The Right Hon. Alan Joseph Pennington of Burleigh Hall, Part 2

Last week we looked into the earlier part of the life of the Honourable Alan Joseph Pennington, and today we pick up the story where we left off in 1880, when Alan was living in Billesdon ...

Burleigh Hall, Loughborough, pictured around 1920

On 1st December 1880, Alan Joseph Pennington married Anna Eleonora Hartopp at the new parish of St Michael, Chester Square, London, whilst he was living at White Hall in Billesdon, and she was of the new parish, and daughter or Edward Bourchier Hartopp, and Honoria Gent, of Dalby Hall. It was the Rev. T. Hinde, vicar of Little Dalby, who performed the marriage ceremony.

On 16th December 1880, when Alan and his new wife returned from honeymoon to the White Hall in Billesdon, they found it had been beautifully decorated with evergreens and banners, and all the village inhabitants lined the streets to welcome the happy couple home. Alan had provided a sumptuous dinner for his 40-50 tradesmen and servants at the White Hart Inn, where they were served by the host Mrs Bishop. He also provided beer and tobacco to the men of the workhouse, and tea, cake, oranges, and sweets to the women and children, and gave more than 100 families 5 cwt. of coal.

White Hall, Billesdon, viewed from the side, August 2023

The former White Hart Inn, Billesdon, left

However, the Penningtons very soon left White Hall in Billesdon, and in September 1881 sold off some of their furniture, carpets, kitchen equipment, and two timber huts.

The 1881 census return shows Alan Pennington, aged 44, of independent means, with wife Anna, aged 40, at what is described as the Park Grounds of Dalby Hall. There are being visited by Charles J. Fletcher, aged 37, and a magistrate with independent means, and Helen Fletcher aged 30. There are numerous servants listed: Eliza Stevenson aged 60 is the housekeeper; Anne Stevenson is the cook; Fanny Folley and Anne Ellson are Lady’s maids; Sarah A. Freer is the kitchen maid; Harriet Amis, and Jane E. Hatch are the house maids; Harriet Smith is the stillroom maid; Emma Smith is the scullery maid; James Boulger is the butler; William Sharp is the stud groom; Henry Griffiths is the valet, and John McCall the footman.

Census return

Meanwhile, Josslyn, Alan’s older brother, the 5th Baron Muncaster, was MP for the Egremont Division of Cumberland (he owned about 15,000 acres and minerals in Lancashire), from 1885-1892.

After this, Alan’s place of residence and land-owning starts to get a bit confusing! On the electoral rolls for 1885-1887, Alan Pennington is eligible to vote on account of him occupying Dalby Parva Hall [1]. But, in 1888 he is eligible to vote on account of him occupying Ragdale Hall with Pickwell Manor, and in a separate register, Pickwell Manor, Oakham.

By the time of the 1891 census returns, Alan Pennington is getting closer to Loughborough, so aged 53, is living with his wife Anna, aged 49 (who was born in Dalby Hall), at Ragdale New Hall. Visiting the Penningtons are J.C.D. Whitmore, aged 51; Louisa M.E. Whitmore, aged 21; Ethel M. A. Whitmore aged 20, and the honourable Henry C. Butler. Servants listed on the census return are Sarah H. Reading, housekeeper; Agness McDowell, lady’s maid; James Duval, butler; Dora Bishanter, Emma Baker, Mary Sywell, and Emma Tailby, all maidservants; William Capp, footman, and Edmund Morrison, servant.

Census return

So, we know that Alan Pennington took part in many hunts over the years (as indeed, did his wife, who we know was hunting with The Belvoir in 1881), and many of these hunts were recorded in the press of the day. Here’s just one of those newspaper reports, from the ‘Lincolnshire Chronicle’, 9th November 1894, page 5:

“THE QUORN HOUNDS.

