Stapenhill House Restore

[nickcleak]

if i could spend my last days there  seeing it renovated i'd be happy 

[Ruskie]

Sorry Nick - I neglected to welcome you to rootschat. 

[RobinClay]

Piercefield
I attach a picture of a memorial which was placed at the base of a new tree in 1898 to commemorate the birth of Dick  Clay .. It's still there ! 

From my family Tree:-
Richard Leigh Clay  born  31 JAN 1898  at Oak Grove Chepstow, died 8 NOV 1986

He was the son of  (Henry) Hastings Clay, born 30 MAY 1864 at Chepstow, Monmouth
died 4 JUL 1943 at Chepstow, and Mabel (Millicent) Williams, born 4 NOV 1866 at Roath Ct Cardiff, married 4 FEB 1891 in London, died 28 APR 1962 at Oak Grove Chepstow.

[RobinClay]

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.

Pah !

His uncle, Henry Clay, NOT his grandfather, Henry Clay, who had died at Piercefield in 1874, when my grandfather was only three...

[nickcleak]

Piercefield
I attach a picture of a memorial which was placed at the base of a new tree in 1898 to commemorate the birth of Dick  Clay .. It's still there ! 

From my family Tree:-
Richard Leigh Clay  born  31 JAN 1898  at Oak Grove Chepstow, died 8 NOV 1986

He was the son of  (Henry) Hastings Clay, born 30 MAY 1864 at Chepstow, Monmouth
died 4 JUL 1943 at Chepstow, and Mabel (Millicent) Williams, born 4 NOV 1866 at Roath Ct Cardiff, married 4 FEB 1891 in London, died 28 APR 1962 at Oak Grove Chepstow.

That all ties in perfectly then :-) Have you ever Visited Piercefield House / Estate Robin? Any of your relatives  still alive that lived there?

[RobinClay]

Have you ever Visited Piercefield House / Estate Robin? Any of your relatives  still alive that lived there?

Yes, we ambled round it in 1970 - and could have wept then...

My father might have stayed there (though I doubt he did), but he died last year, aged 102.
See  http://www.spanglefish.com/gervasclay

But we are but a Cadet branch...

In my grandmother's scrapbook is this page illustrating a weekend house-party there in 1907, and an enlargement of the middle bit.

[chewboy]

Have thoroughly enjoyed reading about your pa, Robin

Mark

[mystifier]

Me too... although it has probably outgrown Photo Restores now (I can image certain members pulling their hair out). For that reason, I have sat on my hands.

It is though, intriguing that your father retired from Burton upon Trent to the small village of Albury. It is a fairly insignificant village in Surrey and yet has a number of Burton ties.

Another substancial property, Albury House, for example, was set in grounds off the east side of Stapenhill Road, half a mile from the Stapenhill House site, was built in the late 1860s for the Burton brewer and Liberal M.P., Sydney Evershed (d. 1903), and was named after the village he came from to get in on the prolific brewing growth.

Albury house, of which I have never managed to find a picture (although I have OS maps available), was also demolished in 1956 before I was born though there are a few minor remnants of it in what are now Scout Woods.

Did any other pictures of Stapenhill House emerge? Are you aware of any connection between Clay and Evershed?

[nickcleak]

thanks SO much for sharing that picture , I have been going for walks over the house since 1986 and  although have found  two pictures of the house from when it was occupied this latest one of yours is a treat and would be a big help to anyone who wanted to restore the house . Do you have any more pictures like this or details to share  from the days it was occupied?

Note the servants on the top floor hanging out the window , i was sat on that ledge last year during the preservation work .
Also the grand fireplace which is in Philadelphia museum in USA , i presume it was bought at the hose sale in the 1920's when the house was broken up .
 Thanks Nick