Saturday 11 May 2013

(38) Adamson of Linden Hall (Northumberland)

The family are said to have been of Scots origin but trace their descent from William Adamson of Ehenside Farm, Beckermet (Cumberland), who acquired lands in Cumberland and Westmorland in the early 18th century.  His grandson, Anthony Adamson (c.1761-1836), was a solicitor and banker in Whitehaven (Cumberland) and lived at Millgrove House, Low Moresby, just outside the town, which he may have built.  His son, Lawrence Adamson (c.1793-1877) was a barrister and HM Seneschal of the Isle of Man, where he lived from before 1840 to 1866.  He seems to have sold Millgrove before 1840 and later moved to Newcastle-on-Tyne, where he lived at 7 Windsor Crescent, Jesmond.  His daughter, Catherine, married a Newcastle ironmaster, John George Abbot, and inherited his fortune of almost £700,000 in 1867.  When she died in 1900 her wealth was divided among her siblings.  Her brother, Lawrence William Adamson LLD, a solicitor,  (1829-1911), rented and bought several large houses in the Newcastle area including Jesmond House (c.1868-71), Whitley House (1877-89).  and Eglingham Hall (1898), but his share of his sister's wealth enabled him to buy Linden Hall, Longhorsley (Northumberland) in 1903.  Linden Hall descended to his son Lt-Col. John George Adamson CMG (1855-1932), who had purchased Glenfarne Hall (Leitrim) as a residence before inheriting the English estate in 1911.  At his death, Linden Hall passed to his daughters Muriel (1884-1963) and Eve (b. 1890), but it was sold after Muriel’s death.  Glenfarne Hall was abandoned in 1919 and subsequently burned; the estate was sold in the 1920s except for the ruins of the house, which were demolished after 1943.

Millgrove House, Low Moresby, Cumberland

The seat of Anthony Adamson (d. 1836), a Whitehaven solicitor and banker, who was perhaps responsible for building the house and laying out the grounds, which include an area of ancient woodland in a stream valley now owned by the Woodland Trust and known as Hawkeswood.  The house seems to have been remodelled or rebuilt in 1894 for William Burnyeat.  It was run as a nursing home in the 1990s but may now be back in private ownership.

Descent: Anthony Adamson (d. 1836); to son, Lawrence Adamson (d. 1877), who sold before 1840 to Hartley family, who sold to William Burnyeat, ironmaster and shipowner (1849-1921); to widow, Sarah Frances Dalzell Burnyeat (1849-1935)...sold 1946 to Johnson Morris Affleck (1886-1971), who sold 1970...

Eglingham Hall, Northumberland

Eglingham Hall

The main block has a seven bay two storey south front of 1728, with a recessed three-bay centre.  The rusticated quoins, central arched doorway between rusticated pilasters, and window architraves with heavy triple keystones, betray the influence of Seaton Delaval.  Eglingham was built for Robert Ogle; his architect is unknown but the names of William Etty (executant at Seaton Delaval) and William Wakefield have been suggested.  The west wing incorporates part of an older (16th or 17th century) house, and the north-east wing, which contains the present entrance, is an addition of 1903 by Temple Wilson.  Inside, the dining room has a chimneypiece flanked by giant Ionic pilasters, and a bedroom above has a similar arrangement but with Doric pilasters.  The main staircase was remodelled to imperial form c.1780, when the Venetian stair window may have been inserted, but the wrought iron balusters are thought to date from 1903.  The stable block has a chamfered doorway dated 1704, blocked mullioned windows and three small round windows with cable-moulded surrounds.  The Tudor style gate lodge is dated 1826.

Descent: sold 1514 to Henry Ogle (fl. 1514); to nephew, Luke Ogle (1510-82); to son, Luke Ogle (d. 1596); to son, Robert Ogle; to son, Robert Ogle; … Henry Ogle (1600-69); to son, John Ogle (1621-86); to son, Henry Ogle (d. 1711); to son, Henry Ogle (d. 1713); to son, Robert Ogle (d. 1736); to son, John Ogle (d. 1739); to brother, Ralph Ogle (d. 1773); to son, Robert Ogle; to son, Maj. Robert Ogle (1781-1857); to son, Robert Ogle (1817-79), who apparently sold the estate before his death… leased? to Lawrence William Adamson (1829-1911), a Newcastle solicitor, c.1898-1903… Thomas Milvain (fl. 1903)… sold to Bewicke family, early 20th cent.; …Juliet Bewicke; to daughter, April, wife of Henry Potts (fl. 1995)… Peter Walmsley-Cotton (fl. 2012).