Five hundred ladies and gentlemen in the saddle, and a procession of carriages over a mile in length, attended the opening of the hunting season with the celebrated Quorn Hounds at Kirby Gate, Leicestershire, on Monday morning. Lord Lonsdale, the master, was very cordially greeted by a brilliant assemblage. The morning was fine, and the gathering was an exceptionally distinguished one, amongst those who assembled to welcome Lord Lonsdale being Prince Henry of Pless, the Duke of Marlborough, Lady Cardigan, the Duchess of Hamilton, Lord and Lady Crawshaw [whose family seat was at Whatton House], Lord Edward Manners [eldest son of the 7th Duke of Ritland of Belvoir castle], Lady Gerard, Count and Countess Zborowski, Lord and Lady Churchill, Lord and Lady Seymour, Sir Robert and Lady Affleck, Lord Morton, Mr C. and Lady Augusta Fane, Mr Lancelot Lowther, Baron Max De Tuyll, Lady Henrietta Turnor, Lord Herbert Vane Tempest, Lord Cholmondeley, the Hon. Henry Bourke, Lord Cecil Manners, the Hon. Alan Pennington, and Mrs Asquith. Contrary to the usual custom, Lord Lonsdale first gave the order for Cream Gorse [2], and it was a long time before a fox was found, but at last one made play for Ashby Pastures and Thorpe Trussell [3], where the hounds threw up their heads. Another fox was found in Burrough Hill spinnies, and afforded and enjoyable spin.”

Electoral rolls for 1897-1898 show that Alan Pennington was eligible to vote on account of him occupying Ragdale Hall. And he is clearly closely associated with the Quorn Hunt as in 1899 he and his wife contributed towards a presentation (of a cheque) in response to the resignation of one Tom Firr, a popular huntsman with the Quorn who was suffering with ill-health. The presentation was made at the kennels in Quorn. [4]               

The 1901 census returns show Alan Pennington aged 63, is living at Ragdale Hall with his wife Anna who is now aged 59, and with his niece. They have nine servants: Henry Ralph is the butler; Frederick Britt is the footman; Thomas Watson is the hall boy; Thomas Nibloe is the under-gardener; Mary Timms is the housekeeper; Emily Peel is the lady's maid; Emma Whittock (or Whitlock) is the scullery maid; Evelyn Bradbury is the kitchen maid, and Charlotte Asken is the house maid. The nearby groom's house is occupied by Austin Edmonds, the stud groom, his wife, Alice, and their baby son William, along with Walter Thompson the coachman, and the grooms, Edward Artis, William Harpham, and Charles Pollard. The nearby Ragdale Lodge is farmed by the Biddles family.      

Brother, Josslyn on the same census return is living with wife, Constance at St Martin-in-the-Fields. In November of 1901, Mrs Anna Pennington was actually connected to  Loughborough when some of her work was on show at the annual exhibition of the Leicestershire Ladies’ Needlework Guild, in the lecture room at the Town Hall, as had the Duchess of Somerset, Lady Crawshaw, Lady Percy St. Maur, Lady Alice Packe, Lady Agnes de Trafford and many others.

And finally, the connection with Loughborough is cemented!! According to the ‘Midland Mail’ of 12th July 1902, “the Hon. Alan Pennington has taken Burleigh Hall, Loughborough, a picturesquely situated seat...", and the move to Burleigh was certainly confirmed in the November issue of ‘The Sportsman’.

However, it seems that the Pennington’s still owned Ragdale Hall as Alan Pennington was eligible to vote on account of him occupying Ragdale. This was in 1903, when Alan was described as being one of the oldest Quornites, who hunts from the Loughborough side of the country, with Lord Crawshaw of Whatton Hall. Moving in certain circles, when the squire of Lockington’s son died in late December 1904, Alan and his wife Anna attended the funeral.        

In February 1905 Alan was elected a member of the Unionist Free Trade Club, a move which was approved at a meeting of its Executive Committee. During the following years, the Penningtons regularly take up residence at 14 Lowndes Square, something which is newsworthy so reported in the newspapers! And from 1906-1913, Alan Pennington was registered to vote on account of him occupying Burleigh Hall in Loughborough, Leicestershire. His coachman at Burleigh in 1907 was someone called James Bunker. Meanwhile, in 1909, brother Josslyn, Lord Muncaster, was appointed to the Colonelcy of the Border Regiment of the Territorial Forces. He has no children, so the title and estates will pass to Alan Pennington, if he should survive his brother.   

Also in 1909, Alan Pennington subscribed to a book which included an entry for both him and his wife. This was ‘British Hunts and Huntsmen’, which appeared in four volumes, and was published by the Biographical Press. Mrs Pennington was described as having 

“always hunted with the best packs in the Midlands, and is known as a straight rider to hounds and an accomplished horsewoman.” 

