AYSCOUGHFEE HALL HISTORY

This is an extract which is taken Ayscoughfee and its History dated 1923

Ayscoughfee Hall, which is a spacious brick Mansion in the Tudor style, was built in the year 1420, or

thereabouts, by Sir Richard Aldwyn, a wool stapler, whose son (Sir Nicholas Aldwyn) was Lord Mayor of London in the year 1509; but an earlier reference to the estate is to be found as far back as the time of the Crowland Survey.

The property covers about four and half acres, including its fine gardens, specially noticeable for the magnificent yew hedges, which are of great age and striking appearance. It has Newgate – (commonly known as Love-lane), as a boundary on the East ; Holyrood House, the residence of Ald. Fitzalan Howard, J. P., in part on the North and the River Welland on the West.

Sir Richard Aldwyn, it is recorded, ranked as one of the benefactors of Spalding. He was a considerable contributor to the funds of the Church at Cowbit, and on the occasion of the death of his son gave “twelvepence each to three thousand poor persons in and about Spalding.

The estate was subsequently held by the Ayscoughs, a distinguished family in Lincolnshire, who settled in the north of the county, and who took a leading part in Lincolnshire in the Civil War of 1642. It is from them that the place takes its name. The term “fee “signifies the knight’s fee-a territorial grant made to the person knighted, as his estate, sufficient to maintain his dignity- thus Ayscough Fee Hall meant the Hall upon the estate, or manor, or fee of the Ayscoughs.

It is worthy of note that of this family (the name of which was sometimes pronounced and often spelt ‘Askew”) was Ann Askew, the martyr, who was first racked in the Tower of London, and was then burned with our others at the stake, at Smithfield, on July 16th, 1546.

In the year 1619, the Hall belonged to Bevil Wimberley, and a member of his family (by marriage), who also occupied the Hall was John Evington, who wrote a learned treatise on Crown Law, the MS. of which was for sometime in the Library at Ayscoughfee. Members of this family years ago were prominent residents in Pinchbeck, Weston, and Lutton.

About the middle of the seventeenth century, the estate passed into the hands of the Johnsons, of Pinchbeck, a branch of the Johnsons, of Rutland, the founders of Uppingham School, and ever since then, up to the time of the purchase of the property by the town of Spalding, members of the Johnson family had, as owners or occupiers, been associated with the estate.

In 1683, the owner and occupier of the Hall was Francis Johnson, and the same year the marriage took place of his daughter, Jane Johnson, the sole heiress of Ayscoughfee to Maurice Johnson, of Spalding, the father of Maurice Johnson, the famous antiquary, and founder of the Spalding Gentlemen’s Society, who also owned and occupied the Hall.

The last-mentioned representative of the family was a barrister-at-law, and practised in Spalding. He founded the Gentlemen’s Society, the oldest institution of its kind in the kingdom, in the year 1710. His wife was the daughter of Joshua Ambler, of Spalding, and was the granddaughter of Sir Anthony Oldfield, and lineally descended from Sir Thomas Gresham, the founder of Gresham College, and of the Royal Exchange, London. By this lady, he had twenty-six children, of whom it is recorded sixteen sat down together at his table.

Later on, another occupant of the Hall was the Rev. Maurice Johnson, who in 1793 took out the old stone window frames and put wooden ones in, and also cut down the yew trees which had formerly grown in front of the Hall. Subsequently, when the Hall had passed to another representative of the family, new stone window frames were put in, and the turret was also raised and beautified, whilst in 1845, a coat of arms, carved in stone, was put up.

An interesting feature also is the Medallion, a photograph of which we give, built into the wall over one of the doorways at the back of the Hall. The sculpture is rude; and time has left marks upon it. Some difference of opinion exists among archaeologists as to the significance of the scene depicted.

It has been suggested by some that it represents an adult baptism by others, that the kneeling figure is suing for pardon for some offence at the King’s hands. Another explanation, however, and one favoured by so competent an authority as the late Dr Marten Perry, is that it illustrates a gentleman being knighted by the King.

What appears to be the Royal figure is seated, and in his right hand he holds either the sceptre or a sword if the latter, it would be used in the act of ” dubbing the Knight.”

In the centre of the group is a gentleman with his left hand passed under the arm of a lady. To the extreme right is a personage, paying great attention to the same lady. His right hand appears at the back of her head, and their faces are in very close proximity!

The figures are dressed in costumes of the early Tudor period; and it is by no means unlikely that the kneeling figure is none other than Sir Nicholas Aldwyn, Lord Mayor of London in 1509, son of the builder of the Hall.

In the year 1819, the two rows of fine chestnut trees were planted on each side of the carriage road leading to the back entrance of the Hall, whilst it is worthy of note that the Hall was stripped of its thatch and slated in 1772.

For twenty-two years, the property was in the occupation of the late Mr C. F. Bonner and his representatives, the owner being Mrs Johnson, late of Blundeston Lodge, near Lowestoft (and afterwards residing at Felixstowe), widow of a former Maurice Johnson who lived at the Hall.

The mansion contains some interesting pictures, and some valuable old glass, as well as seventeenth century heraldic glass, but most of the valuable family portraits were removed before the property came into the possession of the town. An historic lock and key, of vast proportions, which belonged to the keep of Talbois Castle, and which formerly hung in Ayscoughfee Hall, was removed some years ago, and its whereabouts is not now known.

The Hall contains very fine drawing and dining rooms, the former leading into the library by means of a pair of folding doors. The library walls and ceiling are handsomely panelled in mahogany.

There are thirteen bedrooms and two dressing rooms, whilst in the turret there is also a very large room. A billiard room was added some years ago, and the Hall has undergone various alterations at different times.

The principal rooms are of a very spacious character.

The drawing room is 36 feet long by 17 feet wide, and 12 feet high; and the dining room is 32 feet, long by 16 feet wide, and 12 feet high. The library is 16 feet by 14 feet.

There is also a very spacious hall, between the dining and drawing rooms, and this measures 33 feet by 21 feet wide. The height is 23 feet, and there is a gallery running round 4 ½ feet wide,