Allerton Hall
Encyclopedia
Allerton Hall is in Clarkes Gardens
, Allerton
, Liverpool
, Merseyside
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II* listed building.
period the manor of Allerton was held by the Lathom family.
During her long widowhood, Elizabeth Lathom(nee Legh) the wife of Richard Lathom (1563–1602), occupied Allerton Hall. And by her Will and Codicil, both executed in July, 1624, gave her second son, Edward Lathom, the occupation and profit of “this my hall in Allerton," and the houses and lands for three years after her death for the better discharging of her debts and to keep her other sons, Richard and John, “with dyet." and until her grandson, Richard Lathom (of Parbold, son of Thomas who died in 1623), then an infant of about two years old, the heir of Parbold and Allerton, "came of age".
Richard Lathom, a Royalist, fought alongside his uncles in the English Civil War. Richard survived the war but his Estate was "forfeited in the name of treason" by Cromwell's parliament in 1652.
"The commissioners" (of parliament who had confiscated the estate) sold it in 1654 to a John Sumpner of Midhurst, Sussex. for £2,700. Notwithstanding that the Lathoms, father, mother, and children, now dispossessed, were frequently convicted of recusancy and suffered the penalties accordingly, they contrived to hang on to both Parbold and Allerton a little longer. Indeed it was not until 1670 that the Sumpners managed to eject the Lathoms, and only then by increasing the amount of the original purchase price.
When assessments were made for the hearth tax in 1666, Allerton Hall was one of the larger houses in the parish of Childwall
with eight hearths; this was exceeded only by Speke Hall
with twenty-one hearths and Brettargh Holt with nine. The estate was bought in 1736 by John Hardman and his brother James. John Hardman was a merchant from Rochdale
and it is likely that the present house on the site originates from this time. In about 1779 the house was bought by the lawyer, philanthropist and abolitionist
, William Roscoe
. Roscoe completed the building of the house but had to sell it in 1816 when he became bankrupt
.
During the American Civil War
the mansion was rented by Charles Kuhn Prioleau, an American landowner from South Carolina
who financially supported the Confederate States
and who married Mary Elizabeth Wright, daughter of the owner of the hall. In the early part of the 20th century the building was owned by the Clarke family who donated it to Liverpool City Council
in 1927. The building was damaged by two fires, in 1994 and in 1995.
style and built in red sandstone
with three storeys. It is a symmetrical building, extending over eleven bays; the central three bays and the lateral two bays on each side project forward. The central three bays form a portico
with Ionic
column
s and a pediment
. The ground floor of the building is rusticated
.
Surviving the fires, are a room at the west end which has panelled
walls and a stucco
ceiling in Rococo
style, and parts of Roscoe's library. In the grounds to the west of the house is a sundial
dated 1750.
known as the Pub in the Park.
Clarkes Gardens
Clarkes Gardens is a public park in the Allerton district of south Liverpool, England. It is close to Springwood Cemetery and situated between Woolton Road and Springwood Avenue....
, Allerton
Allerton
-Places:In the United Kingdom*Allerton, Merseyside, a suburb of Liverpool, England**Allerton railway station*Allerton, West Yorkshire, a suburb of Bradford, England*Allerton Bywater, a village in West Yorkshire...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II* listed building.
History
During the medievalMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
period the manor of Allerton was held by the Lathom family.
During her long widowhood, Elizabeth Lathom(nee Legh) the wife of Richard Lathom (1563–1602), occupied Allerton Hall. And by her Will and Codicil, both executed in July, 1624, gave her second son, Edward Lathom, the occupation and profit of “this my hall in Allerton," and the houses and lands for three years after her death for the better discharging of her debts and to keep her other sons, Richard and John, “with dyet." and until her grandson, Richard Lathom (of Parbold, son of Thomas who died in 1623), then an infant of about two years old, the heir of Parbold and Allerton, "came of age".