Alan Pennington was described thus:

“Early experiences in the hunting field were with the Holderness when a boy, and later in life he became Master of that pack, during the season 1877-78. Since the sixties he has been a regular follower of the Quorn, Cottesmore, Mr Tailby’s and the Belvoir, with the exception of a year in Ireland, which he devoted chiefly to the Meath and Kildare… Mr Pennington is a member of the Army and Navy Club, and resides at Burleigh Hall, Loughborough, Leicestershire, his town house being 14, Lowndes Square, S.W.”

We don’t hear much about Mrs Anna Pennington, although it is reported in the local newspapers that she regularly donates journals and other things to the local dispensary. However, we do learn from the Pennington’s activities, in this case sending a wreath to the funeral of Lady Mount-Edgcumbe, that they referred to themselves as ‘Alan and Annie of Burleigh Hall, Loughborough’.

The 1911 census returns show Alan Pennington now aged 73, and living at Burleigh Hall with wife Anna, now 69. Their visitors the night the census were Edith Henare Pilley aged 40, and John A. Cecil Pilley aged 42, who is a senior clerk in the Foreign Office. There are numerous servants: Charles Morrell, the butler; Herbert Howard the footman; Norah Webb, the cook; Elery Ferguson is the lady’s maid; Mabel Rasbough and Doris Dyston are the house maids; Margaret Dask is the kitchen maid; Mary Ellen Griffin is the stillroom maid, and Cecily Frost is the scullery maid. [NB These names are a little difficult to decipher, so they might be inaccurate].

1911 census returns

There are other properties on the Burleigh Estate, and these are listed separately on the 1911 census. Living at the Burleigh Lodge is Walter Maurice William Garrick with his family. Then there are two separate entries for the Burleigh Hall Stables, one listing the occupier as W. Henry Barrett, the other as Rowland George: both are grooms. In the Gardener's Cottage we find gardener George Pawlett, with his wife and young son, and also with gardener Fred Jarvis. The estate was a reasonably large one to manage, and many staff were needed to support the Pennington's. However, the coachman, Austin Edmonds, and his family - wife, Alice Edith, sons William (aged 10) and Leonard (aged 6), and daughters Ethel (aged 8) and Dorothy (aged 4) - were living at 42 Paget Street. Austin Edmonds had previously been living at Ragdale and working as the stud groom.

We return to Alan Pennington, who after residing at Burleigh Hall for just over 10 years, died on 14th June 1913. He was noted in documentation as being of Burleigh Hall in Loughborough, Leicestershire, but died at his town residence of 14 Lowndes Square. Probate was granted on 30 July 1913, to his widow Anna Eleonora (nee Hartopp), and Charles John Huskinson, solicitor, of Newark on Trent. Effects were £73,775 16s. 10d., which was resworn to £75,097 16s. 8d. It was reported in the ‘Melton Mowbray Mercury and Oakham and Uppingham News’ of 31 July 1913 that Alan Pennington bequeathed £500 to the Leicester Infirmary.

Alan Pennington was buried on 19th June 1913, in St James’ Church, Little Dalby, and inside the church is a bronze memorial tablet, which says:

 “In loving memory of Alan Joseph Pennington, 3rd son of the 3rd Lord Muncaster. Born April 5th 1837. Died June 14th 1913, aged 76, he served his Queen in the Royal Navy, in the Bellerophon at the Siege of Sebastopol and afterwards in the Rifle Brigade. His body rests in the adjoining churchyard. I know that my redeemer liveth.”

There is also a marble tablet on a slate backboard, on the north wall of the quire in St Michael’s Church in Muncaster (Ravenglass in the Lake District, close to Muncaster Castle), which reads:

“Sacred to the memory of Alan Joseph Pennington, 3rd son of Lowther Augustus Lord Muncaster, born 1837, died 1913. He served in the Navy at the Siege of Sebastopol, 1854, and afterwards in the Rifle Brigade.”

By August 1913, Mrs Anna Pennington had decided to leave Burleigh Hall, and was arranging a sale of furniture through German and German. The auction takes place on Tuesday 9th September and Wednesday 10th September in the King’s Head, where Mr Rayment provides tea and luncheon.

