Charlton Hall, Northumberland

Charlton Hall near Ellingham, Northumberland is a building of historical significance and is listed on the English Heritage Register.[1] It was built in the late 18th Century by the notable architect William Newton for the Cay family. It was the residence for several prominent people over the next three centuries and is now a luxury wedding venue.

Charlton Hall

The Cay family
Robert Hodshon Cay,principal judge in the High Court of the Admiralty in Scotland
Elizabeth Cay (formerly Liddell)

Jabez Cay (1666-1703) bought the Charlton Estate in 1696. It then passed through the Cay family until 1782 when it was inherited by Robert Hodshon Cay (1758-1810) who commissioned William Newton to build the new hall.[2]

Robert was born in 1758. His father was John Cay (1727-1782) and his mother was Frances Hodshon, daughter of Ralph Hodshon of Lintz Hall, Durham. He was educated at Glasgow University and obtained a law degree. He later became Judge of the High Court of Admiralty in Scotland.[3]

In 1789 shortly after he built Charlton Hall he married Elizabeth Liddell (1770-1831), daughter of John Liddell of North Shields. She was an accomplished artist and her work is still discussed today.[4] The couple had nine children one being the mother of the famous physicist James Clerk Maxwell.

When Robert died in 1810 his eldest son John Cay (1790-1865) inherited Charlton Hall. John was a lawyer, an antiquarian and a pioneer photographer. In 1819 he married Emily Bullock, the daughter of William Bullock of Jamaica. The couple had seven children.[5] In 1849 he decided to sell Charlton Hall and he placed an advertisement in the newspaper which described the house in the following terms.

"Charlton Hall is a pleasantly situated mansion house containing entrance hall, drawing room, dining room, breakfast room, library, housekeeper’s room, seven bed rooms, two water closets, kitchen, three servants bedrooms, cellars and other conveniences, a double coach house, four stalled stable and harness room".[6]

Later residents

William Spours (1800-1878) who was a lawyer and landowner bought the property. He was born in 1880 in Alnwick and married Mary Shepherd. He died in 1878 and the house was again advertised for sale.[7] It was purchased by the Reverend William Tudor Thorp.

Reverend William Tudor Thorp (1841-1919) was born in 1841 in Alnwick. His father was Thomas Thorp (1805-1854) an Attorney and his mother was Elizabeth Jane Tudor. He was educated at the University of Oxford and obtained his BA.[8] In 1863 he married Emily Sarah West (1839-1871) and the couple had three children. Unfortunately she died in 1871 and in 1875 he married Mary Louisa Jones (1850-1904) who was the daughter of Dr John Jones of Langstone Court.[9] They had six children, five sons and one daughter. Their youngest son was Reginald Pearce Thorp (1884-1980) who was the father of the penultimate Thorp family owner of Charlton Hall, Reginald William Tudor Thorp,[10] (1915-2003) MBE.

Charlton Hall was acquired by entrepreneur Richard Shell in May 2017 and is now a luxury wedding venue.[11] He also operates Doxford Barns wedding venue which is situated on the neighbouring Doxford Estate.[12]

References
  1. English Heritage Register Online reference
  2. Pears, Richard, Thesis “William Newton (1730-1798) and the Development of the Architectural Profession in North-East England”, p. 312. Online reference
  3. University of Scotland website. Online reference
  4. Dictionary of Pastellists before 1800. Online reference
  5. Bourke John 1834 “A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain”, p. 384. Online reference
  6. Newcastle Journal - Saturday 02 June 1849, p.1.
  7. Newcastle Journal - Thursday 20 June 1878, p. 2. Online reference
  8. Oxford and Cambridge Yearbook, 1904, p. 605. Online reference
  9. Langstone Court website. Online reference
  10. Obituary in the Northumberland Gazette Archived 2019-04-15 at the Wayback Machine
  11. Northern Powerhouse Sunday Times. Online reference
  12. Charlton Hall Website. Online reference

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