Turnhurst Hall Engraving C1847
   HOME

TheInfoList



Click Here for Items Related To - Turnhurst Hall Engraving C1847
OR:
Turnhurst Hall Engraving C1847 on:   [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Amazon]

Turnhurst Hall was a substantial house which stood in an area of what is now
Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent (often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Staffordshire, England, with an area of . In 2019, the city had an estimated population of 256,375. It is the largest settlement ...
,
Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...
, England, between Great Chell and the hamlet of
Newchapel Newchapel is a hamlet in the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, close to Kidsgrove in Staffordshire, England. Newchapel was originally named Thursfield. It was mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086 as Turvoldesfeld. After the Reformation in th ...
in
Newcastle-under-Lyme Newcastle-under-Lyme ( RP: , ) is a market town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, England. The 2011 census population of the town was 75,082, whilst the wider borough had a population of 1 ...
. The road linking the two settlements is now known as Turnhurst Road and the area where the former estate was located is now known as Turnhurst. The most famous resident was canal pioneer
James Brindley James Brindley (1716 – 27 September 1772) was an English engineer. He was born in Tunstead, Derbyshire, and lived much of his life in Leek, Staffordshire, becoming one of the most notable engineers of the 18th century. Early life Born i ...
who is said to have perfected models of his
canal locks A lock is a device used for raising and lowering boats, ships and other watercraft between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water lev ...
in the grounds of the house. The estate was originally used for
farming Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
, but was later mined for
coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when dea ...
and
iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the fo ...
.


Early history


Etymology

Turnhurst means "estate on the wooded hill", (from Old English, ''tun'' means "enclosure, farm or estate" and ''hurst'' means "wooded hill").


Description

Turnhurst Hall was a substantial house built around 1700 on the site of a former dwelling set in of farmland. Never a great or wealthy country seat, Turnhurst is described as being typical of the houses of lesser gentry. A comfortable, roomy, old-fashioned dwelling which was said to have been the last house in England in which a family fool was maintained. The Hall was divided into two residences from the time of the Alsagers ownership as documented dates of residence confirm. This fact has caused some confusion to historians dating occupancy.


Earliest References

The earliest record known is from the 1539 ''General Muster Roll'' of
Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
which lists a ''William Rowley of Turnhurste'' indicating that there was a residence at the site before the Hall was built. A number of writers refer to still earlier occupation of Turnhurst, but no primary records support this as fact.


Residents of Turnhurst


Rowley

The Rowley family was seated at Turnhurst in ancient times and first appears in parish registers in 1626.


Bellot

Four members of the Bellot family took the title
baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...
of Moreton in the 17th and early 18th centuries. Sir Thomas Bellot 2nd Bt and Sir John Bellot 3rd Bt were
Members of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
for
Newcastle-under-Lyme Newcastle-under-Lyme ( RP: , ) is a market town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, England. The 2011 census population of the town was 75,082, whilst the wider borough had a population of 1 ...
. On the death of the 3rd Bt, his brother Thomas took the title of 4th Bt. The last Sir Thomas Bellot was a keen sportsman and panels of several of the upper rooms depicted some of his exploits in the field.


Bowyer

The
Bowyer A bowyer is a master-craftsman who makes bows. Though this was once a widespread profession, the importance of bowyers and of bows was diminished by the introduction of gunpowder weaponry. However, the trade has survived and many bowyers conti ...
family features in legal documents relating to Turnhurst between 1690 and 1740. In particular a 1690 marriage settlement for ''Katherine Bowyer'' who married into the Rowley family at Turnhurst. Mentioned in the settlement are Rowley, Bellot and Sir John
Bowyer A bowyer is a master-craftsman who makes bows. Though this was once a widespread profession, the importance of bowyers and of bows was diminished by the introduction of gunpowder weaponry. However, the trade has survived and many bowyers conti ...
of Knypersley. Deeds to the estate show occupancy by John Bowyer and Francis Egerton in 1752.