Richard Lathom, a Royalist, fought alongside his uncles in the English Civil War. Richard survived the war but his Estate was "forfeited in the name of treason" by Cromwell's parliament in 1652.
"The commissioners" (of parliament who had confiscated the estate) sold it in 1654 to a John Sumpner of Midhurst, Sussex. for £2,700. Notwithstanding that the Lathoms, father, mother, and children, now dispossessed, were frequently convicted of recusancy and suffered the penalties accordingly, they contrived to hang on to both Parbold and Allerton a little longer. Indeed it was not until 1670 that the Sumpners managed to eject the Lathoms, and only then by increasing the amount of the original purchase price.
When assessments were made for the hearth tax in 1666, Allerton Hall was one of the larger houses in the parish of Childwall
Childwall
Childwall is a suburb of Liverpool, Merseyside, England and a Liverpool City Council Ward. It is located to the south of the city, bordered by Gateacre, Wavertree, Belle Vale, Broadgreen, Bowring Park and Mossley Hill...
with eight hearths; this was exceeded only by Speke Hall
Speke Hall
Speke Hall is a wood-framed wattle-and-daub Tudor manor house in Speke, Liverpool, England. It is one of the finest surviving examples of its kind.-History:...
with twenty-one hearths and Brettargh Holt with nine. The estate was bought in 1736 by John Hardman and his brother James. John Hardman was a merchant from Rochdale
Rochdale
Rochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester. Rochdale is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan...
and it is likely that the present house on the site originates from this time. In about 1779 the house was bought by the lawyer, philanthropist and abolitionist
Abolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
, William Roscoe
William Roscoe
William Roscoe , was an English historian and miscellaneous writer.-Life:He was born in Liverpool, where his father, a market gardener, kept a public house called the Bowling Green at Mount Pleasant. Roscoe left school at the age of twelve, having learned all that his schoolmaster could teach...
. Roscoe completed the building of the house but had to sell it in 1816 when he became bankrupt
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
.
During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
the mansion was rented by Charles Kuhn Prioleau, an American landowner from South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
who financially supported the Confederate States
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
and who married Mary Elizabeth Wright, daughter of the owner of the hall. In the early part of the 20th century the building was owned by the Clarke family who donated it to Liverpool City Council
Liverpool City Council
Liverpool City Council is the governing body for the city of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. It consists of 90 councillors, three for each of the city's 30 wards. The council is currently controlled by the Labour Party and is led by Joe Anderson.-Domain:...
in 1927. The building was damaged by two fires, in 1994 and in 1995.
Architecture
Allerton Hall is designed in PalladianPalladian architecture
Palladian architecture is a European style of architecture derived from the designs of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio . The term "Palladian" normally refers to buildings in a style inspired by Palladio's own work; that which is recognised as Palladian architecture today is an evolution of...
style and built in red sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
with three storeys. It is a symmetrical building, extending over eleven bays; the central three bays and the lateral two bays on each side project forward. The central three bays form a portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
with Ionic
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
column
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
s and a pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
. The ground floor of the building is rusticated
Rustication (architecture)
thumb|upright|Two different styles of rustication in the [[Palazzo Medici-Riccardi]] in [[Florence]].In classical architecture rustication is an architectural feature that contrasts in texture with the smoothly finished, squared block masonry surfaces called ashlar...
.
Surviving the fires, are a room at the west end which has panelled
Panelling
Panelling is a wall covering constructed from rigid or semi-rigid components. These are traditionally interlocking wood, but could be plastic or other materials....
walls and a stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
ceiling in Rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
style, and parts of Roscoe's library. In the grounds to the west of the house is a sundial
Sundial
A sundial is a device that measures time by the position of the Sun. In common designs such as the horizontal sundial, the sun casts a shadow from its style onto a surface marked with lines indicating the hours of the day. The style is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, often a thin rod or a...
dated 1750.
Present day
In 2009 Allerton Hall is run as a public housePublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
known as the Pub in the Park.