Turnhurst
Encyclopedia
Turnhurst Hall was a substantial house which stood in an area of what is now Stoke-on-Trent
, Staffordshire
, England
, near to the hamlet of Newchapel
in Newcastle-under-Lyme
. The area where the former estate was located is now known as Turnhurst.
The most famous resident was canal pioneer James Brindley
who is said to have perfected models of his canal locks in the grounds of the house. The estate was originally used for farming, but was later mined for coal
and iron ore.
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.
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.
of Moreton in the 17th and early 18th centuries. Sir Thomas Bellot 2nd Bt and Sir John Bellot 3rd Bt were
Members of Parliament
for Newcastle-under-Lyme
. 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.
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
of Knypersley
. Deeds to the estate show occupancy by John Bowyer and Francis Egerton in 1752.
's occupation, and following her death in 1795 was managed by trustees until 1846.
on the estate. The Coles were tenants of Mary Alsager alongside James Brindley
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
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
, then owned by Robert Heath of Kidsgrove who was the brother of Edward's widow.
was a pioneering canal
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
occupied.
Brindley
married his young bride, Ann Henshall, in 1765 and together they moved into Turnhurst Hall where he was to live until his death in 1772. Brindley mixed with some of the finest minds in England during this time as his friend Josiah Wedgwood
introduced him to the eminent physician and polymath Erasmus Darwin
and other illustrious members of the Lunar Circle
.
Erasmus Darwin
attended Brindley at Turnhurst towards the end of his life and diagnosed his advanced diabetes mellitus
. Brindley
died at Turnhurst Hall on 27 September 1772. Following Brindley's death, Darwin wrote to Wedgwood
to suggest that a memorial to Brindley be erected in Westminster Abbey.
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
and iron ore, as well as deposits of clay
, marl
and sand
. The Hall suffered subsidence towards the turn of the 20th century and was finally demolished in 1929.
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.
Stoke-on-Trent
Stoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, near to the hamlet of Newchapel
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...
in Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme is a market town in Staffordshire, England, and is the principal town of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme. It is part of The Potteries Urban Area and North Staffordshire. In the 2001 census the town had a population of 73,944...
. The area where the former estate was located is now known as Turnhurst.
The most famous resident was canal pioneer James Brindley
James Brindley
James Brindley 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:...
who is said to have perfected models of his canal locks in the grounds of the house. The estate was originally used for farming, but was later mined for coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
and iron ore.
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 110 acre (0.4451546 km²) 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 VIIIHenry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
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.
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 BaronetBaronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
of Moreton in the 17th and early 18th centuries. Sir Thomas Bellot 2nd Bt and Sir John Bellot 3rd Bt were
Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Newcastle-under-Lyme is a market town in Staffordshire, England, and is the principal town of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme. It is part of The Potteries Urban Area and North Staffordshire. In the 2001 census the town had a population of 73,944...
. 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 BowyerBowyer Baronets
There have been five Baronetcies created for members of the Bowyer family, three in the Baronetage of England, one in the Baronetage of Great Britain and one in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. Three of the titles are extinct while the remaining extant baronetcies have been united in one holder...
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
Bowyer Baronets
There have been five Baronetcies created for members of the Bowyer family, three in the Baronetage of England, one in the Baronetage of Great Britain and one in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. Three of the titles are extinct while the remaining extant baronetcies have been united in one holder...
of Knypersley
Knypersley Hall
Knypersley Hall is an 18th century Georgian style country mansion at Biddulph, Staffordshire which has been subdivded into residential apartments. It is a Grade II* listed building....
. 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 BrindleyJames Brindley
James Brindley 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:...
's occupation, and following her death in 1795 was managed by trustees until 1846.
Cole
John Cole and Barbara Scott moved to Turnhurst after their marriage in 1745. Cole was a farmer who bred prize winning longhorn cattleLonghorn cattle
Longhorn cattle are a long-horned brown and white breed of beef cattle originating from Craven in the north of England. They have a white patch along the line of their spine and under their bellies....
on the estate. The Coles were tenants of Mary Alsager alongside James Brindley
James Brindley
James Brindley 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:...
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
United Kingdom Census 1841
The United Kingdom Census of 1841 recorded the occupants of every UK household on the night of 6 June, 1841. It was described as the "first modern census" in that it was the first to record information about every member of the household and because it was administered as a single event, under...
shows Benjamin Cole and his family in residence and by the 1851 Census
United Kingdom Census 1851
The United Kingdom Census of 1851 recorded the people residing in every household on the night of 30 March 1851, and was the second of the UK censuses to include details of household members...
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
Ford Green Hall is a Grade II* listed farmhouse and historic house museum, originally built in 1624, located in Smallthorne, area in the city of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England....
