Buildings in Hanslope
Hanslope Lodge

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The building now known as Hatton court was previously called Hanslope Lodge, and at times simply as The Lodge.

The earliest information about the site of is from a map of 1779 which shows an earlier building owned by Stephen Hoddle who owned considerable property in Hanslope parish.

In a further map, of 1818, the property is shown as owned by Edward Watts with William Cleaver as tenant, farming 267 acres.

The present building was probably constructed between 1861 and 1868 to provide a home for Reginald and Caroline Walpole. Caroline had married Reginald after being widowed on the death of Edward Watts' grandson, William.

By 1907 the house was occupied by Claude Borrett and had been renamed Hatton Court. Claude Borrett is said to have been in the diamond business, so was probably responsible for the new name. He remain at least until 1918.

By 1920 Harry Courage occupied the house which was again called Hanslope Lodge, and by 1928 it was occupied by Sir Arthur Holland and was still called Hanslope Lodge.

In 1939, Hanslope Lodge seems to have been requisitioned by the Government and a radio intercept operation was set up there. After the intercept operation was moved out in 1942 the Lodge continued to be used as accommodation.

After the war, The Lodge remained the home of the communications engineering side of the Diplomatic Wireless Service until 1972

In about 1988, the buildings were refurbished as Hatton Court Hotel.

 

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In 1166 William Maudit enfeoffed a property and large field to Hugh Wolf, known as 'Wolf's field'.

By the middle of the 13th century the property was in the hands of William Wolf, and in 1315 a Nicholas Wolf, who is later reported to have escaped from Aylesbury Prison. What crime brought him there is unknown.

Subsequently, the property was held by the Knight family; inherited by Thomas Knight In the early 15th century, and William Knight in 1446.

Later, John Knight married Eleanor, daughter of Reyburne, the third son of Thomas Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick. Their daughter Emma married William Forster, who obtained Wolf's Place and other properties and land in Hanslope as part of the marriage settlement. 

Their great grandson Edmund Forster died in 1595 and left the property to Guy Forster, later Sir Guy. In 1635 Sir Guy settled his property on his wife, Dame Frances Forster.  In 1663 Dame Francis and their eldest son William sold the property to Thomas Turner, Dean of Canterbury, who died in 1672.  By 1694 his son, Dr Frances Turner, Bishop of Ely, owned the property. 

It later belonged Sir William Meredith, who sold it to William Thursby, who gave it to his nephew Richard Thursby in 1700.

It is believed that Richard Thursby sold the property to Richard Miles, a lace dealer in Hanslope, and it then passed to Stephen Hoddle through his marriage to Richard Miles's daughter Frances in 1746.

A map of 1779 shows buildings on the site described as 'Farmhouse and Homestead' owned by Stephen Hoddle who seems to have been living in Newport Pagnell at the time.  He owned considerable property in Hanslope parish.   

In a further map, of 1818, the property is shown as owned by Edward Watts with William Cleaver as tenant, farming 267 acres.  The buildings are described as 'Farmhouse Homestead and Orchard'.  However, William Cleaver was also renting Manor Farm across the road from Hanslope Lodge, which was described as 'Farmhouse, Homestead and Pightle'. It is possible that William was living at Manor Farm, and that the house on the Hanslope Lodge site was either derelict or occupied by a farm worker.

Edward Watts' grandson, William, died in 1853 aged 32 leaving a widow, Caroline, heir Edward Hanslope Watts aged about 7, and two daughters.  Caroline remarried in 1856, to Reginald Walpole, a widower with one daughter of his own. By the 1861 census, when they are living in Hanslope Park Mansion, there are the three Watts children, and four Walpole daughters.  By the time of the 1871 census, the Walpoles are living in Hanslope Lodge, with the youngest Watts girl living with them as well as the four Walpole girls.  (Edward Hanslope Watts married in 1868, when the Walpoles would have moved to the Lodge.)

It would be reasonable to assume that Hanslope Lodge was built between 1861 and 1871, and probably before 1868.  Reginald Walpole died in 1880 (buried in Castlethorpe).  By the 1891 census, Caroline was living in the Lodge with two of the girls, one unmarried and the other who died a few weeks later.  Caroline died in 1899 (also buried in Castlethorpe).