Up for auction were highly decorative antique and superior modern furnishing, including bedroom suites, carpets, Sheraton and Chippendale furniture, bedsteads, gilt mirrors, and much more, some of which is detailed in the advert below, from the Loughborough Echo of 5th September 1913:

Some of the items from Burleigh Hall for auction 1913

On 30th March 1917, Josslyn Frances, 5th Baron Muncaster died. Probate was granted to Sir John Frecheville Ramsden, baronet, and a relative of his mother’s. Rosslyn was listed as being of Muncaster Castle, Ravenglass, Carnford. Effects were £8,187 15s. 3d. He expressed a desire that whomever succeeded to Muncaster Castle, would take the Muncaster family surname of Pennington. As his brother, Alan had pre-deceased him, and neither of them had any children, it is not clear who Muncaster Castle passed to.

Only three months after the death of her husband, in July 1917, Constance A. Pennington, aged 77, wife of Josslyn Frances Pennington, died, the death being registered at Bootle. She had suffered a long illness. Bizarrely, her death happened on the day the will of her husband was proved.

On 13 July 1921, Gamel’s widow, died. She had re-married, between 1861 and 1871, such that in 1871 she was living with Hugh Barlow Lindsey on Albermarle Street, Mayfair, but died at Dinoin Portpatrick Wigtownshire. He was born in Calcutta and had retired from the Indian Civil Service, while she had been born in Motcombe, Dorset, and was styled Lady Lindsey.

On 5th December 1934 Anna Eleanor Pennington, wife of Alan, died. She was of 21 Princes Gardens, Middlesex. Probate was granted on 14 February to Henry Beauclerk Howe, and bank agent, and John Brownlow Norman, a solicitor. Effects were 34,968 3s. 2d. resworn to £33,543 6s. 3d.

As I said in Part 1, I do not know who inherited the estates left by the Pennington family, as there were no direct descendants. I do however know who took on Burleigh Hall after Mrs Pennington left, but that story is for another time!

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Notes

[1] Dalby Parva is today known as Little Dalby

[2] Cream Gorse is an area between Gaddesby and Great Dalby (once known as Dalby Magna)

[3] Thorpe Trussell is close to Thorpe Satchville

[4] You can read a detailed report of this presentation on the Quorn Village Museum website 

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Posted by lynneaboutloughborough

With apologies for typos which are all mine!

_______________________________________________

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The copyright © of all content on this blog rests with me, however, you are welcome to quote passages from any of my posts, with appropriate credit. The correct citation for this looks as follows:

Dyer, Lynne (2023). The Right Honourable Alan Joseph Pennington of Burleigh Hall, Loughborough Part 2. Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-right-hon-alan-joseph-pennington-of.html  [Accessed 17 August 2023]

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The Right Honourable Alan Joseph Pennington of Burleigh Hall, Loughborough Part 1

You may recall I visited Blenheim Palace way back in 2019, when I rather embarrassed myself by exclaiming loudly when I came across a mention of Baron Muncaster? No? Well, not to worry, as this post will explain the connection with Loughborough!

Alan Joseph Pennington was born on 5th April 1837 in Richmond. He was the 6th of 7 children born to Lowther Augustus John Pennington, 3rd Baron Muncaster, and his wife, Frances Catherine (nee Ramsden). Sadly, two of their children died at birth – Josslyn, born and died on 24 August 1833, and in March 1836, Rachel Matilda Pennington was born and died.

Alan Pennington in later life

Alan’s older siblings were Fanny Caroline, who was born on 26 August 1829, less than a year after Lowther Augustus John Pennington had married Frances Catherine Ramsden (3 June 1806- 1853), the daughter of Sir John Ramsden, who was the 4th baronet of Byram, near Pontefract. Lowther had acceded to the title Baron Muncaster in 1818 upon the death of his father, the second baron. Lowther and Frances Catherine married at St Edward the Confessor church in Brotherton.

Marriage record for Lowther and Frances Catherine, 1828

The next child to be born to them was Gamel Augustus Pennington, who was baptised on 31st July 1832 in Muncaster, Cumberland, followed by another boy whom they named Rosslyn, on 25th December 1834, who was baptised on 17th June 1835. Following Alan Joseph’s birth in 1837, there came the youngest child, Louisa Theodosia Pennington baptised on 17th July 1838, just over two months after the death of her father at the Green Park Hotel, Piccadilly. The title of Baron Muncaster passed to Gamel, who at the time of his father’s death was only aged seven.

