Isel Hall is an ancient Cumbrian residence that sits on a steep rise on the northern banks of the River Derwent, south of Bassenthwaite Lake, east-north-east of Cockermouth, with views over the Lake District fells and Skiddaw. It was once the home of the Lawson familyBulmers, History and Directory of Cumberland (1901) pages 731–3 and is a Grade I listed building.
History
Norman period The recorded history of Isel begins during the reign of Henry II when Alan, the son of Waltheof, granted Randulph d'Engayne the demesnes of Ishall, Redmain and Blencrake. Randulph's granddaughter and heiress Ada married Simon de Morville, lord of the barony of Burgh by Sands, whose son Hugh left two daughters as coheirs, Ada and Joan.It was said that Sir Hugh Morville was one of the four who carried out the assassination of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, however, many historians dispute this and suggest it was Sir Hugh of Knaresborough who partook in the murder. The manor of Isel fell to the elder sister's share. Ada married Richard de Lucy of Egremont; and later Thomas de Multon, to whom she had a son and heir, Thomas. In the reign of Henry III this Thomas, entailed Isel and Blencrake on his younger son Hubert. Hubert Moulton enjoyed Isel for his lifetime, after which his son William entered the story.Nicolson and Burn Vol 2
The Leigh connection In 1315, William's daughter Margaret married Sir William de Leigh and this brought Isel into the Leigh family for a period stretching from the reign of Edward II (1307–1327) until 1572. William died in 1354, leaving five sons and two daughters; he is buried beside his horse in Isel churchyard. In the year 1499, one Robert Leigh of Isel assisted Elizabeth Dykes to prosecute an appeal against Thomas Curwen and others for the murder of her husband Alexander Dykes. The award made by Richard Redmain, bishop of Exeter; Master Christopher Urswyk, archdeacon of Richmond; Edward Redmain and Sir Thomas Dykes; stated that:- “whereas the said parties were nigh of blood the said Elizabeth should no longer sue her appeal, but that the said Thomas Curwen and his partakers shall shew themselves meekly sorry for his death, and shall pay to the said Elizabeth four score pounds of lawful money, and further find one honest priest to sing for the soul of the said Alexander, in the church at Isel, by the space of two years, paying yearly for his salary seven marks of lawful money.” In 1509, one Sir Edward Redmain possessed Isel, having married, in 1485, the lady Elizabeth, widow of Sir Thomas Leigh, and daughter of Sir John Huddlestone of Millom. Elizabeth died in 1529, leaving Isel to Sir John Leigh. The Patent Rolls for 1530 confirm the title.Patent Rolls, 21 Henry VIII, p. I, III, Nov. II In 1544 John Leigh held the manor of Isel and Blencrake of the King by the service of one knight's fee and the cornage of 46s. 8d. (£2 33p). He was High Sheriff of Cumberland in 1548 and again in 1557; he died in 1563. Thomas Leigh, the last of the name, gave Isel to his second wife, Maud Redmain, who afterwards married for her third husband Wilfred Lawson, who conveyed the inheritance over to him.Curwen page 122-3
The Lawson era The Lawsons can trace their descent to John Lawson, lord of Fawkegrave, Yorkshire to the early part of the 13th century.Burke and Burke (1844), p.86 Through a long line of eminent ancestors we arrive at Sir Wilfrid Lawson (1545–1632), son of Thomas Lawson (died 1559) of Little Usworth, County Durham, and his wife Elizabeth Darrell, daughter of Constantine Darrell of Wiltshire.Hutchinson p.241-2 (1797) He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge in 1562 and at Gray's Inn in 1564. In 1591 the Earl of Northumberland made him Lieutenant of the Honour of Cockermouth (Grand Steward of all his estates) and the Conveyor of the Commissioners of the Marches. He was High Sheriff of Cumberland in 1583. In 1593 he was elected Member of Parliament for Cumberland. He was High Sheriff of Cumberland again in 1597. In 1604, he was elected MP for Cumberland again. He was knighted in 1604 and in 1605 was appointed convener to the royal commission set up to govern the Anglo-Scottish border. He was High Sheriff again in 1606 and in 1612. In 1614 he was elected MP for Cumberland again. History of Parliament Online – Wilfred Lawson Lawson died childless in 1632 at the age of 87 years and was succeeded by his great nephew Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 1st Baronet, of Isell.
Sir Wilfred Lawson was an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1660 to 1679. Lawson was born in 1610, the son of William Lawson, and his wife Judith Bewley, daughter of William Bewley of Hesket. He matriculated at Queen's College, Oxford on 21 November 1628, aged 17. He was knighted by Charles I on 28 February 1641. History of Parliament Online – Lawson, Sir Wilfred In 1688, shortly before his death he purchased a baronets patent from James II.Lyson and Lyson (1816), p.120 He also purchased Brayton from the Salkeld family and settled the family estate at Isel on his grandson Wilfrid (son of his first son William), who subsequently became Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 2nd Baronet; and to Wilfrid his second son he conferred the estate of Brayton, so founding the line of 'Brayton' Lawsons.
Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 2nd Baronet (31 October 1664 – November 1704) was an English politician. He was the son of William Lawson and inherited his title on the death of his grandfather Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 1st Baronet, of Isell in 1688. He married Elizabeth daughter and heir to George Preston of Holker Hall, Lancashire. They had three sons; Wilfrid, William and John. Lawson was High Sheriff of Cumberland in 1689, and elected to represent Cockermouth in 1690.Furguson p.462 (1871) On 11 November 1704, Lawson died. He was succeeded by his eldest son Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 3rd Baronet, of Isell.History of Parliament Online – Sir Wilfred Lawson
Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 3rd Baronet, of Isell FRS (1697 – 13 July 1737), was a British politician. He was educated Queen's College, Oxford, graduating in 1713; and was admitted to the Inner Temple in 1715. He was Groom of the Bedchamber to George I from 1720 to 1725; and was elected as Fellow of the Royal Society in 1718. He married Elizabeth Lucy, daughter of the Hon. Harry Mordaunt MP and niece of the Earl of Peterborough. The marriage produced two sons Wilfrid and Mordaunt and two daughters Elizabeth and Charlotte. He was one of the Lawson Baronets, the son and heir of Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 2nd Baronet, of Isell. In 1718, Lawson became Member of Parliament for the Boroughbridge constituency.Furguson p.466-7 (1871) In 1722, Lawson was returned for Cockermouth, which he represented until his death. Upon his death at Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1737, he was succeeded by his eldest son, Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 4th Baronet (1731–39). However, he died in infancy. He was succeeded by his brother Sir Mordaunt Lawson, 5th Baronet (1735–43) who also died in infancy; so ending the supremacy of the Isel Lawson's.History of Parliament Online – Sir Wilfred Lawson
The residency at Isel after 1743, becomes rather sketchy. We can, with a degree of confidence, assume that branches of the Lawson family continued to live there until the arrival of the Wybergh family in 1806. After this date various members of the Wybergh family are recorded. In 1856, William Wybergh of Isel Hall died; the new owner was his brother John, who in turn was followed by his son, also called John.Carlisle Journal, 20 October 1856 At the time of her Royal highness the Princess Louise and her husband the Marquis of Lorne stayed at Isel on their way to open a bazaar at Carlisle in aid of the Cumberland Infirmary in September 1877, they were the guests of Percy S Wyndham MP.West Cumberland Times, 22 September 1856 In 1891 Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 3rd Baronet, of Brayton (21 October 1862 – 28 August 1937), an English Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1910 to 1916 took over the estate. He remained at Isel until his death in 1937, when he was succeeded by his nephew Sir Hilton Lawson, 4th Baronet.
Modern day
After the death of Sir Hilton Lawson, 4th Baronet, Isel Hall was sold by private sale to Margaret Austen-Leigh of Fareham, Hampshire, a first cousin of the previous owner.West Cumberland Times, 30 July 1960 Margaret was the daughter of Lucy Thruston and granddaughter to Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 2nd Baronet, of Brayton. In 1941, Margaret married as his second wife Richard Austen-Leigh, the great nephew of Jane Austen. He was a publisher, printer and writer, who had revised the edited works of Jane Austen; he died in 1961. During Margaret's time at Isel she bred Shetland ponies and large poodle dogs.
Margaret had no children and upon her death in 1986 she left Isel to her friend and distant relative Mary Burkett OBE. Mary had recently retired from a distinguished career as director of Abbot Hall Art gallery and Museum, Kendal. At Abbot Hall she won the first award for Best museum of the Year, had served on committees of the Arts Council and Crafts Council and served as member of a visiting team of Museum Directors who had visited the United States in 1981 in an advisory role. Mary compiled a memoir of a former parlour maid at Isel Hall, Miss May Moore (I Was Only A Maid – the life of a remarkable woman, Firpress Ltd., Workington), who also featured in a Border TV documentary filmed at the Hall in 1997. Mary carried out, with the help of English Heritage many improvements to the fabric of the building, with special attention to the Pele Tower, the terrace and the sunken garden.Rickerby page 21 Miss Burkett passed away in late 2014, leaving the house to its current owners.
The Site The edifice stands on a curious, almost unique, site on the north side of the River Derwent. Such a position at first sight appears contrary to all precedents, for whenever there is a stream in the vicinity we invariably find an English Pele tower placed on the southern bank, so as to interpose the river between it and the northern enemy. However, the geography of the region today is somewhat different from that of the medieval period. There existed at that time a dense impenetrable forest between Isel, Uldale and Wigton with no roads through for the marauding Scots to descend. Their only way would be by the old Roman road from Carlisle and Wigton to Cockermouth, or else by galleys from Dumfries to Allonby or Flimby, and then up the Derwent valley. Isel, therefore could only be reached from the south, hence the Hall is situated in the correct position. The site is further protected by a woodland stream running around the north and the west sides. It is called the Bloomer Beck, which suggests that it may have been the site a forge or iron smelter.Curwen page 125
Description
Pele tower