By 1907 the house was occupied by Claude Borrett and had been renamed Hatton Court.  Claude Borrett is said to have been in the diamond business, so was probably responsible for the new name.  A survey in 1910 confirmed that Claude Borrett was the owner.  He remain at least until 1918.

By 1920 Harry Courage occupied the house which was again called Hanslope Lodge, and by 1928 it was occupied by Sir Arthur Holland and still called Hanslope Lodge.

In 1939, Hanslope Lodge was requisitioned by the Government along with Hanslope Park. It became known as 'The Lodge'.  Sometime later, a full scale radio intercept operation was set up in The Lodge together with a large array of radio receiving aerials in the farm land around the Park buildings.  Intercepts of German radio messages were passed to Bletchley Park for decrypting. In about 1942 the intercept operation was moved out of The Lodge into a bespoke receiver station at the Park.  Parts of The Lodge continued to be used as accommodation for operational and other staff.

After the war, The Lodge remained the home of the communications engineering side of the Diplomatic Wireless Service.  It contained workshops and some staff lived there.  The Diplomatic Wireless Service moved out in 1972 and the buildings became derelict.

In about 1988, the buildings were refurbished as Hatton Court Hotel.

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The following people are associated with Hanslope Lodge:

Name Year of Birth Year of Interest Source Occupation/Notes Probability
Francis Turner   0 Added Information    100%
William Maudit 1130  1166 Added Information  Owner of Hanslope Lodge-Wolf's Place.  100%
Hugh Wolf   1166 Added Information  Owner of Hanslope Lodge-Wolfs Place  100%
William Wolf   1201 Added Information  Owner of Hanslope Lodge-Wolfs Place  100%
Thomas Beauchamps   1490 Added Information  Owner of Hanslope Properties in the 15th Century.  100%
Emma Beauchamps   1500 Added Information    100%
Edmund Forster   1595 Added Information    100%
Guy Forster   1635 Added Information  settles property in Hanslope  100%
Francis Forster   1635 Added Information  Settlement of properties and land in Hanslope.  100%
Guy Forster   1635 Added Information    100%
Francis Forster   1663 Added Information    100%
Thomas Turner   1672 Added Information    100%
Stephen Hoddle   1779 Maps  owner  90%
Stephen Hoddle   1779 Survey 1779  Owner  75%
Carolie Miles Hoddle   1804 Deeds  Owner  100%
Edward Watts 1780  1804 Deeds  Buyer  100%
Edward Watts   1818 Survey 1818  Owner  60%
Wiliam Cleaver   1818 Survey 1818  Tenant  60%
Reginald Robert Walpole   1869 Directory  esq. J.P. Hanslope to 1877  100%
Reginald Walpole 1818  1871 Census  Magistrate ...... Barrister  100%
Caloline Walpole 1820  1881 Census  Landowner  100%
Walpole   1883 Directory  Mrs, Hanslope Lodge to 1895  100%
Caroline Walpole 1819  1891 Census  Landowner  100%
Claude Borret   1907 Directory  Hatton Court  100%
Claude A Borrett   1910 Revenue Survey  Owner/occupier  100%
Charles Harry Lee 1871  1911 Census  Chauffeur  40%
Claude Borrett 1872  1911 Census  Private means  100%
Claude Borrett   1911 Directory  Hatton Court  100%
Isabelle Marguerite Borrett   1918 Election Register  at Hatton Court  100%
Claude Amit Borrett   1918 Election Register  at Hatton Court  100%
Harry Ernest Courage   1920 Directory  Hanslope lodge  100%
Arthur Holland   1928 Directory  Lt-Gen. Sir K.C.B.,K.C.M.G.,D.S.O.,M.V.O.,M.P.,J.P  100%
32 records displayed.
Notes:
In the above list of people, to find all references to a person, click on the Name of the person. 
To obtain further information on one entry, click on the Source for that entry.
Probability indicates transcribers' assessment that person listed is associated with the building on this page.

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