Alsager

The first reference to Alsager appears in 1672 with the marriage of Ralph Alsager to Sarah Rowley of Turnhurst. In 1752 the Turnhurst estate was purchased outright, in trust for Mary Alsager. Mary Alsager was to own the estate for the period of
Brindley Brindley is a village (at ) and civil parish in Cheshire, England. The village lies 3¾ miles to the west of Nantwich. The parish also includes the settlements of Brindley Lea, Ryders Bank and part of Radmore Green, John Cole and Barbara Scott moved to Turnhurst after their marriage in 1745. Cole was a farmer who bred prize winning longhorn cattle on the estate. The Coles were tenants of Mary Alsager alongside
James Brindley James Brindley (1716 – 27 September 1772) was an English engineer. He was born in Tunstead, Derbyshire, and lived much of his life in Leek, Staffordshire, becoming one of the most notable engineers of the 18th century. Early life Born i ...
and were granted a lease in 1766 for 21 years. Further leases survive detailing the Cole tenancy into the 19th century. Civil records improved in the mid-19th century and many references to the Coles at Turnhurst are available. The 1841 Census shows Benjamin Cole and his family in residence and by the
1851 Census The United Kingdom Census of 1851 recorded the people residing in every household on the night of Sunday 30 March 1851, and was the second of the UK censuses to include details of household members. However, this census added considerably to the f ...
it was Edward Cole who occupied the Hall. In 1849 John Hilditch Cole, son of Edward, was born at Turnhurst. Edward Cole died in 1856 and the Coles finally left Turnhurst and moved to
Ford Green Hall Ford Green Hall is a Grade II* listed farmhouse and historic house museum in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. The oldest parts of the house date from the late 16th century, with one wing being either added or greatly repaired at some point in t ...
, then owned by Robert Heath of Kidsgrove who was the brother of Edward's widow.


James Brindley

James Brindley James Brindley (1716 – 27 September 1772) was an English engineer. He was born in Tunstead, Derbyshire, and lived much of his life in Leek, Staffordshire, becoming one of the most notable engineers of the 18th century. Early life Born i ...
was a pioneering
canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow un ...
engineer and the most notable resident of Turnhurst. Although Mary Alsager did not routinely occupy the Hall, in the original lease to the Coles she did retain an option to occupy significant parts of the Hall. Such an option effectively sub-divided the residence and it was the half of the Hall which Mary Alsager reserved that
James Brindley James Brindley (1716 – 27 September 1772) was an English engineer. He was born in Tunstead, Derbyshire, and lived much of his life in Leek, Staffordshire, becoming one of the most notable engineers of the 18th century. Early life Born i ...
occupied.
Brindley Brindley is a village (at ) and civil parish in Cheshire, England. The village lies 3¾ miles to the west of Nantwich. The parish also includes the settlements of Brindley Lea, Ryders Bank and part of Radmore Green,Josiah Wedgwood Josiah Wedgwood (12 July 1730 – 3 January 1795) was an English potter, entrepreneur and abolitionist. Founding the Wedgwood company in 1759, he developed improved pottery bodies by systematic experimentation, and was the leader in the indust ...
introduced him to the eminent physician and polymath
Erasmus Darwin Erasmus Robert Darwin (12 December 173118 April 1802) was an English physician. One of the key thinkers of the Midlands Enlightenment, he was also a natural philosopher, physiologist, slave-trade abolitionist, inventor, and poet. His poems ...
and other illustrious members of the Lunar Circle.
Erasmus Darwin Erasmus Robert Darwin (12 December 173118 April 1802) was an English physician. One of the key thinkers of the Midlands Enlightenment, he was also a natural philosopher, physiologist, slave-trade abolitionist, inventor, and poet. His poems ...
attended Brindley at Turnhurst towards the end of his life and diagnosed his advanced
diabetes mellitus Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...
.
Brindley Brindley is a village (at ) and civil parish in Cheshire, England. The village lies 3¾ miles to the west of Nantwich. The parish also includes the settlements of Brindley Lea, Ryders Bank and part of Radmore Green,Wedgwood Wedgwood is an English fine china, porcelain and luxury accessories manufacturer that was founded on 1 May 1759 by the potter and entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood and was first incorporated in 1895 as Josiah Wedgwood and Sons Ltd. It was rapid ...
to suggest that a memorial to Brindley be erected in Westminster Abbey.


Demise of Turnhurst Hall

During the 19th century large parts of
Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...
were extensively mined. The Turnhurst estate overlay a rich geology and the rural country seat gave way to the commercial demands for its mineral bounty. In 1862 the estate was sold for auction and its mineral resources listed. The sale catalogue included geological sections through the estate and listed 16 mines producing
coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when dea ...
and
iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the fo ...
, as well as deposits of
clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4). Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...
,
marl Marl is an earthy material rich in carbonate minerals, clays, and silt. When hardened into rock, this becomes marlstone. It is formed in marine or freshwater environments, often through the activities of algae. Marl makes up the lower part o ...
and
sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class of s ...
. The Hall suffered subsidence towards the turn of the 20th century and was finally demolished in 1929.


