The Halls of Hanham Hall

This blog is supplementary to Roger Williams excellent work on the Hanham Hall timeline

 (see blog of 12 April 2019)

Robert Gresley HALL took up residence in the Hanham Hall in the late 1890s.  In the 1901 Census he is recorded there as Robert G. Hall, a Wharfinger in Bonded and dry goods, from London. The census also lists his wife and three adult unmarried daughters with a housekeeper, and four maids:  parlour, scullery, house and kitchen.

Robert was born in Marylebone, Middlesex in 1848 his parents were John Robert Hall and Lucy Hall (nee TILDEN). John Robert Hall died at the Grange, Sutton, Surrey on 8^th May 1874.

On 10^th February 1876 Robert married Louisa Eleanor Annie BARBER, the couples first daughter Eleanor was born in 1877 followed by Agatha in 1878 and Edith in 1882.

On the 1901 census the profession/occupation of daughter Agatha is stated as “Artist in colours”.

  In 1911 Census Robert Gresley Hall is still there with wife, and two daughters.  Agatha Catherine Hall, has now married and is visiting with her husband Lewis Erle SHORE a lecturer in Physiology at Cambridge and her infant son (Thomas Leonard).  Living with them are four maids, a cook and a nurse. The hall is stated to have 20 rooms and a gardener lives next door with his wife, three daughter and two visitors.  A Coachman lives in Whittucks Road adjacent. 

Robert Gresley Hall, Deputy Lieutenant came from a Bristol Family – his grandfather George Webb Hall of Sneed Park was 'a prominent and energetic Bristol Citizen and cut the first sod in the project to make Bristol Harbour non-tidal.  His father John Robert Hall J.P. moved to London. Robert Gresley Hall set up 'R G Hall & Co at Wapping, … specialising in various commodities such as tea and coffee and is listed as a director of the London General Omnibus Company.

His sister Catherine Hall co-founded the RSPB.

Agatha has several paintings of Cambridge Dons hanging at St Johns College, Cambridge.

See https://artuk.org/discover/artists/shore-agatha-catherine-hall-18781950

 Her husband was a physiologist and neurologist at Cambridge and was junior Bursar for St Johns.

 Agatha has also some works in watercolour this one was discovered online:-

Recently I was contacted by a lady from the Midlands who has offered us this painting:-

 an original watercolour of Hanham Hall in 1906 – complete with three fashionable ladies playing croquet on the lawn!

So, could this possibly be the Hall girls Eleanor, Agatha & Edith or possibly is this the work of Agatha?

 When at Hanham Hall Robert maintained an address in London but appears on the election roll for Hanham Abbotts in 1913 and in 1914 he is on the Parish of Bitton Roll residing in Upton Cheyney.

 He died on 27 December 1922 at Craycombe House Pershore Worcestershire.

Doug Crew Sept 2020