Old Hall

Details

MISTLEY GREEN LANE TM 13 SW

3/227 Old Hall 18.12.85

GV II

House and kennels, formerly the Stable Block to Mistley Old Hall. C18. The Hall was built for the Rigby family early C18, remodelled for Rt. Hon. Richard Rigby to the design of Robert Adam circa 1777, and demolished circa 1844. Gault brick north face, red brick rear. Red pantiles and plain tiled roofs. L plan, the front wing facing north. Left external chimney stack. 2 storeys. Parapet with dentilled cornice. Parapet verges. Central band to inner bays. 3:2:2 bays, the centre breaking forward with rusticated quoins, dentilled pediment the apex above parapet, and tall, rusticated semi-circular arch with keystone. Carriageway paved with bricks and setts. Timber lantern above pediment, square plan base, open octagonal head, compass faces each with semi-circular arches and keystones, alternate faces with lower and upper lights, band between, concave pointed roof surmounted by weathervane. A C20 flat roofed porch to left of archway. The reverse, south face of the archway with no pediment, parapet band, gauged brick archway, semi-circular window above. 2 windows to right with chimney stack between. The south west (rear left) wing has a truncated gable lowered in the centre. Chimney stack to north.. Parapet and centre bands. 7 window range to courtyard face, all windows with gauged arches and vertically sliding sashes with glazing bars. 2 vertically boarded doors and 2 windows to ground floor. Edward Rigby a linen draper of London bought an interest in the Estate of the Earl of Oxford 1680, when the Earl died 1703 a dispute over the his affairs was settled by Act of Parliament and Edward Rigby received the Mistley Estate which included many local Halls and Farms. Edward Rigby was succeeded by his elder son Richard who went into finance, made a fortune out of the South Sea Company, and settled in Mistley. He built a mansion, a new wharf, brick kiln, lime kiln etc., in 1730 he bought land and property in Tendring Hundred for £4,911. In his will 1730 he directed that £300 be set aside for 6 almshouses, if possible near the new church. Not until 1778 were 12 houses built in this area between the Thorn Inn and The Church. On his death the second Richard Rigby was only 8 years old. He went on the Grand Tour aged 21 and then launched into Society. Horace Walpole, Garrick and the Prince of Wales and many others stayed at Mistley Hall. 1745 he became MP for Castle Rising and later for Sudbury and attached himself to Frederick Prince of Wales. 1752 his Patron was the Duke of Bedford who later made him his secretary and spokesman in the Irish Parliament, he became Vice-Treasurer for Ireland 1765, and later Paymaster of the Forces 1768 under George III. In 1770 he opposed Grevills Bribery Act. He died 1788 and was buried in the family vault at Mistley. By 1783 he held property in 13 parishes and Rochefoucauld could write in 1784 that "Mistley is a very pretty place consisting of rather more than 50 houses, that are so neat and well built, that it is obvious at a glance that they all belong to one man", he also describes the harbour to which the whalers are fixed, a warehouse, shipbuilding yard and lime kiln faced wih brick and made into the shape of a fort, the trade of the place wholly created by Mr. Rigby. In 1774 he asked Adam to prepare a design for a sea-bathing pavilion but these plans were never executed though a start was made with the Swan Fountain. 1776 Adam was instructed to re-model the Church. Adam also designed the Hopping Bridge. Remains of the village built by Rigby are to be seen in the High Street between Mistley Towers and Swan Fountain and The Green. Lt. Col. Francis Rigby inherited Mistley Estate, in 1801 much was sold and in 1827 Col. Frances Rigby died, leaving the estate to his daughter Frances, wife of Lord Rivers. In 1844 Mistley Hall Estate was sold in lots and the Hall demolished. Our Story, Lawtord, Manningtree and Mistley Manningtree Branch W.E.A. 1954. Essex, Pevsner 1976.

Listing NGR: TM1133131366

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

438420

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Our Story The History of Three Parishes Manningtree/Mistley and Lawford, (1954)
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Essex, (1976)

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