Shelthorpe House – the early years

A newspaper report of July 1871 appearing in the ‘Leicester Journal’ suggests that Shelthorpe House was built for Richard Warner Hole and his family, around 1866. Richard was the son of Richard Hole (1804-1869) a solicitor and his wife Harriett (nee Handley Warner), and he, Richard Warner Hole, married Amelia Ann Brooks, the daughter of the late George William Keats Brooks and his wife Catherine Ann (nee White), stepdaughter of Randal Browne and his wife Catherine Ann (nee White, formerly Brooks) in 1863.

Sadly, before Richard and Amelia had started a family, at midday on 26th November 1868, Richard suddenly died. Although he had been ill for some time, he had spent three months in and around Prussia, and appeared to have improved. However, once home he succumbed to an ‘internal rupture of blood vessels’. According to the ‘Leicester Mail’, Richard Hole was part of the hosiery firm of Cartwright and Warner, and was exceedingly popular and respected in Loughborough.

Richard Warner Hole's will was proved on 22nd May 1869 in Leicester by his widow, Amelia Ann, and William Coleman, gentleman of Loughborough, just a few months before the death of his father, Richard, on 10th July.

The memorial to Richard Warner Hole, and, I believe, his wife Amelia Ann.

And so it was that in August 1870, Shelthorpe House was for sale, being described in an advert as a handsome residence with 13 acres, 2 roods and 14 perches of land and situated within a mile and three-quarters of the famous Quorndon Kennels. There was a splendid entrance hall, a drawing room of 28 ft by 22 ft, a dining room of 27 ft by 22 ft, a billiard room, a library and conservatories, as well as spacious bedrooms, and every modern convenience. The sale included the adjoining lodge, excellent stables, carriage, and harness rooms.

The 1871 census taken on 2nd April, shows that Shelthorpe House was occupied by Herbert Byng Paget and his wife, Clara (nee Fraser Robinson) who were married in February 1869, and had a 10-month-old son, John. However, the house was again put up for sale by auction in July 1871. The description of the house in the 1871 advert was similar to the earlier one:

It was beautifully and pleasantly situated about one mile from the town of Loughborough and adjoining the high road to Leicester. The details suggest that the property was built by Richard Warner Hole for him and his family, only 5 years earlier, which would have been about 1866, and only two years before his death, at quite some expense, and was only for sale because of his death. At the time the house comprised a handsome entrance hall, a drawing room of 29 ft by 22 ft, a dining room of 27 ft by 22 ft, and a library of 16 ft by 16 ft.. The rooms above these, one of which was a billiard room, were the same size. There were also many other rooms including bedrooms, bathroom, and domestic and servants’ quarters and offices, along with a conservatory and vineyard. The grounds amounted to about 14 acres, and the whole was approached by a carriage drive from Leicester Road. Included in the sale were the stables, carriage and harness rooms, and the kitchen garden, all of which adjoined the entrance lodge. The auction details stressed that the house was in one of the most favourite localities of the Midland Counties, in the heart of the Quorn Country. The house was currently being let until next Lady Day, but the furniture could also be included in the sale if required.

Whether Herbert Byng Paget bought the house, or leased it is unclear, but in 1872, when his and Clara’s daughter was born, she was born at Shelthorpe House. Whatever the situation, Mrs Amelia Hole removed her furniture from the house and put it up for sale in 1873. The following year, Mrs Paget was looking for a good cook to cater for a small family, and was paying wages of between 18 and 20s..

In January 1874, and January 1875, Herbert and Clara Paget had another two daughters born at Shelthorpe House. In May 1875 the family were holidaying in Pensarn, Wales, where they stayed at a property on Marine Terrace.  

Records show that Herbert Byng Paget and Clara were still living at Shelthorpe House in 1876, but in May 1877 the house was advertised for let, unfurnished on a yearly tenancy, or for a term of years. There was an option to lease the extra 11 acres too, as well as extra stabling, although the house did come with stables for seven horses, and a cottage for a groom. The house was described as being in the centre of the Quorn and Donnington Hunts, 12 miles from Leicester, 17 miles from Nottingham, and only three hours from London.

It is clear that by July 1877, Herbert Byng and his family were moving away from Leicestershire. As such, he is selling his horses, corn bin, chaff cutter, oat crusher, two sheep troughs, a pig trough, iron standards, and wire fencing. In the words of the auctioneer “The young stock are well grown, show plenty of size and substance, and are in good condition. ‘Epworth’ would make a very valuable country stallion, as he is a sure stock getter and good tempered.” The 12 lots could be viewed at Shelthorpe House, upon application to the groom, and all except lots 10, 11, and 12 were available without a reserve price. 

In 1887, Herbert and Clara Paget were living at Farley House in Matlock with their children John Byng (1 June 1870); Isabel Clara (19 July 1871); Margaret Byng (2 Dec 1872); Georgina Byng (20 Jan 1874); Dorothea Byng (21 Jan 1875 – 4 June 1875); Beatrice Mary (3 July 1877), and Victoria Bertie Innes Byng (9 Feb 1879).

Meanwhile, back at Shelthorpe House, in November 1879, the new occupier was Charles Lewes Dashwood (1833-1891). He was the son of Samuel and Caroline Dashwood of Stanford Hall. Samuel was the rector of Stanford from 1800-1827, and Charles was letting out his farm at Stanford Hill. Charles Dashwood was still occupying Shelthorpe House in 1880, which was also the year that Richard Hole’s widow, Amelia Ann, married Sir Joseph Neale McKenna.

By June of 1883, Charles Dashwood was no longer living at Shelthorpe House, and another family had moved in. 

Do pop back to the blog next week and find out a bit more about who was living at Shelthorpe House.

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Posted by lynneaboutloughborough

With apologies for typos which are all mine!

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