Stapenhill House Restore

[RobinClay]

*I* want to know,
a)  When was this taken ?  and
b)  Who are the people ?

I think I've got more pix of Stapenhill House - somewhere !

From Pigot & Co's 1835 Trade Directory
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Stanton and Newhall is a joint township, in the parish of Stapenhill, between 2 and 3 miles from Burton-upon-Trent. In that part of the township called Newhall, has been erected a handsome church and parsonage house, at the sole expense of the Rev. Joseph Clay, of Stapenhill; this munificent act, which has been effected at the cost of £7,000, has been the means of producing a reformation in the habits and morals of many of the inhabitants, which must be eminently gratifying to the benevolent pastor.
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From my draft "ClayBook"  :-
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By 1810 when his son Henry went to Repton School, Jospeh Clay and his family were living at Stapenhill House,  which had belonged to the Spenders at one time, and which Joseph was later to be in the process of buying when he made his Will in January 1824.
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[Colin Cruddace]

Don't worry, there are no ghosts 

That's a relief, haunted photos would be just too much for me

[RobinClay]

My grandfather was born in Stapenhill House in 1871, his four brothers also, 1870, 1872, 1874.  Their mother died in childbirth.

Their father Charles John Clay then moved to Holly Bush.

My grandfather's grandfather Joseph moved into Stapenhill House sometime between 1796 and 1810, but he didn't buy it until 1824.  His wife died there in 1831.

I digress, sorry !

[RobinClay]

.... and then in another album I found an annotated version, in my grandmother's hand.

The three boys on the lawn are Ernest Clay 1872-1955 (back), Arthur Clay 1870-1915 (our left), Gerard Clay 1871-1955 (our right), her husband-to-be.

The caption beneath reads:-
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Home of Charles John Clay and Agnes Lucy Clay nee Arden.
Married 1869 - Father and mother of Arthur, Gerard, Ernest & Wilfrid.
Agnes Lucy died Febry 1874. Charles John remarried 1873, Elizabeth Teasdale Smith & had 2 daughters, Mildred & Hilda.  Mildred died aged 14.
--------------------

The sons were all living in this house when they married.

Charles John sold the house, and moved to Holly Bush, I don't know when.

[mystifier]

Many thanks Robin; I somehow missed your most recent posts.

That is nice information to be able to incorporate.

[Canterburynorth]

What a shame the house is gone, do you know when it was demolished?
Leandra

[RobinClay]

See
www.burton-on-trent.org.uk/?p=44
as suggested earlier on in this exchange.    ;-)

Blame the Government.   As with most of the properties shown on the "Restoration" TV series, successive governments have imposed punitive inheritence taxes to such an extent that the inheriting owners of these properites could no longer afford to maintain them.

Charles John Clay inherited Stapenhill House from his father, who bought Piercefield in Chepstow - which is now a ruin for exactly the same reason...

See
http://www.piercefieldpark.co.uk/
http://www.jackson-stops.co.uk/cgi-bin/properties/summary_details.pl?propID=19993

My grandfathger, Gerard Clay (see www.spanglefish.com/gerardclay), Charles John's second son, lived at Stapenhill House until he was married in 1906.  On honeymoon, he and his bride stayed a few days with his grandfather, Henry Clay, at Piercefield.

[Ruskie]

It makes so angry and sad to see a house such as this ruins Robin.  It must be especially difficult for you to see homes that used to belong to family, in such a state.

I think these properties should be preserved, whatever the cost, in as original condition as possible. And that doesn't include turning them into flats! 

Thank you for bringing the "restoration" TV series to my atttention. (Living in Australia) I'd not been aware of this, but it's definitely something I will seek out to watch.

(I'll check out the links you provided)

[Ruskie]

It's for sale!