history and ownership by the Knight family
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Purchase by Thomas Knight (1737-1803)
Thomas Knight was the eldest son of Ralph Knight, fourth and youngest son of Richard Knight of Wolverely. Ralph had married, about 1730, Mary Duppa of Bromfield, and had two sons, Thomas and Richard, and three daughters, Elizabeth, Martha and Maria. Like their cousins this family were extremely wealthy, but none of the five children married.
During the 1760's Thomas Knight bought the ancient manor of Henley Hall from the Powys family, to which by 1772 he had made handsome Georgian additions and alterations.
Thomas Knight lived at Henley Hall with his unmarried sisters, Elizabeth, Martha and Maria until his death in 1803. Sister Maria had died in 1775 and Martha between 1781 and 1803. Thomas left Henley Hall to his only surviving sibling Elizabeth, who died in 1813.
Thomas stipulated in his Will that on Elizabeth's death, Henley Hall would pass to his cousin the Rev. Samuel Johnes, younger brother of Thomas Johnes of Hafod. Samuel Johnes took up his residence at Henley, where he died in 1852. He married Ann Maria, daughter of Sir Cornelius Cuyler and their only daughter married Sir John Shelley. Thomas Knight had also stipulated in his Will that in default of a male heir to the Johnes, Henley should pass to the Wolverley branch.
In 1852 John Knight came to inherit Henley for the remaining 20 years of his life. He was a great great grandson of Richard Knight of Wolverley. He was married to Catherine Leveson and had three sons and one daughter. John spent twenty years as a widower at Henley Hall planting, landscaping and restoring.
However, in 1874, soon after John Knight's death in 1872, his eldest son, another John Knight sold Henley Hall to Edmund Wedgwood Wood. John then married one of his servants in 1876, squandered the proceeds and died in 1878.
Postscript:
John Knight had married his servant, Frances Sophia Armstrong in 1876 whose father was a butler. At the time of their marriage Frances was aged about 23, John was about 46.
After John's death two years later, Frances married a dentist, Leonard Jervis Rice Oxley in 1884. It is possible that Frances took a large amount of money into this marriage.
I would very much like to see the following documents held at Shropshire Archives.
Shropshire Archives
Marriage Settlement of Mrs. F.S. Knight and Mr L.J. Rice Oxley and subsequent Trust papers [1884-1924] - ref. 6360
Time Line of Ownership
1760's Thomas Knight (1737-1803) purchases Henley Hall
1803 Thomas dies and leaves Henley Hall to his sister, Elizabeth Knight (1732-1813)
1813 Elizabeth Knight dies and Henley Hall passes to Rev. Samuel Johnes, her cousin.
1841 Census
1851 Census
1852 Rev. Samuel Johnes dies and Henley Hall passes to John Knight (1803-1872)
1861 Census
1871 Census
1872 John Knight dies and Henley Hall passes to his son, John Knight (abt 1831-1878)
1874 Young John Knight sells Henley Hall to Edmund Wedgewood Wood.
Related Family Pages:
Ralph Knight (married Mary Duppa)
John Knight (married Catherine Leveson)
Humphrey Senhouse Knight (married Margaret Hair)
Featured Pages:
John Knight (pictured below) wrote many letters to his brother Humphrey in Australia while living at Henley Hall. These letters can be accessed at: Humphrey's Black Box
Ralph Knight (married Mary Duppa)
John Knight (married Catherine Leveson)
Humphrey Senhouse Knight (married Margaret Hair)
Featured Pages:
John Knight (pictured below) wrote many letters to his brother Humphrey in Australia while living at Henley Hall. These letters can be accessed at: Humphrey's Black Box
Of particular interest is the
letter from James Knight to Humphrey Senhouse Knight. James reports on
the death of his brother; John (the younger) and the recent sad history of Henley Hall.
John Knight 1803-1872
His son sold Henley Hall and squandered the proceeds
Henley Hall, Ludlow, Shropshire, England