Turnhurst Hall was a substantial house which stood in an area of what is now Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, between Great Chell and the hamlet of Newchapel in Newcastle-under-Lyme. The road linking the two settlements is now known as Turnhurst Road and the area where the former estate was located is now known as Turnhurst.
The most famous resident was canal pioneer James Brindley who is said to have perfected models of his canal locks in the grounds of the house. The estate was originally used for farming, but was later mined for coal and iron ore.
Early history Etymology Turnhurst means "estate on the wooded hill", (from Old English, tun means "enclosure, farm or estate" and hurst means "wooded hill").Wikipedia: List of generic forms in British place names
Description Turnhurst Hall was a substantial house built around 1700 on the site of a former dwellingKlemperer & Sillitoe 1995, p.5. set in of farmland. Never a great or wealthy country seat, Turnhurst is described as being typical of the houses of lesser gentry.Klemperer & Sillitoe 1995, p.1. A comfortable, roomy, old-fashioned dwelling which was said to have been the last house in England in which a family fool was maintained.Smiles 1862, p.468.
The Hall was divided into two residences from the time of the Alsagers ownershipCole family papers as documented dates of residence confirm. This fact has caused some confusion to historians dating occupancy.
Earliest References The earliest record known is from the 1539 General Muster Roll of Henry VIII which lists a William Rowley of Turnhurste indicating that there was a residence at the site before the Hall was built.Klemperer & Sillitoe 1995, p.6. A number of writers refer to still earlier occupation of Turnhurst, but no primary records support this as fact.
Residents of Turnhurst Rowley The Rowley family was seated at Turnhurst in ancient timesWard 1843, p.176. and first appears in parish registers in 1626.Klemperer & Sillitoe 1995, p.6.
Bellot Four members of the Bellot family took the title baronet of Moreton in the 17th and early 18th centuries. Sir Thomas Bellot 2nd Bt and Sir John Bellot 3rd Bt were Members of Parliament for Newcastle-under-Lyme. On the death of the 3rd Bt, his brother Thomas took the title of 4th Bt.Hayton, Cruickshanks & Hadley 2002, p.171. The last Sir Thomas Bellot was a keen sportsman and panels of several of the upper rooms depicted some of his exploits in the field.Smiles 1862, p.468.
Bowyer The Bowyer family features in legal documents relating to Turnhurst between 1690 and 1740. In particular a 1690 marriage settlement for Katherine Bowyer who married into the Rowley family at Turnhurst. Mentioned in the settlement are Rowley, Bellot and Sir John Bowyer of Knypersley.Klemperer & Sillitoe 1995, p.9-10. Deeds to the estate show occupancy by John Bowyer and Francis Egerton in 1752.Klemperer & Sillitoe 1995, p.11.
Alsager
The first reference to Alsager appears in 1672 with the marriage of Ralph Alsager to Sarah Rowley of Turnhurst.Klemperer & Sillitoe 1995, p.9. In 1752 the Turnhurst estate was purchased outright, in trust for Mary Alsager.Klemperer & Sillitoe 1995, p.10. Mary Alsager was to own the estate for the period of Brindley's occupation, and following her death in 1795 was managed by trustees until 1846.Klemperer & Sillitoe 1995, p.11-12.
Cole
John Cole and Barbara Scott moved to Turnhurst after their marriage in 1745.Klemperer & Sillitoe 1995, p.11. Cole was a farmer who bred prize winning longhorn cattle on the estate.Cole family papers The Coles were tenants of Mary Alsager alongside James Brindley and were granted a lease in 1766 for 21 years.Klemperer & Sillitoe 1995, p.11. Further leases survive detailing the Cole tenancy into the 19th century.Klemperer & Sillitoe 1995, p.12.
Civil records improved in the mid-19th century and many references to the Coles at Turnhurst are available. The 1841 Census shows Benjamin Cole and his family in residenceUK Census 1841 and by the 1851 Census it was Edward Cole who occupied the Hall.UK Census 1851 In 1849 John Hilditch Cole, son of Edward, was born at Turnhurst.Birth of John Hilditch Cole 1849 Edward Cole died in 1856 and the Coles finally left Turnhurst and moved to Ford Green Hall, then owned by Robert Heath of KidsgroveCole family papers who was the brother of Edward's widow.
