Sutton House, London

Last updated

Sutton House
Sutton House in Hackney Exterior.jpg
Sutton House, the oldest house in Hackney
Hackney London UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location within London Borough of Hackney
Former namesBryck Place
General information
Type Manor house
Architectural style Tudor
LocationHomerton High Street
London, E9
United Kingdom
Coordinates 51°32′54″N0°3′1″W / 51.54833°N 0.05028°W / 51.54833; -0.05028
Completed1535;489 years ago (1535)
Renovated1993
ClientSir Ralph Sadler
Owner National Trust
Technical details
Material Red brick
Website
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sutton-house
Listed Building – Grade II*
Designated23 April 1951
Reference no.1226810

Sutton House is a Grade II* listed Tudor manor house in Homerton High Street, in Hackney and is in London Borough of Hackney, London, England. It is owned by the National Trust.

Contents

History

16th century

The Linenfold Parlour The linenfold panelling at Sutton House.jpg
The Linenfold Parlour

Originally known as Bryck Place, Sutton House [a] was built in 1535 by Sir Ralph Sadler, Principal Secretary of State to Henry VIII, [3] and is the oldest residential building in Hackney. It is a rare example of a red-brick building from the Tudor period, beginning as a three-storey H-plan structure. [4] Sadler then sold the house and surrounding estate to John Machell, a cloth merchant, in 1550, having built a grander house in Hertfordshire. [5]

Machell, a successful businessman and member of the Clothworkers' Company, [6] used Sutton House as country retreat from his principal London home. [7] The rare, high-quality linen fold panelling [b] in the parlour is likely to have been installed during his time as owner. [9] Machell died in 1558 and the house passed to his wife Joan and his eldest son, also named John. [7] Machell the younger lacked his father's financial acumen, and eventually lost the house in the early 1600s to James Deane, a member of the Drapers' Company, after a series of legal disputes. [10]

17th century

The Great Chamber Great Chamber at Sutton House.JPG
The Great Chamber

Upon Deane's death, the house passed to his niece Olive, who likely rented it to a series of tenants. [11] In the early 1630s, the house was sold to John Milward, a member of the Vintners' Company [12] and later a silk trader in the East India Company. [13] After suffering financial losses, he transferred ownership of the house in 1639 to his daughter Elizabeth and her husband Edward Abbot, a member of the Drapers' Company and director of the East India Company. [14] Abbot also lost the house due to financial difficulties, and in the 1650s the house was acquired by Henry Whittingham, who granted a lease to a prosperous widow named Sarah Freeman. [15] Freeman opened a boarding school for girls at the house in 1657; [16] the school, which she operated until her death in 1700, was well regarded. [15] The ownership of the house descended through Whittingham's family to Sarah Wagstaffe, a wealthy widow with four daughters. [17]

18th century

The Georgian parlour The Georgian Parlour at Sutton House.jpg
The Georgian parlour

After Sarah Freemen's death, the school continued in operation until 1740, when the lease was granted to a bricklayer and builder named John Cox who updated and later subdivided the house. [18] By the 1750s, two tenants were listed in the property, Timothy Ravenhill and Mary Tooke, a wealthy Huguenot widow, suggesting that the house had been divided. [19] During this period, new sash windows were installed and Georgian features were added to an expanded east wing of the house. [20] During the second half of the century, a significant number of homes were built in the surrounding streets and the house came into the possession of the Ball family,who owned the house through several generations. [21] During that time, the house was occupied by a succession of Huguenot tenants. [22]

19th century

In 1816 the house was acquired by Reverend Thomas Burnet for a boys' school, which was attended by the novelist Edward Bulwer-Lytton [23] and Frederick Young. [24] The building next became Milford House girls' school, [25] which was in operation until 1875. [24] The legal ownership of the estate had grown so complex in the prior two centuries that in the mid-1800s, the Court of Chancery was asked to rule upon the matter, ultimately defining the western half of the property as Sutton House. [26] The surrounding estates and their gardens were increasingly replaced by more dense housing developments, which altered the nature of the area. [26] In the 1890s, the two halves of the estate, which had become known as Picton House and Milford House, were acquired by the Church of St John-at-Hackney for the creation of a men's institute. [27] In 1898, Fleetwood Varley, artist and descendant of Cornelius Varley, created drawings of Sutton House for the Committee for the Survey of the Memorials of Greater London, an organisation dedicated to the preservation of historic buildings. [28] In 1904, a major campaign of restoration was completed, after the London County Council had declared the building unsafe the year prior. [29]