Brindley's Lock

Local tradition maintains that
James Brindley James Brindley (1716 – 27 September 1772) was an English engineer. He was born in Tunstead, Derbyshire, and lived much of his life in Leek, Staffordshire, becoming one of the most notable engineers of the 18th century. Early life Born i ...
built a model canal lock at Turnhurst and late 19th century newspaper articles even describe the canal as being present on the estate. A linear feature with the appearance of a canal section had been identified on 19th century estate plans. In 1993 an archaeological excavation revealed the ''canal'' with a sluice gate built into the southern end wall. Examination of the find led to the conclusion that it was most likely a water feature contemporary with the Hall and pre-dated Brindley's residence. However it was possible that modifications had been made in the late 18th century, including the addition of the sluice, and the feature may have served as a water holding tank for canal experiments.


Turnhurst today

The Turnhurst estate is now the site of a modern housing development. The Hall itself was near to where the eastern end of Silverstone Crescent now joins Turnhurst Road, and the water feature long thought to have been Brindley's canal lies beneath a protective concrete raft under the car park of the aptly named ''The Brindley Lock'' public house. Klemperer & Sillitoe 1995, p.38.


See also

*
James Brindley James Brindley (1716 – 27 September 1772) was an English engineer. He was born in Tunstead, Derbyshire, and lived much of his life in Leek, Staffordshire, becoming one of the most notable engineers of the 18th century. Early life Born i ...
*
Newcastle-under-Lyme Newcastle-under-Lyme ( RP: , ) is a market town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme in Staffordshire, England. The 2011 census population of the town was 75,082, whilst the wider borough had a population of 1 ...
,
Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent (often abbreviated to Stoke) is a city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Staffordshire, England, with an area of . In 2019, the city had an estimated population of 256,375. It is the largest settlement ...
,
Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation Staffs.) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. It borders Cheshire to the northwest, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, Warwickshire to the southeast, the West Midlands Cou ...
*
Canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow un ...
*
History of the British canal system History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
*
Waterways in the United Kingdom Water transport played a vital role in the UK's industrial development. The beginning of the 19th century saw a move from roads to waterways, (i.e. canals, rivers, firths, and estuaries). Rivers in the United Kingdom Major navigable rivers inc ...
*
Erasmus Darwin Erasmus Robert Darwin (12 December 173118 April 1802) was an English physician. One of the key thinkers of the Midlands Enlightenment, he was also a natural philosopher, physiologist, slave-trade abolitionist, inventor, and poet. His poems ...
*
Lunar Society The Lunar Society of Birmingham was a British dinner club and informal learned society of prominent figures in the Midlands Enlightenment, including industrialists, natural philosophers and intellectuals, who met regularly between 1765 and 1813 ...
*
Josiah Wedgwood Josiah Wedgwood (12 July 1730 – 3 January 1795) was an English potter, entrepreneur and abolitionist. Founding the Wedgwood company in 1759, he developed improved pottery bodies by systematic experimentation, and was the leader in the indust ...


External links


Turnhurst Hall


Citations


References

*Ward, J (1843). ''The Borough of Stoke-upon-Trent'

/cite> *Smiles, S (1862). ''Lives of the Engineers: With an Account of Their Principal Works Vol 1'

/cite> *Turnhurst Hall Estate, Collieries and Ironstone Works. Sale by Auction, 24 July 1862: Personal Collection *Darwin, E (1772). ''Letter to Josiah Wedgwood, 30 Sep 1772''

/cite> *Klemperer, W; Sillitoe, P (1995). ''James Brindley at Turnhurst Hall: Staffordshire Archaeological Studies No.6'', City Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent *Hayton, D; Cruickshanks, E; Hadley, S (2002). ''The House of Commons 1690-1715''

/cite> *Corble, N (2005). ''James Brindley - The First Canal Builder''

/cite> *Smith, C; Arnott, R (2005) The Genius of Erasmus Darwin

/cite> *UK Census 1841 HO107 993 17 Wolstanton District 17 Folio 20 p1

/cite> *UK Census 1851 HO107 2002 Folio 329 p

/cite> *GRO Birth John Hilditch Cole 1849 Q2 Wolstanton Vol17 p33

/cite> *Cole Family Papers {{coord, 53, 4, 45, N, 2, 12, 6, W, type:landmark_scale:1000_region:GB, display=title Country houses in Staffordshire