(42) Adderley of Weddington Hall

Adderley of Weddington

Humphrey Adderley, the fourth son of Thomas Adderley (d. 1538) of Blakehall (see post 40), was a courtier who served four monarchs from King Henry VIII to Queen Elizabeth I as Groom and later Yeoman of the Wardrobe from c.1530-70.  He was granted the manor of Weddington in 1562 and is believed to have built Weddington Hall c.1566.  The house and estate descended in the male line to Thomas Adderley (d. 1757), at whose death it was bequeathed to his sister Elizabeth and her husband, the Rev. Thomas Liptrott (1706-97), rector of Weddington, and then to Amice, the daughter of Thomas Adderley’s cousin, who married George Heming of Jamaica.  Their son, Rev. Samuel Bracebridge Heming, sold the house to Lionel Place c.1807, and it was remodelled shortly afterwards to the designs of Robert Lugar.  The Hall was demolished on 19 October 1928.

Weddington Hall, Warwickshire

Thomas, Marquess of Dorset enclosed and depopulated the manor in 1491 and it seems likely that he built a new house here at that time.  In 1562 the manor was granted by Queen Elizabeth to Humphrey Adderley and others, and Humphrey evidently bought out the interests of the other grantees and obtained sole ownership.  About 1566 he had Weddington Hall built or rebuilt in brick and local Attleborough sandstone, but almost nothing is known of the appearance of this building, which seems not to have been recorded before it was remodelled in 1809 by Robert Lugar for Lionel Place (1788-1838), creating the castle-style which is depicted here.  

Weddington Hall or Castle, as rebuilt by Robert Lugar in the early 19th century

Weddington Castle from an early 19th century engraving

The house may, however, have acquired landscaped grounds in the 18th century, as a painting by Arthur Devis shows Thomas Vincent and his family against a classical landscape. This is believed to be set at Weddington Hall, where they were apparently tenants of the Rev. Thomas Liptrott.

A. Devis, Thomas Vincent and family at Weddington Hall.  Image: Weddington Castle

Robert Lugar described his work in 1811 as involving "...the old front altered by making an entrance porch and square tower, carried up to shorten the length of the roofs, and to give character with more accommodation. The south end, also, is carried up to obtain two family bed-rooms, as well as to give more feature. The subordinate buildings are chiefly conveniences to the kitchen: these, together with the gateway, which is the entrance to the stable court, are entirely new".  At the same time as work proceeded on the house, the grounds were improved under the direction of the owner, who enlarged the grounds by moving roads and undertook the planting and removal of hedges.  

This house in turn was restored and modernised for Henry Dewes in 1850, but demolished in 1928.

Weddington Castle: plan from Robert Lugar's Plans and views of buildings, 1811.  

Descent: Granted by Queen Elizabeth in 1561–2 to Humphrey Adderley (c.1512-98); to son, Humphrey Adderley (1583-1637); to son, Humphrey Adderley (c.1604-39); to brother John Adderley (c.1615-62); to son Wolstan Adderley (c.1644-89); to son Gilbert Adderley (c.1667-1734/8); to son, Thomas Adderley (d. 1753); sold 1753 to brother-in-law, Rev. Thomas Liptrott (1706-97), who apparently leased to his wife's relation, Thomas Vincent; to cousin, Amice, wife of George Heming (d. 1804) of Jamaica; to son, the Rev. Samuel Bracebridge Heming (d. 1856); hall but not estate sold to Lionel Place (1788-1838); to widow, Sophia Place (d. c.1857) who leased to Henry Dewes (fl. 1850) and Rev. Henry Cooper (fl. 1852); sold 1861 to Frederick Henry Kay (d. 1865) (who continued to let to Cooper); to son, Frederick Henry Jewell Kay, who sold 1874 to Henry Cunliffe Shaw (d. 1911), who also purchased estate; to son, Henry Nigel Pole Shaw who leased to Capt. Geoffrey J. Shakerley c.1912-15; sold 1922 to Percy Howe who demolished it in 1928 to build houses.

The Adderleys of Weddington Hall

Adderley, Humphrey (1511/2-98) of Weddington Hall.  Fourth son of Thomas Adderley (d. 1538) and his wife Joan, daughter of John Thirkill of Smallwood (Cheshire); born in 1511 or 1512.  A Groom and later Yeoman  of the Wardrobe to King Henry VIII, King Edward VI, Queen Mary I and Queen Elizabeth I.  He married first, 1571, Anne North and second, 7 May 1581, Elizabeth (who m.2 Sir Richard Norton of Rotherfield and m.3 John Chamberlayne), daughter of Richard Capel of Rudgwick (Sussex), and had issue:
(1.1) Anne Adderley, baptised 20 May 1578; m. William Wightman of Wyken (Leics);
(2.1) Humphrey Adderley (1583-1637) (q.v.);
(2.2) Jane Adderley (1589-1632), baptised 2 February 1589; m. William Burton of Lindley (1575-1645), a local antiquarian;
(2.3) Katherine Adderley (b. 1594/95-1622/23), born 10 January 1594/95; m. c.1612 Sir Harvey Bagot, 1st bt. of Blithfield (1590/91-1660) and had issue 5 sons and 1 daughter; died16 February 1622/23.
He and others were granted the manor of Weddington in 1562 but he had secured sole ownership by 1566, when he built or rebuilt the house.
He died 29 July 1598, aged 86, and was buried at Weddington, where he is commemorated by an alabaster monument in the vestry (formerly the chancel), erected in 1639 by his daughter-in-law.  His will was proved (estate £2,000-£3,000).