20th century

Sutton House was bought by the National Trust in the 1930s with the proceeds of a bequest made by William Alexander Robertson in memory of his two brothers killed in World War I. [30] During World War II it was used as a centre for Fire Wardens, who kept watch from the roof. [31] Following the war, it received little attention from the National Trust, who were focused on the Country Houses Scheme. [32] From the 1960s it was rented by the ASTMS Union, led by its charismatic general secretary Clive Jenkins. [33] When the union left in the early 1980s, the house fell into disrepair. [34]

Rescue

A recreated squatters' room The squatters' room at Sutton House.jpg
A recreated squatters' room

In the mid-1980s the building was squatted and used as a music venue and social centre, known as the Blue House (a decorated wall from this time is preserved within the current museum). [35] After the squatters were evicted the building's condition continued to decline. The Sutton House Society, originally known as the Save Sutton House Campaign, which was formed in March 1987, then began a campaign to rescue the building and open it to the public. [36] Renovations were completed in 1991. [37]

The building remains in use as a museum, as well as housing a café, an art gallery and a book and gift shop. [38] There is an active schools education programme at the house, together with other community programmes. Sutton House was long-listed for the 2004 Gulbenkian Prize. [39] It is registered for the conduct of marriages. [40] The restoration was completed in 1993 and the house fully opened in 1994. [41]

Transport

Tudor kitchen Kitchen at Sutton House.JPG
Tudor kitchen

The closest railway stations are Hackney Central station and Homerton station on the North London Line (part of the London Overground network). Many buses also stop in this area.

Notes

  1. ↑ The name is a misattribution to Thomas Sutton, founder of Charterhouse School, who was another notable Hackney resident, in the adjacent Tan House. [1] This was demolished in 1806 to allow for the extension of Sutton Place, a terrace of 16 Georgian Houses (Grade II listed). [2]
  2. ↑ The panelling was stolen in the 1980s while the building was derelict, but was returned to the National Trust by the salvage firm that recognised its exceptional quality. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Borough of Hackney</span> London borough in United Kingdom

The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough in Inner London, England. The historical and administrative heart of Hackney is Mare Street, which lies 5 miles (8 km) north-east of Charing Cross. The borough is named after Hackney, its principal district. Southern and eastern parts of the borough are popularly regarded as being part of east London that spans some of the traditional East End of London with the northwest belonging to north London. Its population is estimated to be 281,120.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homerton</span> Area of East London, England

Homerton is an area in London, England, in the London Borough of Hackney. It is bordered to the west by Hackney Central, to the north by Lower Clapton, in the east by Hackney Wick, Leyton and by South Hackney to the south. In 2019, it had a population of 14,658 people. In terms of ethnicity it was 43.9% White, 33.0% Black, 10.9% Asian and 7.8% Mixed. It covered an area of 0.830 sq kilometres. Homerton ward on Hackney Borough Council is currently represented by three Labour councillors. There are fifty listed buildings located within the boundaries of the ward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bromley-by-Bow</span> Human settlement in England

Bromley, commonly known as Bromley-by-Bow, is a district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in East London, located on the western banks of the River Lea, in the Lower Lea Valley in East London. It is an inner-city suburb located 4.7 miles east of Charing Cross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homerton College, Cambridge</span> College of the University of Cambridge

Homerton College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Its first premises were acquired in Homerton, London in 1768, by an informal gathering of Protestant dissenters with origins in the seventeenth century. In 1894, the college moved from Homerton High Street, Hackney, London, to Cambridge. Homerton was admitted as an "Approved Society" of the university in 1976, and received its Royal charter in 2010, affirming its status as a full college of the university. The college celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hackney Marshes</span> Open space in London