Linden Hall, Longhorsley, Northumberland

Linden Hall, Longhorsley.  Image: Xooo.co.uk

A very plain and beautifully ashlared five bay two storey house designed in 1812 by Sir Charles Monck of Belsay for Charles William Bigge.  The central bay is much wider than the rest and has an extremely heavy and severe four-column porch with unfluted Greek Doric columns.  Inside there is an oblong central hall in which the staircase rises along three walls, under an oval roof lantern.  The house is now an hotel, and the stable block and outbuildings were converted to domestic accommodation in the 1980s by Ainsworth Spark.

Descent:  Charles William Bigge (d. 1849)... sold 1861 to Henry Metcalf Ames; to son, Louis Eric Ames, who sold 1903 to Lawrence William Adamson (1829-1911); to son, Lt-Col. John George Adamson (1855-1932); to daughters Muriel Adamson (1884-1963) and Eve Adamson (b. 1890), who sold 1963 to John M. Liddell; who sold 1978 for conversion to hotel.

Glenfarne Hall, Leitrim

Glenfarne Hall

A very severe astylar two storey four bay Grecian house built for Nicholas Loftus Tottenham c.1820, with a later single-storey wing.  Col. Adamson abandoned the house in 1919 during the Troubles and it was first vandalised and later burned, but the walls were still standing in 1943.  They were later taken down and used as hard core for roads on the estate.  Today the estate is a public forestry park with amenity areas along the shores of Lough MacNean. The only remaining building is the gate lodge.

Descent:  Nicholas Loftus Tottenham (d. c.1825); to son, Charles Henry Tottenham (d. 1836); to Nicholas Loftus Tottenham (d. aged 36); to son, Arthur Tottenham (d. 1887), who sold 1881 in settlement of a debt to Sir Edward Harland (of Harland & Wolff) (d. 1895); sold after his death to Col. John George Adamson (1855-1932) who sold the estate in the 1920s but retained the ruins of the house; to daughter, Muriel Adamson (1884-1963), who demolished the ruins.

The Adamson family of Linden Hall

Adamson, Anthony (c.1761-1836) of Millgrove. Son of William Adamson (b. 1719), born about 1761.  Solicitor and banker of Whitehaven (Cumberland); apparently bankrupted c.1825.  Married 24 November 1787 Catherine (d. 1838), daughter of Lawrence Harrison, surgeon, and had issue:
(1) Anne Adamson (b. 1789); baptised 9 January 1789;
(2) Anthony Adamson (b. 1790); baptised 17 May 1790;
(3) Catherine Adamson (b. 1792); baptised 6 July 1792;
(4) Lawrence Adamson (1794-1877) (q.v.);
(5) Judith Adamson (b. 1797); baptised 7 September 1797.
He purchased an estate at Low Moresby (Cumberland) and was probably responsible for building Millgrove House.
He died 10 March 1836, aged 75.

Adamson, Lawrence (1794-1877) of Newcastle-on-Tyne.  Son of Anthony Adamson (d. 1836) and his wife Catherine, daughter of Lawrence Harrison, surgeon; baptised at Whitehaven, 30 March 1794.  HM Seneschal of Isle of Man, barrister at law.  He married 22 February 1821 Elizabeth (d. 1875), daughter of Capt. Roger Walmesley and sister and co-heir of Lt. James Walmesley RN, and had issue:
(1) Mary Adamson (1821-46), baptised 9 December 1821; died unmarried 21 February 1846;
(2) Catherine Adamson (1823-1900), born 20 May 1823; married, 4 January 1849, John George Abbot (c.1816-67), ironmaster of Newcastle-on-Tyne and Tone Hall (Northumberland); died 4 May 1900; will proved 28 May 1900 (estate £657,490);
(3) Elizabeth Buchanan Adamson (1824-1906), of South Villa, Regent's Park, London; baptised 26 August 1824; died unmarried 28 December 1906; will proved 22 January 1907 (estate £169,603);
(4) Anne Adamson (1825-1907), born 28 September 1825; died unmarried 3 March 1907; will proved 18 March 1907 (estate £193,718);
(5) Anthony Robert Adamson (b. & d. 1827), baptised 11 May 1827; died in infancy;
(6) Lawrence William Adamson (1829-1911) (q.v.).
He inherited Millgrove House from his father in 1836 but sold it before 1840 to the Hartley family.  He lived on Isle of Man until 1866 when he moved to Newcastle-on-Tyne.
He died 3 January 1877, aged about 84.  His will was proved 23 January 1877 (effects under £1000).

