Weston Hall is a 17th-century

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals w ...

Weston, Northamptonshire Weston is a village in West Northamptonshire, England. Together with neighbouring Weedon Lois (also known as Lois Weedon) it forms the civil parish of Weston and Weedon, which had a population of 960 at the 2011 Census. Weston gives its name t ...

. The house was owned by the

Sitwell family Sitwell is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * A member of the Sitwell literary family: :* Edith Sitwell :* Osbert Sitwell :* Sacheverell Sitwell * The Sitwell Baronets, holders of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British C ...

's ancestors from 1714 to 2021. It is a

Grade II* listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

History

The manor house dates to the 17th century, and is believed to have been built by William Hiccocke, . It was enlarged in the 1770s; in the early 19th century it was remodelled in the Tudor style. The house is situated in the village of Weston in the south of the county. It was given to the Sitwell family's ancestor Susanna Jennens in 1714 as a St. Valentine's Day present from her father Sir

John Blencowe John George Blencowe (28 February 1817 – 28 April 1900) was a British Liberal Party politician. Family Blencowe was the son of Robert Willis Blencowe and Charlotte Elizabeth Poole. He married Frances Campion, daughter of William John Campion ...

, who lived at nearby Marston St Lawrence, after the death of her husband. The property was then inherited through the female line until Sacheverell's father, the eccentric Sir George Sitwell, took a lease on the house from an aunt. The library still contained a recipe book written by Susanna Jennens' mother

Anne Blencowe Anne Blencowe or Anne, Lady Blencowe, née Anne Wallis (4 June 1656 – 6 April 1718) was a British compiler of recipes. Her book was first published more than 200 years after her death. Life Anne Wallis was born to Susanna Glyde and her husband P ...

, which was published in 1925. The house was the home of Sir

Sacheverell Sitwell Sir Sacheverell Reresby Sitwell, 6th Baronet, (; 15 November 1897 – 1 October 1988) was an English writer, best known as an art critic, music critic (his books on Mozart, Liszt, and Domenico Scarlatti are still consulted), and writer on a ...

from 1927 until his death in 1988. His Canadian wife, Georgia Doble, also lived here until her death in 1980. It was here that Sacheverell wrote many of his 130 books on travel, art, music and poetry. After Sacheverell's death, it passed to his second son, Francis Sitwell, while the elder son, Sir

Reresby Sitwell Sir Sacheverell Reresby Sitwell, 7th Baronet (15 April 1927 – 31 March 2009) was the head of the Sitwell family, and owner of Renishaw Hall, Derbyshire. The elder son of Sir Sacheverell Sitwell, 6th Baronet, he was educated at Sandroyd School t ...

, took Renishaw. The house was shared by Francis Sitwell's sons,

George Sitwell Sir George Reresby Sitwell, 4th Baronet (27 January 1860 – 9 July 1943) was a British antiquarian writer and Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1885 and 1895. Biography Sitwell was born in London, the son of Sir Si ...

, 8th baronet, and his brother

William Sitwell William Ronald Sacheverell Sitwell (born 2 October 1969) is a British editor, writer and broadcaster. He is also a restaurant critic for ''The Daily Telegraph'' and the former editor of '' Waitrose Food''. Life and work Sitwell is the yo ...

, a food writer who ran a supper club at the house, until it was sold in 2021. During preparations for an auction of the building's contents, an 18th-century drawing by

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo Giovanni Battista Tiepolo ( , ; March 5, 1696 – March 27, 1770), also known as Giambattista (or Gianbattista) Tiepolo, was an Italian painter and printmaker from the Republic of Venice who painted in the Rococo style, considered an impo ...

was discovered in the loft. Bought by

Osbert Sitwell Sir Francis Osbert Sacheverell Sitwell, 5th Baronet CH CBE (6 December 1892 – 4 May 1969) was an English writer. His elder sister was Edith Sitwell and his younger brother was Sacheverell Sitwell. Like them, he devoted his life to art and li ...

in 1936, it depicts the

Pulcinella Pulcinella (; nap, Pulecenella) is a classical character that originated in of the 17th century and became a stock character in Neapolitan puppetry. Pulcinella's versatility in status and attitude has captivated audiences worldwide and kept t ...

character from ''

commedia dell'arte (; ; ) was an early form of professional theatre, originating from Italian theatre, that was popular throughout Europe between the 16th and 18th centuries. It was formerly called Italian comedy in English and is also known as , , and . Charact ...

'', and sold for £100,000 at auction.

References

External links

Weston Hall and the Sitwells: A Family Legacy
{{Authority control Country houses in Northamptonshire Grade II* listed buildings in Northamptonshire Grade II* listed houses Houses completed in the 17th century Sitwell family West Northamptonshire District

History

See also

References

External links