Hackney Marshes is an area of open space in London's Lower Lea Valley, lying on the western bank of the River Lea. It takes its name from its position on the eastern boundary of Hackney, the principal part of the London Borough of Hackney, and from its origin as an area of true marsh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ralph Sadler</span> English statesman (1507–1587)

Sir Ralph Sadler or Sadleir PC, Knight banneret was an English statesman, who served Henry VIII as Privy Councillor, Secretary of State and ambassador to Scotland. Sadler went on to serve Edward VI. Having signed the device settling the crown on Jane Grey in 1553, he was obliged to retire to his estates during the reign of Mary I. Sadler was restored to royal favour during the reign of Elizabeth I, serving as a Privy Councillor and once again participating in Anglo-Scottish diplomacy. He was appointed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in May 1568.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Sutton</span> English civil servant and businessman

Thomas Sutton was an English civil servant and businessman, born in Knaith, Lincolnshire. He is remembered as the founder of the London Charterhouse and of Charterhouse School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hall Place</span> Historic building in Bexley, London, U.K.

Hall Place is a stately home in the London Borough of Bexley in south-east London, built in 1537 for Sir John Champneys, a wealthy merchant and former Lord Mayor of London. The house was extended in 1649 by Sir Robert Austen, a merchant from Tenterden in Kent. The house is a Grade I listed building and Scheduled Ancient Monument, and surrounded by a 65-hectare award-winning garden. It is situated on the A223, Bourne Road, south of Watling Street (A207) and north of the Black Prince interchange of the A2 dual carriageway and two lesser roads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hackney Central</span> Human settlement in England

Hackney Central is a sub-district of Hackney in the London Borough of Hackney in London, England and is four miles (6.4 km) northeast of Charing Cross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Hackney</span> Area of East London, England

South Hackney is an area in London, England and is located in the London Borough of Hackney. It is in East London and is about 4.2 mi (6.8 km) northeast of Charing Cross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trafalgar Park, Wiltshire</span> Grade I listed house in the United Kingdom

Trafalgar Park is a large Georgian country house about 1.4 miles (2.3 km) northeast of the village of Downton in south Wiltshire, England, and 4.5 miles (7.3 km) southeast of the city of Salisbury. It was built in 1733 and is now a Grade I listed building. The house stands in extensive grounds on the left bank of the River Avon, opposite Charlton-All-Saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sutton Court</span> Grade II listed building in Stowey, UK

Sutton Court is an English house remodelled by Thomas Henry Wyatt in the 1850s from a manor house built in the 15th and 16th centuries around a 14th-century fortified pele tower and surrounding buildings. The house has been designated as Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sutton Place, Hackney</span> Street in Hackney, London

Sutton Place, is a small street in the London Borough of Hackney. It links Homerton High Street with St John's Church Gardens, in Hackney. The Georgian terrace of 1790–1806, is Grade II listed as a whole, together with the villas on the north side of the street which date from 1820, and is sited in the conservation area around the gardens of St John-at-Hackney. The street replaced Church Path, an historic path connecting the villages of Homerton and Hackney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sutton Place, Surrey</span> Grade I listed tudor manor house

Sutton Place, 3 miles (4.8 km) north-east of Guildford in Surrey, is a large Grade I listed Tudor prodigy house built c. 1525 by Sir Richard Weston, a courtier of Henry VIII.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clapton Square</span> Garden square in Lower Clapton, London

Clapton Square is the second largest garden square in the London Borough of Hackney, located in Lower Clapton, Clapton. It is lined by buildings on three sides. Its Conservation Area designated in 1969 – extended in 1991 and 2000 – takes in a larger green space separated by a stretch of open road: St John's Gardens. Those gardens have the tallest and largest building visible from all parts of the square's garden, the Church of St John-at-Hackney, rebuilt in 1792-97 which contains older monuments. Two sides of the square are lined with tall, partly stone-dressed, classical, Georgian terraced houses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of St John-at-Hackney</span> Church in Hackney, London