Adamson, Lawrence William (1829-1911), LLD, of Eglingham Hall, and later of Linden Hall.  Son of Lawrence Adamson (d. 1877) and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Capt. Roger Walmesley, born in Dublin, 16 July 1829.  Solicitor.  JP for Durham and Northumberland; DL for Northumberland from 1901 and High Sheriff of that county, 1900.  He married first, 22 December 1853 at Jesmond, Anne Jane (d. 1869), daughter of Capt. John Thomas Edward Flint of Filleigh (Devon) and second, 23 February 1889 at Jesmond, Sarah Frances (d. 1935), daughter of William Swan of Walker-on-Tyne, and had issue:
(1.1) John George Adamson CMG (1855-1932) (q.v.);
(1.2) Lawrence Arthur Adamson MA (1860-1932), educated at Oriel College, Oxford; called to bar, 1885; emigrated to Australia for his health, 1895; Headmaster of Wellesley College, Melbourne (Australia), 1930-32; died 14 December 1932;
(1.3) Mary Constance Adamson (d. 1946), m. 1887 Hugh Lee Pattinson (d. 1924), son of Hugh Lee Pattinson of Scots House (Durham) and had issue; died 2 December 1946.
He lived at Jesmond House (Durham) (rented c.1868-71), Whitley House (owned 1869-94), Eglingham Hall (rented c. 1898), and Linden Hall (owned from 1903).
He died 7 November 1911, aged 82.  His will was proved 27 January 1912 (estate £186,043).

Adamson, Lt-Col. John George (1855-1932), CMG, of Glenfarne Hall.  Elder son of Lawrence William Adamson (1829-1911) and his first wife Anne Jane, daughter of Capt. John Thomas Edward Flint of Filleigh (Devon), born in Douglas (Isle of Man), 8 January 1855.  Educated at Rugby and Trinity College, Oxford.  served in Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (Lt., 1876; Captain, 1882; Major, 1892; retired, 1898; Lt-Col., 1892); served during WW1 as Colonel in Chief of Territorial Forces records, 1914-20; appointed Commander of the Order of St Michael & St. George, 1918.  High Sheriff of Leitrim, 1908.  He married 9 August 1883 Caroline Sara (known as Lina) (1856-1929), daughter of Rev. James Timothy Bainbridge Landon MA, vicar of Ledsham (Yorks) and Hon. Canon of York, and had issue:
(1) Muriel Anne Pearl Adamson (1884-1963) of Linden Hall (q.v.);
(2) Catharine Evelyn (known as Eve) Adamson (b. 1890); born 8 December 1890.
He purchased Glenfarne Hall c.1895 and inherited Linden Hall from his father in 1911.  He abandoned Glenfarne in 1919 and it was subsequently burned.  
He died 16 August 1932, aged 77.  His will was proved at Newcastle, 13 December 1932 (estate £23,539).

Adamson, Muriel Anne Pearl (1884-1963), of Linden Hall.  Elder daughter of Lt-Col. John George Adamson (1855-1932) and his wife Lina, daughter of Rev. James Timothy Bainbridge Landon; born in India, 25 May 1884.
She inherited the Linden Hall and Glenfarne Hall estates from her father, and subsequently demolished the ruins of Glenfarne Hall.  The estates were sold after her death.
She died unmarried, 1 January 1963, aged 78.  Her will was proved at Newcastle, 11 March 1963 (estate £183,379).


Sources

Burke's Landed Gentry, 1952; Burke's Landed Gentry of Ireland, 1912; Pevsner, Richmond et al, The buildings of England: Northumberland, 2nd edn., 1992, pp. 265, 377; http://lordbelmontinnorthernireland.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/glenfarne-hall.html, accessed 9 September 2012; http://landedestates.nuigalway.ie/LandedEstates/jsp/property-show.jsp?id=393, accessed 10 May 2013; http://www.twsitelines.info/siteline.nsf/8f71f680ce308c9a802573a80061c133/2e1f04709c3d04da802576af003e8213!OpenDocument, accessed 11 May 2013.

Where are their papers?

Adamson family of Linden Hall etc.: no significant archive is known to survive.

Revision
This account was last updated 21st February 2015.

2 comments:

  1. Hi

    the image shown of Linden Hall is actually of Meldon Park - another of the houses designed by John Dobson of Newcastle. Linden was one of his houses too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Actually I think I have got the right house! Although they are sufficiently similar that I can see why you might confuse the two. Compare the images on Trip Advisor for Linden Hall (http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g504048-i27580854-Longhorsley_Northumberland_England.html) with the images online for Meldon Park (eg http://www.self-catering-breaks.com/Properties/Prop8162.htm) and you will see I am right.

    ReplyDelete

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