Hoghton Tower
Encyclopedia
Manor 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...
near the village of Hoghton
Hoghton
Hoghton is a small village and civil parish of the Borough of Chorley in Lancashire, England. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001 it has a population of 867...
in the Borough of Chorley
Chorley (borough)
Chorley is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. It is named after its largest settlement, the town of Chorley.-Creation:...
to the east of Preston in 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. It has been the ancestral home of the De Hoghton family since the time of William the Conqueror. It features a mile long driveway to the main gates. The original driveway extended far further and the cost of lining it with red carpet for the arrival of King James I of England
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
nearly bankrupted the family.
The Hoghton family has been at Hoghton since the 12th century, but the dramatic manor house that you can see today is primarily a product of the mid-Tudor period. The house is built in an elongated figure-8, encompassing two inner courtyards entered through a fiercely castellated gatehouse.
The Hoghton family
The house was completed by Thomas Hoghton in 1565, but Thomas, a Catholic, stayed in it only four years before fleeing to the Low CountriesLow Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
, where he died.
Thomas' nephew Richard enjoyed rather more politically correct views, and earned the favour of James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
, who made him a Baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
in 1611 (see de Hoghton Baronets
De Hoghton Baronets
The Hoghton, later Bold-Hoghton, later de Hoghton Baronetcy, of Hoghton Tower in the County of Lancaster, is a title in the Baronetage of England. It was created on 22 May 1611 for Richard Hoghton, Member of Parliament for Lancashire...
) and visited Hoghton in 1617. Sir Richard, who was hoping to convince the king to relieve him of money-losing alum mines, laid out the red carpet for James' visit - literally. Red carpeting was laid for the entire length of the half mile avenue leading to the house. The king must have been impressed by the lavish welcome, and the feasting which followed, for he did buy the mines.
An amusing but unsubstantiated tale has it that at the feast in the banqueting hall given in James' honour the king was so moved by the excellent loin of beef he was served that he took his sword and knighted it "Sir Loin", giving us the term 'sirloin' (now also the name of a local pub). Richard's good fortune did not last long; only a few years later he was imprisoned in Fleet Prison
Fleet Prison
Fleet Prison was a notorious London prison by the side of the Fleet River in London. The prison was built in 1197 and was in use until 1844. It was demolished in 1846.- History :...
for debt.
Richard's son, Sir Gilbert
Sir Gilbert Hoghton, 2nd Baronet
Sir Gilbert Hoghton, 2nd Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1614 and 1640. He was a Royalist leader during the English Civil War....
, fought for Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
in the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, though Gilbert's own son (named Richard, like his grandfather), chose the Roundhead
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
cause, and Hoghton Tower was besieged by Parliamentary troops in 1643. Eventually the defenders capitulated, but when the Roundheads entered the house the powder magazine in the tower between the two courtyards exploded with terrifying force, killing over 100 Parliamentary men. The tower was never rebuilt.
Following in Richard Hoghton's footsteps, succeeding generations of Hoghtons were fervent Presbyterian Dissenter
Dissenter
The term dissenter , labels one who disagrees in matters of opinion, belief, etc. In the social and religious history of England and Wales, however, it refers particularly to a member of a religious body who has, for one reason or another, separated from the Established Church.Originally, the term...
s, and the banqueting hall was often used as a Dissenting chapel (quite a change from the gaiety of entertaining the royal court).
Disrepair and restoration
Later generations of Hoghtons took a strong interest in parish affairs, and moved away from Hoghton Tower to be closer to the political action. Without them the house fell into disuse, and when Charles DickensCharles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
visited it in 1854 he found it in a depressing state of disrepair. The mood of the place did prompt Dickens to write a story, "George Silverman's Explanation", in which the house features prominently.
Hoghton Tower was not restored until 1870, after a century of neglect. Despite the loss of many family portraits and collectibles in a fire, the work was finished in 1901, and visitors today can see several attractive rooms in a guided tour that lasts about 40 minutes. Highlights include excellent Queen Anne panelling, the galleried banqueting hall, good period furniture, and a doll house collection. You may also delve into a Tudor well house.
Today, Hoghton Tower is the regimental base of Sir Gilbert Hoghton's Company of Foote, a regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of The Sealed Knot
The Sealed Knot (reenactment)
The Sealed Knot is a British historical association and charity, dedicated to costumed reenactment of battles and events surrounding the English Civil War.-About:...
battle reenactment society.
In the middle of the last century, the family returned to the Roman Catholic faith.
Trivia
- On August 4, 1581, Alexander Hoghton, a scion of the family residing at Lea, wrote a will, containing the names of 11 annuitants whose care he was entrusting to one Thomas Hesketh, one of whom is named "William Shakeshafte." This has led to speculation that William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
could have a connection to Hoghton Tower or its inhabitants.