St John at Hackney is a Grade II* listed Anglican Church in the heart of the London Borough of Hackney with a large capacity of around 2,000. It was built in 1792 to replace Hackney's medieval parish church, of which St Augustine's Tower remains, at the edge of its churchyard. The church faces north towards Clapton Square, with the nearby Sutton House and Hackney Central station also accessible from the churchyard to the east and south, respectively. As well as a thriving parish church, St John at Hackney has also become known as a notable music venue, playing host to the likes of Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Emeli Sande, Robbie Williams, Griff and Interpol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Fleetwood</span> English Parliamentarian soldier and politician, Lord Deputy of Ireland

Charles Fleetwood was an English lawyer from Northamptonshire, who served with the Parliamentarian army during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. A close associate of Oliver Cromwell, to whom he was related by marriage, Fleetwood held a number of senior political and administrative posts under the Commonwealth, including Lord Deputy of Ireland from 1652 to 1655.

Sutton House may refer to:

The Gravel Pit Chapel was established in 1715–1716 in Hackney, then just outside London, for a Nonconformist congregation, which by the early 19th century began to identify itself as Unitarian. In 1809 the congregation moved to the New Gravel Pit Chapel nearby, while its old premises were taken over by Congregationalists. The New Gravel Pit Chapel was closed and demolished in1969.

References

Morris Dance performance in the courtyard of Sutton House SuttonHouseLevitation.JPG
Morris Dance performance in the courtyard of Sutton House
  1. ↑ Belcher 2004, p. 15.
  2. ↑ "Hackney: Homerton and Hackney Wick". www.british-history.ac.uk. 1995.
  3. ↑ Belcher 2004, p. 18.
  4. ↑ Belcher 2004, p. 25.
  5. ↑ Belcher 2004, p. 23.
  6. ↑ Belcher 2004, p. 91.
  7. 1 2 Belcher 2004, p. 92.
  8. ↑ Wright 2009, p. 52.
  9. ↑ Belcher 2004, p. 103.
  10. ↑ Belcher 2004, p. 95.
  11. ↑ Belcher 2004, p. 114.
  12. ↑ Belcher 2004, p. 115.
  13. ↑ Belcher 2004, p. 116.
  14. ↑ Belcher 2004, p. 118.
  15. 1 2 Belcher 2004, p. 120.
  16. ↑ Sherwood, Harriet (16 July 2024). "Rare examples of 17th-century paper-cutting 'saved from skip' to go on display". The Guardian.
  17. ↑ Belcher 2004, p. 121.
  18. ↑ Belcher 2004, p. 135.
  19. ↑ Belcher 2004, p. 137.
  20. ↑ Belcher 2004, p. 139.
  21. ↑ Belcher 2004, p. 172.
  22. ↑ Belcher 2004, p. 174.
  23. ↑ Belcher 2004, p. 179.
  24. 1 2 Belcher 2004, p. 180.
  25. ↑ Hackney: Education, A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 10: Hackney (1995), pp. 148-165 accessed 26 January 2008.
  26. 1 2 Belcher 2004, p. 173.
  27. ↑ Belcher 2004, p. 192.
  28. ↑ Hunting 2005, pp. 54–55.
  29. ↑ Belcher 2004, p. 193-194.
  30. ↑ Belcher 2004, p. 212.
  31. ↑ Belcher 2004, p. 213.
  32. ↑ Belcher 2004, p. 214.
  33. ↑ Belcher 2004, p. 216.
  34. ↑ Oakley, Malcolm (29 April 2014). "The History of Sutton House Hackney". East London History. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  35. ↑ "Delve into the history of Sutton House". National Trust. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  36. ↑ Belcher 2004, p. 222.
  37. ↑ Sutton House Society Newsletter, June 2007 accessed 23 June 2007
  38. ↑ "Sutton House and Breaker's Yard". National Trust. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  39. ↑ "The Gulbenkian Prize 2004 - The Museum Prize Trust". www.museumprizetrust.org.uk.
  40. ↑ "Venue hire at Sutton House | London".
  41. ↑ Belcher 2004, p. 26.

Sources

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.