STOCKTON HOUSE, WILTSHIRE : HERITAGE STATEMENT – DOCUMENTARY SOURCES Version 0.5 – November 26, 2014 Fig 1 : J.C. Buckler, South-West View of Stockton House, Wiltshire. dated 1810 (courtesy of Yale Center for British Art, B1991.40.75) Andrew Foyle : Stockton House Heritage Statement, Version 0.5; November 26 2014 Page 1 CONTENTS: Preamble Pages 1-2 1. Change Control Log Page 3 2. Timeline for Stockton House Page 4 2. History and Development of the Building Page 17 3. Ownership and Owners’ Biographies Page 48 4. Appendices: Document Texts Page 57 A: Rev. Thomas Miles, History of the Parish of Stockton, B : Letter from W.H. Hartley, of Sutton, to John Hughes of Stockton, Friday Feb 26th, 1773 C : Auctions of Furniture from Stockton House, 1906 and 1920 D: A visitor’s comments on Stockton House in 1898. E : Kelly’s Directory of Wiltshire, 1898 F: Inquest Report on the Death of a Gardener, 1888 G: Transcripts of Four Articles on Stockton House in Country Life (1905 and 1984) H: Excerpt from The Gardeners’ Chronicle, February 23, 1895, p. 230. Abbrevations: WHC – Wiltshire History Centre, Chippenham (formerly Wiltshire Record Office) WILBR – Wiltshire Buildings Record at Wiltshire History Centre Introduction This paper sets out the documentary sources for the architectural development, phasing and dating of Stockton House. It was prepared by Andrew Foyle to inform the conservation and repair work to be carried out by Donald Insall Associates. Andrew Foyle : Stockton House Heritage Statement, Version 0.5; November 26 2014 Page 2 CHANGE CONTROL LOG Version 0.0 issued April 22 2014 Version 0.1 issued April 28 2014 Minor typographical changes. Addition of 20th century history and ownership omitted from v 0.0. Version 0.2 issued June 3 2014 Minor typographical corrections, and various clarifications to the text. Addition of Section 2.2 (Areas Subject To Planning Applications, 2014) on pages 39-41 as per request from English Heritage and Donald Insall Associates Added Change Control Log to track changes to this document. Version 0.3 issued July 2 2014 Added Section 2.2.3 regarding the significance of the surviving part of Ferrey service wing (the Garden Annexe) to support planning application for this area. Version 0.4 issued September 16 2014 Added Section 2.2.4 (pp. 42-5) detailing the significance of the main staircase to support planning application for structural repairs and conservation. Figs 10-13 added. Minor typographical corrections. Version 0.5 issued November 26 2014 Added Section 2.2.5 (p. 46) detailing the structure and significance of the under-floor fabric in the kitchen and garden annexe. Andrew Foyle : Stockton House Heritage Statement, Version 0.5; November 26 2014 Page 3 1. TIMELINE for STOCKTON HOUSE Date Ownership Structure Documentary / contents 9th century An estate known to be that later called Stockton was forfeited by the ealdorman Wulthere and his wife for deserting his lord and king, probably at the time of the Danish invasion.1 946/7 Stockton manor was devised by Athelwold to clothe the Canons of the Old Minster at Winchester, and passed with the See as one of the manors held by the Bishop to support the monks of St Swithun’s, Winchester. 1480 Birth of Thomas Topp, a yeoman of Stockton. He had two living sons called John. John[1] first (who died in 1573) was the father of John [3], builder of Stockton House; John[2] (d. April 5 1596) was seemingly the first Topp to lease the manorial waste west of the village 1547 Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries the manor came to Edward VI. Edward VI immediately granted it to Sir William Herbert, who was created Earl of Pembroke in 1551. 1 'Parishes: Stockton', A History of the County of Wiltshire: Volume 11: Downton hundred; Elstub and Everleigh hundred (1980), pp. 212-223. URL: http://www.british- history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=115497 Date accessed: 10 April 2014. Andrew Foyle : Stockton House Heritage Statement, Version 0.5; November 26 2014 Page 4 October 19, John Topp[2] married Alice White (bur. 1561 11.6.1584) at All Hallows Bread Street London.2 October 12, Richard Ockeden of Boydon, Hants., and 1565 Elizabeth his wife lease Stockton manor, the manor house and all other buildings and lands belonging to it, to John Toppe[2] of Stockton.3 Ockeden himself may have leased the manor. 