After the death of their father, the Pennington children accompanied their widowed mother to church twice every Sunday, and although they were allowed to play games and go for walks afterwards, Sundays were always quiet days. As expected of the aristocracy, the boys – Gamel, Josslyn, and Alan – were educated, firstly at a preparatory school in Hatfield, run by clergyman the Rev. Francis J. Faithfull, and then attended Eton College. [1] Completion of education at Eton leads to attendance at another school with the purpose of ‘cramming’ to ensure acceptance into Cambridge University. Certainly, this was the case with Gamel, who attended another school at Harrowden in 1850, which was run by clergyman Mr Roughton, where he learned drawing, more classics, and modern history, before entering Trinity College Cambridge at Michaelmas term. Josslyn, too, attended a cramming school in 1852, at Reading, but he was studying for the army entrance exams, six months later being commissioned into the 90th Light Infantry Regiment, at which time he was about 18 years old.

Around this time – 1853 – Frances Catherine Pennington, living at Warter Hall in Yorkshire, mother to Fanny, Gamel, Josslyn, Alan, and Louisa, died. Her eldest son, Gamel, had only recently reached the age of majority (i.e. 21), and had just graduated from Cambridge University. 

What of Alan? Well, having completed his education at the Hatfield school under the Rev. Francis J. Faithfull, he joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman, at the age of only 14. On 17th October 1854, Alan was involved in the bombardment of Sebastopol. He served on the HMS Bellerophon [2], and gained a Crimean medal and a clasp for Sebastopol and the Turkish medal. Brother, Josslyn, also fought in the Crimean War, notably in the Battle of the Great Redan, on 18th June and 8th September 1855, and at one time, Josslyn was Captain of the 11th Pocklington Company of the 1st Administrative Battalion of the East Yorkshire Volunteers.

Part of Alan Pennington's Navy record

Just before the Battle of the Great Redan, on 17th May 1855 Alan had transferred from the Navy to the Rifle Brigade, under the influence of Sir Charles Grey, private secretary to Prince Albert, who approved of the move. He began as what was known at the time as an ensign, but since 1871 would be known as a 2nd Lieutenant.

Meanwhile, on 2nd August 1855, Josslyn and Alan’s older brother, Gamel, the 4th Baron Muncaster, married the young Jane Louisa Octavia Grosvenor, the daughter of the Marquis of Westminster, in St George’s church, Hanover Square, London.

Two years after his transfer from the army to the Rifle Brigade, on 22 May 1857 Alan was promoted to Lieutenant. In November 1858 his younger sister, Louisa Theodosia married Mr Edgar Atheling Drummond, in Piccadilly. Gamel, the 4th Baron, becomes Deputy Lieutenant of the County of East Riding, and Cumberland, and High Sheriff of Cumberland, and Josslyn is initiated into the Freemasons, Lodge of Malta, in 1859, and retires from the army in 1860.

Sadly, in June 1862, Gamel Augustus Pennington dies, and it is widely reported his death was caused by gastric fever. He and his wife had been abroad since the beginning of the year, in the hope of improving Gamel’s health, hence he died in Castellamare, near Naples, but is buried at Muncaster. Gamel’s older sister, Fanny, had a stained glass window designed by Charles Alexander Gibbs, and dedicated it to her brother Gamel after his death: this window is in St James church, in Warter, where the family had a home. 

Upon the death of Gamel, the title then passed to his younger brother, Josslyn Francis Pennington, who became the 5th Baron Muncaster. The following year, Josslyn married Miss Constance L’Estrange, a niece of the Earl of Scarborough, and a cousin of the Gore-Booth family of Lissadell, County Sligo in Ireland.

From what we have learned so far, the Pennington estates were divided across England: the family seat was at Muncaster Castle, in Ravenglass, Cumberland, and Josslyn, the second son, first inherited an estate near Pocklington, York, which I believe is Warter, although he sold this off in 1878. The family also rented a house in Chelsea, London each year. The Ramsdens, who were cousins of the Penningtons, also had estates in Yorkshire – at Huddersfield and a seat at Bryam near Ferrybridge. Other cousins of the Penningtons were Scots, the Earls of Crawfurd and Balcarres and their families. The Penningtons were primarily Cumbrian, but also had strong Yorkshire roots, and close Irish and Scottish connections. Nothing remotely connected with Leicestershire … yet …