, then owned by Robert Heath of Kidsgrove who was the brother of Edward's widow.
James Brindley
James BrindleyJames Brindley
James Brindley 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:...
was a pioneering canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
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
James Brindley 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:...
occupied.
Brindley
James Brindley
James Brindley 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:...
married his young bride, Ann Henshall, in 1765 and together they moved into Turnhurst Hall where he was to live until his death in 1772. Brindley mixed with some of the finest minds in England during this time as his friend Josiah Wedgwood
Josiah Wedgwood
Josiah Wedgwood was an English potter, founder of the Wedgwood company, credited with the industrialization of the manufacture of pottery. A prominent abolitionist, Wedgwood is remembered for his "Am I Not A Man And A Brother?" anti-slavery medallion. He was a member of the Darwin–Wedgwood family...
introduced him to the eminent physician and polymath Erasmus Darwin
Erasmus Darwin
Erasmus Darwin was an English physician who turned down George III's invitation to be a physician to the King. One of the key thinkers of the Midlands Enlightenment, he was also a natural philosopher, physiologist, slave trade abolitionist,inventor and poet...
and other illustrious members of the Lunar Circle
Lunar Society
The Lunar Society of Birmingham was a 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 in Birmingham, England. At first called the Lunar Circle,...
.
Erasmus Darwin
Erasmus Darwin
Erasmus Darwin was an English physician who turned down George III's invitation to be a physician to the King. One of the key thinkers of the Midlands Enlightenment, he was also a natural philosopher, physiologist, slave trade abolitionist,inventor and poet...
attended Brindley at Turnhurst towards the end of his life and diagnosed his advanced diabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus, often simply referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced...
. Brindley
James Brindley
James Brindley 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:...
died at Turnhurst Hall on 27 September 1772. Following Brindley's death, Darwin wrote to Wedgwood
Josiah Wedgwood
Josiah Wedgwood was an English potter, founder of the Wedgwood company, credited with the industrialization of the manufacture of pottery. A prominent abolitionist, Wedgwood is remembered for his "Am I Not A Man And A Brother?" anti-slavery medallion. He was a member of the Darwin–Wedgwood family...
to suggest that a memorial to Brindley be erected in Westminster Abbey.
Demise of Turnhurst Hall
During the 19th century large parts of StaffordshireStaffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
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
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
and iron ore, as well as deposits of clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
, marl
Marl
Marl or marlstone is a calcium carbonate or lime-rich mud or mudstone which contains variable amounts of clays and aragonite. Marl was originally an old term loosely applied to a variety of materials, most of which occur as loose, earthy deposits consisting chiefly of an intimate mixture of clay...
and sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
. 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 BrindleyJames Brindley
James Brindley 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:...
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.See also
- James BrindleyJames BrindleyJames Brindley 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:...
- Newcastle-under-LymeNewcastle-under-LymeNewcastle-under-Lyme is a market town in Staffordshire, England, and is the principal town of the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme. It is part of The Potteries Urban Area and North Staffordshire. In the 2001 census the town had a population of 73,944...
, Stoke-on-TrentStoke-on-TrentStoke-on-Trent , also called The Potteries is a city in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of . Together with the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme Stoke forms The Potteries Urban Area...
, StaffordshireStaffordshireStaffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders... - CanalCanalCanals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
- History of the British canal systemHistory of the British canal systemThe British canal system of water transport played a vital role in the United Kingdom's Industrial Revolution at a time when roads were only just emerging from the medieval mud and long trains of pack horses were the only means of "mass" transit by road of raw materials and finished products The...
- Waterways in the United KingdomWaterways in the United KingdomWaterways in the United Kingdom is a link page for any waterway, river, canal, firth or estuary in the United Kingdom.-Related topics:*Waterway, water power, navigable, navigable aqueduct, navigable river, navigable waters, navigability, Waterway society, List of waterway societies in the United...
- Erasmus DarwinErasmus DarwinErasmus Darwin was an English physician who turned down George III's invitation to be a physician to the King. One of the key thinkers of the Midlands Enlightenment, he was also a natural philosopher, physiologist, slave trade abolitionist,inventor and poet...
- Lunar SocietyLunar SocietyThe Lunar Society of Birmingham was a 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 in Birmingham, England. At first called the Lunar Circle,...
- Josiah WedgwoodJosiah WedgwoodJosiah Wedgwood was an English potter, founder of the Wedgwood company, credited with the industrialization of the manufacture of pottery. A prominent abolitionist, Wedgwood is remembered for his "Am I Not A Man And A Brother?" anti-slavery medallion. He was a member of the Darwin–Wedgwood family...