Agecroft Hall
Encyclopedia
Agecroft Hall is a Tudor
-style estate currently on the James River
in Virginia
, United States
, though originally built in Pendlebury
, Lancashire
, England
in the late 15th century. It is now operated as a museum
. It was the home of Lancashire's Langley
and Dauntesey families before falling into disrepair at the end of the 19th century. In 1925 it was sold at auction. Richmonder Thomas C. Williams, Jr. purchased the structure, had it dismantled, crated and shipped across the Atlantic
, and then reassembled in a Richmond
neighbourhood known as Windsor Farms
. Its original position was in the Irwell
Valley (Agecroft
, Pendlebury) close to Agecroft Road (A6044) between Lumns Lane to the west and the Manchester
to Bolton
railway line to the east.
s owned by the Prestwich
family from 1292 when Edmund Crouchback, Earl of Lancaster
, granted land on the banks of the River Irwell to Adam de Prestwich. In 1350, Johanna de Tetlow, daughter of Alice de Prestwich and Jordan de Tetlow, married Richard de Langley, following the deaths of her parents and both brothers - possibly from the plague. The name "Agecroft" (from ache {wild celery} and croft {field}) was adopted c. 1376, the old name of Pendlebury being dropped for the manor but not for the village. Subsequently the Langleys lived at Agecroft Hall until 1561 when the male line failed. The Langleys went on to be a powerful local family for several centuries with major land holdings right across the area.
The first Robert Langley (1379–1446) was a ward of John of Gaunt and later supported the claim of Gaunt's son as Henry IV
in the overthrow of King Richard II. The second Robert Langley (1462–1547) supported Henry VII
and received a lifetime annuity from him. And yet another Robert Langley (1506–1561) was created a knight by Edward VI and later received a general pardon from Queen Elizabeth
. By this time the Langleys were very prosperous and had intermarried with all the great Lancashire families. But Sir Robert and his wife Cecily de Trafford had no son and on his death the property was divided equally between his four daughters.
Dorothy, the eldest, married James Assheton from Chadderton
. Margaret married John Reddish of Reddish
. Catherine married Thomas Legh, a younger son of Sir Piers Legh
of Lyme
. Anne, his third daughter inherited Agecroft Hall as part of her portion and subsequently married William Dauntesey.
The Langleys of Middleton
were probably connected to the Agecroft line in a distant way. Richard Langley was not their eldest son, but probably came from a branch of Yorkshire
Langleys who used the cockatrice
as their arms. The Langleys of Middleton did give rise to Thomas Langley
who entered the service of John of Gaunt and became Lord Chancellor
of England, Keeper of the Privy Seal and Bishop of Durham. He was also elected a Cardinal
, but denied by the Pope
.
In the 1662 Hearth Tax returns, Agecroft Hall was recorded as having 11 hearths out of a total of 35 in the whole of Pendlebury.
At the end of the 19th century, industrialisation swept through the Irwell Valley
. Coal
pits were opened all around Agecroft Hall, railway tracks were cut across the manor and the sinking of an abandoned colliery made a dirty lake on the edge of the estate. The house fell into disrepair and was sold at auction in 1925 to Mr & Mrs Thomas C. Williams. Today, Agecroft Hall stands re-created on the banks of the James River
, in a setting chosen to be reminiscent of its original site at Agecroft near the River Irwell.
was inspired by an incident at the Hall during the Reign of Edward III. On the morning of the Feast of the Ascension (the 40th Day after Easter Sunday) in 1374, young Roger Langley and his sister escaped from the villainous Robert de Holland
and his men and hid in the forest which covered the slopes of the Irwell Valley, cared for by loyal retainers, until their guardian, John of Gaunt, the first Duke of Lancaster
rescued them. However, other sources attribute the story to an incident in Wayland Wood
, Norfolk
.
Tudor architecture
The Tudor architectural style is the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period and even beyond, for conservative college patrons...
-style estate currently on the James River
James River (Virginia)
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, though originally built in Pendlebury
Pendlebury
Pendlebury is a suburban town in the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies to the northwest of Manchester city centre, northwest of Salford, and southeast of Bolton....
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, 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...
in the late 15th century. It is now operated as a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
. It was the home of Lancashire's Langley
Langley
Langley is often used as a metonym in U.S. government and military parlance to refer to the Central Intelligence Agency, whose headquarters is located in Langley, Virginia.Langley may also refer to:-Persons:...
and Dauntesey families before falling into disrepair at the end of the 19th century. In 1925 it was sold at auction. Richmonder Thomas C. Williams, Jr. purchased the structure, had it dismantled, crated and shipped across the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, and then reassembled in a Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
neighbourhood known as Windsor Farms
Windsor Farms
Windsor Farms is a 20th-century neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia of primarily Colonial Revival design.Designed in 1926, Windsor Farms is one of Richmond's first planned neighborhoods. The road layout consists of circular and diagonal patterns with English street names such as Dover, Canterbury,...
. Its original position was in the Irwell
River Irwell
The River Irwell is a long river which flows through the Irwell Valley in the counties of Lancashire and Greater Manchester in North West England. The river's source is at Irwell Springs on Deerplay Moor, approximately north of Bacup, in the parish of Cliviger, Lancashire...
Valley (Agecroft
Agecroft
Agecroft may refer to several places near Salford, England:* Agecroft Hall, a Tudor estate near Pendlebury, Salford exported and rebuilt on the James River in Virginia, United States* Agecroft Bridge railway station, closed in 1861...
, Pendlebury) close to Agecroft Road (A6044) between Lumns Lane to the west and the Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
to Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
railway line to the east.