On 23rd March 1863, having completed 8 years’ service with the Rifle Brigade, Alan Pennington retires, and appears to move from the Richmond Barracks where he was posted, to Langham, in Rutland, where he appears in directories and electoral registers as having a house and land on Melton Road. On 12th July 1864, Alan’s older sister, Fanny Caroline, died in Switzerland, but I have been unable to establish why she was there, and what the cause of death was. She was said to have been of 41 Clarges Street, Piccadilly, and her will was proved by her brothers, Josslyn and Alan, the amount being under £25,000. She bequeathed to her sister, Louisa Drummond, all her jewels, with the exception of a pearl necklace, bracelet and earrings, and diamond star, which she left to her brothers. Josslyn was of Warter Priory, and Alan was listed as of 41 Clarges Street, so the same address as his sister. [3]

By 1868, Alan had moved to White Hall in Billesdon, from what I gather was a prestigious area for fox-hunting, a popular pastime for the aristocracy (remember, we’re talking mid-late 1800s here, and views on fox-hunting were quite different from those held today). Alan appears to have lived in Billesdon for about 10 years, and during that time hunted with Mr Tailby’s hounds. 

White Hall, Billesdon, August 2023

We’ll come back to Alan’s life in a moment, but let’s go back and see what’s happening with his brother, Josslyn. In 1870, while travelling in Greece with a group of friends, the Lord Muncaster (Alan Pennington’s older brother, Josslyn) and his travelling companions were captured by brigands, although the women in the party were released very quickly. The brigands sent Lord Muncaster off to arrange for a ransom to be paid for the release of his companions, but this was unsuccessful and Mr Herbert (a relative of the Earl of Carnarvon), Mr Vyner (related by marriage to the Marquis of Ripon), and an Italian count were murdered by the gang. During the capture, Alan was dissuaded from going to Athens to help, but corresponded with his brother. Josslyn is said to have taken this all very badly (not surprising really), and eventually his letters from the time were reproduced in a book, which helps to tell his side of the story. Contemporary newspapers across the globe covered the story, and eventually the survivors made it home.

Report from The Constitution: Or, Cork Advertiser 18 April 1870

Having not gone to Greece to help his brother, Alan remained in Billesdon where he was a steward at the amateur athletic sports events in 1870 and 1871, and he was pleased to receive from Frank Goodall, [4] a signed copy of ‘The Science of Foxhunting’ (1868) by Knightley William Horlocks, whose used the pen name Scrutator.

Advert from the Leicester Journal, 3 June 1870, pg 4

  

On the 1871 census return, Alan Pennington, now aged 33, is living in Billesdon, where he has three domestic servants, Elizabeth Birch aged 44; Elizabeth Boxall aged 17, and James Boulger, aged 17.

Having safely returned to the country, in 1872, Josslyn becomes MP for West Cumberland, while Alan continues with his ‘sport’, being reported as being highly thought of by Mr Tailby; being described in ‘The Field’ as a conspicuous aristocrat at the Billesdon Hunt, and in the ‘Leicester Journal’ as “a model light weight, and his riding is good as good can be”.

In 1876, Josslyn became the Lord Lieutenant of Cumberland, and in 1877, Alan took on the mastership of the Holderness Hunt, in East Yorkshire, succeeding Mr James Hall, who had been land agent to Lord Hotham. [5] The Committee of Management of the Holderness Foxhounds, suggested that Alan’s “long residenc[y] in Leicestershire, and great experience [would] eminently fit him as a successor of so true a sportsman as the country has just lost.” – ‘Yorkshire Gazette’ August 18, 1877. Writing in 1878, J. Nevill Fitt suggested the Hon. Alan Pennington, was a very promising master, who was “for many years very well known in Mr Tailby’s country and the Pytchley, not only as a forward rider, but a great enthusiast in all matters that pertain to hunting.” [6]

However, the mastership of the Holderness Hunt didn’t last long for Alan, as, according to J. Nevill Fitt, Alan left due to the scarcity of foxes. Contemporary newspaper reports also suggest that there was a general scarcity of foxes in East Yorkshire, and that support from the owners of the coverts was ‘half-hearted’ the ‘Reading Mercury, Oxford Gazette, Newbury Herald, and Berks County Paper’, 9 February 1878. The Holderness was then led by Mr Arthur Wilson.

So, later in 1878 we find Alan attending the Leicestershire Hunt ball at the Assembly Rooms in Leicester, now called the City Rooms, on Hotel Street.

List of attendees at the Leics. Hunt Ball, 1878

Getting even closer to Loughborough, we find Alan Pennington hunting with the Quorn in January 1880. However, things were about to change …

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Notes

[1] Rev. Francis J. Faithfull was the rector of Hatfield from 1819-1854, and a very successful private tutor, such that the number of pupils he taught was enough to classify his as a small school. 