James Brindley
James Brindley was a pioneering canal engineer and the most notable resident of Turnhurst.
Although Mary Alsager did not routinely occupy the Hall, in the original lease to the Coles she did retain an option to occupy significant parts of the Hall.Klemperer & Sillitoe 1995, p.12. Such an option effectively sub-divided the residence and it was the half of the Hall which Mary Alsager reserved that James Brindley occupied.Cole family papers
Brindley married his young bride, Ann Henshall, in 1765 and together they moved into Turnhurst Hall where he was to live until his death in 1772.Smiles 1862, p.468. Brindley mixed with some of the finest minds in England during this time as his friend Josiah Wedgwood introduced him to the eminent physician and polymath Erasmus Darwin and other illustrious members of the Lunar Circle.Corble 2005, p.54.
Erasmus Darwin attended Brindley at Turnhurst towards the end of his life and diagnosed his advanced diabetes mellitus.Smith 2005, p.48-49. Brindley died at Turnhurst Hall on 27 September 1772.Ward 1843, p.174. Following Brindley's death, Darwin wrote to Wedgwood to suggest that a memorial to Brindley be erected in Westminster Abbey.Darwin Letter 1772
Demise of Turnhurst Hall
During the 19th century large parts of Staffordshire were extensively mined. The Turnhurst estate overlay a rich geology and the rural country seat gave way to the commercial demands for its mineral bounty. In 1862 the estate was sold for auctionAuction Sale 1862 and its mineral resources listed. The sale catalogue included geological sections through the estate and listed 16 mines producing coal and iron ore, as well as deposits of clay, marl and sand. The Hall suffered subsidence towards the turn of the 20th century and was finally demolished in 1929.Klemperer & Sillitoe 1995, p.25.
Brindley's Lock
Local tradition maintains that James Brindley built a model canal lock at TurnhurstKlemperer & Sillitoe 1995, p.13. and late 19th century newspaper articles even describe the canal as being present on the estate.Klemperer & Sillitoe 1995, p.23. A linear feature with the appearance of a canal section had been identified on 19th century estate plans. In 1993 an archaeological excavation revealed the canalKlemperer & Sillitoe 1995, p.28. with a sluice gate built into the southern end wall.Klemperer & Sillitoe 1995, p.30.
Examination of the find led to the conclusion that it was most likely a water feature contemporary with the Hall and pre-dated Brindley's residence.Klemperer & Sillitoe 1995, p.32. However it was possible that modifications had been made in the late 18th century, including the addition of the sluice, and the feature may have served as a water holding tank for canal experiments.Klemperer & Sillitoe 1995, p.34.
Turnhurst today
The Turnhurst estate is now the site of a modern housing development. The Hall itself was near to where the eastern end of Silverstone Crescent now joins Turnhurst Road, and the water feature long thought to have been Brindley's canal lies beneath a protective concrete raft under the car park of the aptly named The Brindley Lock public house.Klemperer & Sillitoe 1995, p.38. The pub has since been demolished and is to be turned into a housing development.https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/stoke-trent-pub-demolished-replaced-8341679
See also James Brindley Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire Canal History of the British canal system Waterways in the United Kingdom Erasmus Darwin Lunar Society Josiah Wedgwood
External links Turnhurst Hall James Brindley - "Canal Builder" James Brindley at Turnhurst
Citations
References
Ward, J (1843). The Borough of Stoke-upon-Trent Smiles, S (1862). Lives of the Engineers: With an Account of Their Principal Works Vol 1 Turnhurst Hall Estate, Collieries and Ironstone Works. Sale by Auction, 24 July 1862: Personal Collection Darwin, E (1772). Letter to Josiah Wedgwood, 30 Sep 1772. Klemperer, W; Sillitoe, P (1995). James Brindley at Turnhurst Hall: Staffordshire Archaeological Studies No.6, City Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent Hayton, D; Cruickshanks, E; Hadley, S (2002). The House of Commons 1690-1715 Corble, N (2005). James Brindley - The First Canal Builder Smith, C; Arnott, R (2005) The Genius of Erasmus Darwin UK Census 1841 HO107 993 17 Wolstanton District 17 Folio 20 p13 UK Census 1851 HO107 2002 Folio 329 p1 GRO Birth John Hilditch Cole 1849 Q2 Wolstanton Vol17 p337 Cole Family Papers