History
The hall was one of three manor houseManor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
s owned by the Prestwich
Prestwich
Prestwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies close to the River Irwell, north of Manchester city centre, north of Salford and south of Bury....
family from 1292 when Edmund Crouchback, Earl of Lancaster
Earl of Lancaster
The title of Earl of Lancaster was created in the Peerage of England in 1267, merging in the crown in 1399. See also Duke of Lancaster.-Earls of Lancaster :...
, granted land on the banks of the River Irwell to Adam de Prestwich. In 1350, Johanna de Tetlow, daughter of Alice de Prestwich and Jordan de Tetlow, married Richard de Langley, following the deaths of her parents and both brothers - possibly from the plague. The name "Agecroft" (from ache {wild celery} and croft {field}) was adopted c. 1376, the old name of Pendlebury being dropped for the manor but not for the village. Subsequently the Langleys lived at Agecroft Hall until 1561 when the male line failed. The Langleys went on to be a powerful local family for several centuries with major land holdings right across the area.
The first Robert Langley (1379–1446) was a ward of John of Gaunt and later supported the claim of Gaunt's son as Henry IV
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
in the overthrow of King Richard II. The second Robert Langley (1462–1547) supported Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
and received a lifetime annuity from him. And yet another Robert Langley (1506–1561) was created a knight by Edward VI and later received a general pardon from Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
. By this time the Langleys were very prosperous and had intermarried with all the great Lancashire families. But Sir Robert and his wife Cecily de Trafford had no son and on his death the property was divided equally between his four daughters.
Dorothy, the eldest, married James Assheton from Chadderton
Chadderton
Chadderton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England, historically a part of Lancashire...
. Margaret married John Reddish of Reddish
Reddish
Reddish is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. It is north of Stockport and southeast of Manchester...
. Catherine married Thomas Legh, a younger son of Sir Piers Legh
Leghs of Lyme
The Leghs of Lyme are a family who owned Lyme Park in Cheshire, England, from 1398 to 1946, when the house and estate were given to the National Trust. In the early days of the family there were variations of both the surname, and the usually-given forename. Variations of the surname include de...
of Lyme
Lyme Park
Lyme Park is a large estate located south of Disley, Cheshire, England. It consists of a mansion house surrounded by formal gardens, in a deer park in the Peak District National Park...
. Anne, his third daughter inherited Agecroft Hall as part of her portion and subsequently married William Dauntesey.
The Langleys of Middleton
Middleton, Greater Manchester
Middleton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Irk, south-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester...
were probably connected to the Agecroft line in a distant way. Richard Langley was not their eldest son, but probably came from a branch of Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
Langleys who used the cockatrice
Cockatrice
A cockatrice is a legendary creature, essentially a two-legged dragon with a rooster's head. "An ornament in the drama and poetry of the Elizabethans", Laurence Breiner described it...
as their arms. The Langleys of Middleton did give rise to Thomas Langley
Thomas Langley
Thomas Langley was an English prelate who held high ecclesiastical and political offices in the early to mid 1400s. He was Dean of York, Bishop of Durham, twice Lord Chancellor of England to three kings, and a Pseudocardinal. In turn Keeper of the King's signet and Keeper of the Privy Seal before...
who entered the service of John of Gaunt and became Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
of England, Keeper of the Privy Seal and Bishop of Durham. He was also elected a Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
, but denied by the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
.
In the 1662 Hearth Tax returns, Agecroft Hall was recorded as having 11 hearths out of a total of 35 in the whole of Pendlebury.
At the end of the 19th century, industrialisation swept through the Irwell Valley
Irwell Valley
The Irwell Valley extends from the Forest of Rossendale in North West England, through to the cities of Salford and Manchester. The River Irwell runs through the valley, along with the River Croal.-Geology:...
. 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...
pits were opened all around Agecroft Hall, railway tracks were cut across the manor and the sinking of an abandoned colliery made a dirty lake on the edge of the estate. The house fell into disrepair and was sold at auction in 1925 to Mr & Mrs Thomas C. Williams. Today, Agecroft Hall stands re-created on the banks of the James River
James River (Virginia)
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...
, in a setting chosen to be reminiscent of its original site at Agecroft near the River Irwell.
Babes in the Wood
Cyril Bracegidle in his book Dark River: Irwell asserts that legend has it that the tale of the Babes in the WoodBabes in the Wood
Babes in the Wood is a traditional children's tale, as well as a popular pantomime subject. It has also been the name of some other unrelated works. The expression has passed into common language, referring to inexperienced innocents entering unawares into any potentially dangerous or hostile...
was inspired by an incident at the Hall during the Reign of Edward III. On the morning of the Feast of the Ascension (the 40th Day after Easter Sunday) in 1374, young Roger Langley and his sister escaped from the villainous Robert de Holland
Robert de Holland, 1st Baron Holand
Robert de Holland, 1st Baron Holand was an English nobleman, born in Lancashire.He was a son of Sir Robert de Holland of Upholland, Lancashire and Elizabeth, daughter of William de Samlesbury....
and his men and hid in the forest which covered the slopes of the Irwell Valley, cared for by loyal retainers, until their guardian, John of Gaunt, the first Duke of Lancaster
Duke of Lancaster
There were several Dukes of Lancaster in the 14th and early 15th Centuries. See also Duchy of Lancaster.There were three creations of the Dukedom of Lancaster....
rescued them. However, other sources attribute the story to an incident in Wayland Wood
Wayland Wood
Wayland Wood is an ancient woodland near to Watton in Norfolk, England. Although the name has been claimed as a corruption of 'Wailing Wood', Wayland is the name of an historic Norfolk hundred, within the area of which the wood stands.- Habitat :...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
.