[2] The Bellerophon had originally been called The Waterloo, but was renamed in 1824. more information on Wikipedia and a site dedicated to the study of the Royal Navy, 1840-1880. 

[3] Clarges Street today is largely unchanged on the side on which the Penningtons had a house, although I suspect that the house numbering has changed a little, so it is almost impossible to ascertain which house exactly it was that was No. 41.

[4] I believe this to be Frank Goodall, Senior, who was Huntsman of the Royal Buckhounds

[5] James Hall was the son of John Hall. He lived in a large house surrounded by the moat and the park of the former Hotham manor house in Scorborough, the village being near Leconfield. James paid John Loughborough Pearson to rebuild the parish church at a cost of £7,000. He land agent to Lord Hotham from 1831 until 1870, was Master of the Holderness Hunt for 30 years, and became a senior partner in the banking firm of Bower, Hall. In the 18th century, the Halls had been servants, but rose through the ranks to become landed proprietors by the 1830s. English, Barabra (1984). Patterns of Estate Management in East Yorkshire, c. 1840-c. 1880. IN The Agricultural History Review, 1984, Vol. 32, No. 1, pp. 29-48

[6] Fitt, J. Nevill (1878). Covert-side sketches: or thoughts on hunting suggested by many days in many countries with fox, deer and hare. London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle and Rivington.

___________________________________

Posted by lynneaboutloughborough

With apologies for typos which are all mine!

_______________________________________________

Thank you for reading this blog.

Copyright:

The copyright © of all content on this blog rests with me, however, you are welcome to quote passages from any of my posts, with appropriate credit. The correct citation for this looks as follows:

Dyer, Lynne (2023). The Right Honourable Alan Joseph Pennington of Burleigh Hall, Loughborough Part 1. Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-right-honourable-alan-joseph.html [Accessed 10 August 2023]

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Lynne

Beacon Hill Sculpture Trail and Charnwood Museum's Loughborough Landmarks

Well, for today's post I would firstly like to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who contributed to the blog's 10th birthday celebrations - either by writing a guest post, or reading the guest posts! I hope you all enjoyed writing and reading them as much as I enjoyed hosting them! 

Before I follow up on that last post about Miss Mary Tate, I'd like to tell you about a couple of things that are happening at the moment - the Beacon Hill Sculpture Trail and Charnwood Museum’s 'Loughborough Landmarks' exhibition.

A few weeks ago I went off to find some willow sculptures that I’d been told were installed up at Beacon Hill, but despite walking along the path from the bottom to the top, and down the other side, I missed them, and went home rather disappointed. Anyway, I tried again, and this time I found those sculptures - called the 'Up to the Beacon Sculpture Trail' - because someone had kindly told me they were near the top car park! I was really pleased because not only did I finally get to see them, but I also discovered a new path around Beacon Hill that I hadn’t walked before, and whilst walking that path I bumped into one of the artists, Nita Rao!

Some of the willow sculptures were in the Outwoods last year, but many are new, and this new setting was pretty spectacular! It was made even more beautiful as I found myself walking around after tea, and just before the sun set, so it was really atmospheric, and the sunset was absolutely glorious!

The sculptures are only there until 17^th September so if you want to see them you’ll need to be quick! Here’s just a small selection of some of the things I saw while I was at Beacon Hill - there are many more information boards and sculptures to be seen:

Wooden noticeboard telling the story of life on earth

Guardian Angel willow sculpture

Five past midnight

Woodland web

Tree-lined path

Cornucopia

Ants

Wiilow bird in the grass

Sunset on Beacon Hill

Last week I was lucky enough to be able to attend the launch of the latest exhibition in the Charnwood Museum, which is called Loughborough Landmarks, and showcases some of Loughborough’s iconic buildings, as voted for by the public. You know how much I like buildings, so you won’t be surprised to learn that I think it’s a lovely exhibition! It was created as part of the celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the Carillon in Queen’s Park. Do pop along to the exhibition if you can – it’s on until December so you’ve got plenty of time!! Here’s a few photos from the exhibition, which is in the Charnwood Gallery - there are many more information boards and objects to be seen:

The unveiling by Loughborough's Mayor and the Chair of the Leicestershire County Council

 

One of the information boards at the exhibition

Not all landmarks still exist ...

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Posted by lynneaboutloughborough

With apologies for typos which are all mine!

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