1573 John Topp[1] died 1585 Pembroke's son Henry sold Stockton House to John Topp[2], citizen and merchant tailor of All Hallows London. He was the uncle of John Topp[3] who rebuilt the house after 1596. April 5 1596 John Topp[2] died in London, and the manor John Topp[2] lived and was passed by his will to his nephew John Topp[3] buried in the parish of All (d. 1632). Hallows, Bread Street, London. “Apr. 5 about x a clocke at nyght was buried in this churche the bodye of Masteir John Topp of this pishe, marchant taylor, whose Funnerall weare also observed in this church the xvii th day of this said monthe of Aprell l596.”4 c. 1596-1600 Phase I building – John Topp[3] (d. 1632) instigated the building of the present house, initially in the form of an L-shape. 2 https://histfam.familysearch.org//getperson.php?personID=I6096&tree=London 3 WHC: 906/S.24 4 Parish Registers, All Hallows Bread Street, London. Andrew Foyle : Stockton House Heritage Statement, Version 0.5; November 26 2014 Page 5 There was possibly a service stair tower in the north-east return now occupied by room G5. c. 1600-1610 Phase II building: NE corner filled in with Miles (1847) records “a stone on back kitchen (G5); west porch and more the premises a few years ago, elaborate interiors added. Possibly with with the inscription ‘God save this the advice or supervision of William house built by John Topp March Arnold, mason and architect of Montacute ...’ with the date broken off.” Sir House, Somerset. It seems that the Richard Hoare mentions a stone enlargement was to provide a second on which was the date 16--, the kitchen and servants’ or steward’s hall, last figures defaced. This stone and to follow the fashion for rich may have been removed from the decoration and Renaissance symmetrical west porch when the windows classicism. Note the vertical masonry join were lowered c. 1802.5 This stone on the east wall, sloping roof ridges is now built into the western towards the NE corner, and changed floor gable of the north range of the levels on the first floor as evidence of the stables. alteration. c. 1602 By agreement between Topp, Potticary and the rector the common marsh, on which Topp had built Stockton House, was divided and inclosed.6 April 6, 1617 Mary Topp, wife of John[3] died August 31, John Topp[3], builder of Stockton House, 1632 died. His son John[4] inherited the house. March 13 John Topp[4] died without issue. His brother 1639/40 John[5] inherited Stockton. 5 Rev. Thomas Miles, History of the Parish of Stockton, The Wiltshire Archaeological And Natural History Magazine, vol. XII, 1870, pp. 105 – 121 (see Appendices to this document. The manuscript source for this article is WHC 401/1. 6 B.L. Add. Ch. 24745. Andrew Foyle : Stockton House Heritage Statement, Version 0.5; November 26 2014 Page 6 1660 John Topp [5] died. His brother Edward inherited the manor of Stockton. c. 1650-70? The chapel wing was added to the north- It was referred to as the old west side of the entrance courtyard. chapel in 1773. 1665 Edward Topp died. His son John[6] inherited John[6] was almost certainly a Stockton. Royalist sympathiser with Catholic/High church leanings, since he married Katherine Ryves of Ranston Dorset, whose family held the same beliefs. 1675 John Topp[6] died. His son Edward inherited Stockton. (Birth date unknown but he may have been a minor). c. 1685-9 Ambitious formal gardens said to have “The gardens ... were first laid out been laid out for Edward Topp, who in the reign of James II., and one succeeded his father John[6] in 1675 and of the old cypresses still lived until 1740. He married Christiana, remains”7 Miles (1847) mentions daughter and co-heir of George Gray of the entrance court, with stone Nether Stowey in Somerset, c. December piers “on each of which was a lion 21, 1689. holding a shield bearing the arms of Topp impaling Gray”; bowling green to the south, private gardens to the east. On the south side and continuing round to the entrance gateway was a raised terrace. The ascent to the terrace was by stone steps, and it had a 7 CL October 21, 1905 Andrew Foyle : Stockton House Heritage Statement, Version 0.5; November 26 2014 Page 7 parapet on which were placed busts of the 12 Caesars and handsome vases. 1740 Edward Topp died and his son John[7] inherited the estate. 1745 John Topp[7] died without issue. His younger male siblings having died before him, Stockton was left jointly to his sister Christiana (who married Richard Lansdown) and his niece Susanna, the wife of Robert Everard Balch. Susanna inherited via her mother (also Susanna, born c. 1700?) who had married Robert Everard of Nether Stowey. From 1745-9 the lords of the manor are listed as Richard Lansdown and Robert Balch, “in right of their wives”.8 1750 From this date until 1771, Robert Balch (1724-79) is listed singly as lord of the manor of Stockton.