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Manchester ARTICLES

Heaton Hall Gets Royal Approval

16th November 2008

Sir John Egerton purchased Heaton Hall after he married Elizabeth Holland in 1684, his great grandson Sir Thomas Egerton then inherited it.

Sir Thomas Egerton inherited the title and estate at the tender age of 7. Aged 21 Sir Thomas decided to up date Heaton Hall and park and it remains nearly exactly the same today.

Sir Thomas’s first peerage in 1784 was as the Baron Grey de Wilton and was the first Egerton to be presented with a title.

His second peerage in 1801 earned him the title the First Earl of Wilton. He was given the peerage due to his loyalty to King George III and being in charge of the Royal Lancashire Volunteer Regiment, which held many important duties.

The Earl of Wilton was a typical country gentleman and held a prominent standing in the community as a local and county official. For over 12 years he was the MP of Lancashire and fiercely fought for Manchester in the House of Commons.

He was interested in music, science, astronomy, travel and architecture. The Earl founded the Lancashire bowmen as he was a keen archer as well as country pursuits.

However the Earls life was blighted by the loss of five of six children, with only his eldest daughter Eleanor surviving.

Eleanor became the first Marques of Westminster and married Richard Grosvenor of Eaton. Through special arrangement when her second son reached twenty-one he would inherit the Wilton titles and take the name of Egerton.

The second Earl of Wilton married the daughter of the 12th Earl of Derby, Lady Mary Stanley. The couple were not particular popular with their family or peers. In 1831 their sister-in-law purported, “The Wiltons take no pains to make themselves agreeable in public. I do not think that Lady Wilton has as much sensitivity as a deal board, by which those that live with her may also be a deal bored.”

However they did entertain on a grand scale at Heaton and had a lavish lifestyle. Many famous people such as the Duke of Wellington, General Tom Thumb, the young Disraeli and Fanny Kemble were know to frequent their parties.

Heaton Hall was put up for sale in 1866 however he failed to find a buyer.

Source: Heaton Park