Index
| Feedback from Readers - March 2001 |
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The following article accompanied the item about the Marple Tramway featured in the March 2001 issue of the Community News in our regular feature "Local History & Heritage with the Marple Website" All the pictures were not reproduced in the paper due to space constraints, this is how the article would have looked if they could have been. |
Feedback from Readers
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Following January's article feedback from readers continued to grow and we were kept busy throughout January and February visiting local people on a variety of subjects. It seems our efforts are appreciated by many who are interested in the history and heritage of the area and we see it as a reward for our efforts to have made so many new contacts. The only drawback now is the delay in writing them up and getting them into print. So, here's a run down on what we were up to between the January and February issues of the Community News.
Mrs. Hoey of Ash Grove in Marple got in touch to tell us about a old photograph of an even older drawing in her possession. The drawing shows Chapel House Farm near the canal at Top Lock as it must have looked many years ago. Externally the main buildings appear little changed compared to today although the out-buildings, surroundings and, we imagine, the interior are very different. Mrs. Hoey used to call at the farm as a young District Nurse in the 1950's and has fond memories of helping with the animals after becoming friends with the people who lived there.
We had the pleasure of visiting Yew Tree Farm at the bottom of Dan Bank to talk with Jack Sutton who, as a farmer now in his eighties, has many great memories of Marple during the last century. He told us how Richard Isherwood used to visit the farm regularly to use the phone and discussed his dismay at the loss of the caretakers at Marple Hall in 1953 and also his distress when the council refused to accept the Hall from him.
Jack was born at Ridge Farm in Offerton and has lived and farmed in the area all his life. He moved to Yew Tree in the forties and can recall plowing the roughs and fairways at Stockport Golf Course nearby to plant crops during the Second World War. Every possible section of land was used, with only the greens being spared.
The Sutton family painting of Marple Hall
Jack's Aunt worked at Marple Hall as a seamstress during the early part of the last century and his family have inherited a wonderful old painting of the Hall that she was given as a present by the owners on the occasion of her wedding. We are very grateful to Jack for arranging for us to go and see and photograph the painting which we understand shows the lady of the house in the grounds with her maid, probably at the turn of the last century.
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We were also privileged to visit the 17th century home of Steve and Judith Dawson in Hawk Green. It had long been rumoured there is a house in Hawk Green that contains a door and panelling from Marple Hall and this has proved to be correct, albeit with a twist in the tale.
Steve and Judith moved into the grade I listed property on 1st April 1995. Since then they have gradually been restoring the farm house, which was first built in 1600 and then extended in 1660. When they bought it they were told the history of some of the fixtures and fittings by the seller. These were said to included the inner front door, an internal door and a number of oak panels from Marple Hall. In addition several ornamental stone spikes on the roof were also said to originate from the Hall. The previous owner of the farm is understood to have known Richard Isherwood and been given permission to remove these items in the fifties, when the hall was falling into decay.
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We took a good look at the items during our visit and whilst not experts, we feel certain that the panelling did come from the hall as it is identical in material and construction to the shutters on display in the library. The internal door too has the right appearance and the hand made hinges are also identical to those on the shutters. The roof spikes were easy to confirm as they can be clearly seen on many of the photographs of the hall that are in circulation. This left the front door and whilst it definitely looks the part, we have not been able to find any photographs that enable us to be certain. Without firm proof our inclination was to accept it probably did come from the hall with the other items. However, we have since been told by a relative of the previous owner that it was actually the front door from Mellor Lodge. It would be nice if we were able to prove this conclusively, as of course this would mean that it was used regularly by Samuel Oldknow. Our thanks go to Steve and Judith for their hospitality and we hope these relics of the past will long be preserved in their present location.
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Continuing our catalogue of items from the Hall, we were also delighted to photograph a pair of ancient oak spindles from the main staircase. These can clearly be seen to match those on a photograph of the stairs taken in the fifties, after the chimney had collapsed through the roof and probably sealed the fate of the building. We hope that the present owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, can be persuaded to allow us to put them on display in the library so the local community can enjoy them too. If this is not possible, we nevertheless extend our thanks for being permitted to see them and assure other readers that anonymity will be maintained if that is your wish.
Finally, we're pleased to advise that the mystery of the coat of arms found in the Marple Hall School store cupboard featured in January's issue has been resolved. We were contacted independently by two local heraldry experts who both identified that the arms were those of the Winnington family of Offerton. This family had strong ties with Marple Hall as Catherine, daughter of Ralph Winnington of Offerton, married Henry Bradshawe II in 1594. Catherine was the mother of Marple's most famous (or infamous) son, John Bradshawe, who became Lord President of the High Court that sentenced King Charles I to death in 1649.
We would like extend our thanks to Heraldry Consultant Lesley A. Holt of Gee Cross who showed us great hospitality when we visited her at home and to Barbara Derbyshire of Marple who also got in touch to help resolve this matter.
As ever, if you have anything of interest to share with us,
please get in touch.