Adderley, Humphrey (1583-1637) of Weddington Hall.  Only surviving son of Humphrey Adderley (1511/12-98) and his second wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Capel; born 1583.  Educated at St. Alban's Hall, Oxford (matriculated 1599) and Lincolns Inn (admitted 1600/01).  He married Jane, daughter of Thomas Ward of Nunthorpe (Yorks) and had issue:
(1) Humphrey Adderley (c.1604/5-39), m. Margaret, daughter of Arthur Staveley of West Langton but died without issue; will proved 14 February 1642 in PCC;
(2) John Adderley (c.1615-62) (q.v.);
(3) Elizabeth Adderley, m. William Jervoise of Peatling;
(4) Mary Adderley, m. Samuel Martin of Leicestershire;
(5) Katherine Adderley, m. Rev. Richard Vines (1600-56), vicar of Weddington and later Master of Pembroke Hall, Cambridge, a Puritan divine;
(6) Rebecca Adderley (d. 1653); married, c.1630, George Martin (d. 1657) of Leicester, woollen draper, and had issue; buried at St Martin, Leicester, 3 November 1653;
(7) Jane Adderley, m. Mr. Pike;
(8) Hannah Adderley;
(9) Abigail Adderley, m. William Lingham of London.
He inherited the Weddington Hall estate from his father in 1598.
He died 1 or 10 November 1637, aged 54, and was buried at Weddington, where he is also commemorated on the monument to his father.  His will was proved 11 June 1638 in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury.

Adderley, John (c.1615-62), of Weddington Hall.  Second son of Humphrey Adderley (1583-1637) and his wife Jane, daughter of Thomas Ward of Nunthorpe (Yorks); born c.1615.  He married Jane (c.1613/4-83), daughter of Sir Wolstan Dixie of Bosworth (Leics) and had issue:
(1) Wolstan Adderley (c.1644-89) (q.v.);
(2) Another child, who died in infancy.
He inherited the Weddington Hall estate from his elder brother in 1639, the latter having had it from their father in 1637.
He died in 1662.  His widow was buried 13 May 1683 at Weddington.

Adderley, Wolstan (c.1644-89), of Weddington Hall.  Only surviving child of John Adderley (c.1615-62) and his wife Jane, daughter of Sir Wolstan Dixie of Bosworth (Leics), born about 1644.  Educated at Queens College, Cambridge (matriculated 1664).  He married, 1666, Elizabeth (b. c.1644), daughter of Rowland Okeover of Okeover Hall (Derbys), and had issue:
(1) Gilbert Adderley (c.1667-1734) (q.v.);
(2) Katherine Adderley (b. c.1671);
(3) Elizabeth Adderley (b. c.1676).
He inherited the Weddington Hall estate from his father in 1662.
He died 19 February 1689 and was buried at Skipwith (Yorks), 21 February 1689.  His will was proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, 6 July 1691.

Adderley, Gilbert (c.1667-1734) of Weddington Hall.  Only son of Wolstan Adderley (c.1644-89) and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Rowland Okeover of Okeover Hall (Derbys), born about 1667.  Educated at Trinity College, Oxford (matriculated 1685/6) and Middle Temple (called to the bar, 1696).  He married first, before 1721, and second, 1722, Lucy, daughter of Thomas Savage of Elmley Castle (Worcs), and had issue:
(1.1) Gilbert Adderley, buried 8 June 1721; probably an infant;
(2.1) Gilbert Adderley, died in infancy;
(2.2) Thomas Adderley (d. 1757) (q.v.);
(2.3) Elizabeth Adderley (d. 1765), m. Rev. Thomas Liptrott (1706-97), rector of Weddington; died 15 March 1765.
He inherited the Weddington Hall estate from his father in 1689 and rebuilt the church at his own expense in 1733.
He died 30 December 1734.  His first wife was buried 1 June 1721.

Adderley, Thomas (d. 1757) of Weddington Hall.  Only surviving son of Gilbert Adderley (c.1667-1734) of Weddington Hall and his second wife Lucy, daughter of Thomas Savage of Elmley Castle (Worcs).  He married Mercy (who m.2, 1758, Francis Vincent, barrister, of the Inner Temple), daughter of Rev. Dormer Sheldon of Abberton (Worcs), but died without issue.
He inherited the Weddington Hall estate from his father in 1734, but bequeathed it for life  to his sister Elizabeth, wife of Rev. Thomas Liptrott (1706-97), rector of Weddington, with remainder to his cousin Amice Bracebridge, later wife of George Heming of Jamaica.
He died 15 February 1757.  His will was proved 10 March 1758 in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury.

Sources

Burke's Landed Gentry, 1925, p. 1593; R. Lugar, Plans and Views of Buildings Executed in England and Scotland, in The Castellated and Other Styles, 1811; VCH Warwickshire, iv, 1947, pp. 179-80; P. Reid, Burke’s & Savill’s Guide to Country Houses: vol. 2, West Midlands, 1980, p. 182; Sir H.M. Colvin, A biographical dictionary of British architects 1600-1840, 4th edn., 2008, p. 663; Weddington Castle website, accessed 15 November 2014 (an excellent source of further images of the castle); http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/56705?docPos=2, accessed 25 May 2013.

Where are their papers?

Adderley family of Weddington: no significant archive is known to survive.

Revision
This post was first published 25 May 2013 and was updated 15 November 2014 and 4 August 2019. I am grateful to Thomas Dudley-Bonnett for a correction.