house built on a hill near Yoxall (which is the village next to Hoar Cross).  In 1740 the manor house was demolished...

Hoar Cross Hall - a bit of history #15

...HOAR CROSS HALL - A BIT OF HISTORY :         Hoar Cross was part of Needwood Forest, the 11th century lands of Henry de Ferrers.  The land was passed down to Henry’s son and subsequent various people over the course of 500 years ending with the Webb family, around the 1730s, who bought the land and house known as the Manor of the Cross.  This was quite a large house built on a hill near Yoxall (which is the village next to Hoar Cross).  In 1740 the manor house was demolished and later the Hon. Charles Talbot bought the estate for £17,000.  Eventually it was sold to Hugo Meynell, who already owned huge amounts of property all over the county. This br...

Hoar Cross Hall - a bit of history #11

...HOAR CROSS HALL - A BIT OF HISTORY:      Hoar Cross was part of Needwood Forest, the 11th century lands of Henry de Ferrers.  The land was passed down to Henry’s son and subsequent various people over the course of 500 years ending with the Webb family, around the 1730s, who bought the land and house known as the Manor of the Cross.  This was quite a large house built on a hill near Yoxall (which is the village next to Hoar Cross).  In 1740 the manor house was demolished and later the Hon. Charles Talbot bought the estate for £17,000.  Eventually it was sold to Hugo Meynell, who already owned huge amounts of property all over the county. This branch...