Dunham Massey
The Dunham estate was granted to the Massey family shortly after the Norman Conquest, passing through the female line of the Massey family until 1453, when the Booth family acquired the estate through marriage. Initially there was a moated medieval manor house on the site but in the late 16th century this was rebuilt by Sir George Booth.
Booth's grandson (also, George) raised an army in 1659 to support the Royalist cause. This led Booth being incarcerated in the Tower of London. However, in 1660 the Monarchy was restored and Charles II rewarded Booth with a peerage, making him Lord Delamere.
Booth supported the Duke of Monmouth's Rebellion two decades later and Lord Delamere entertained Monmouth at Dunham Massey. Lord Delamere died in 1684, but his son was deemed suspect and brought to trial before the House of Lords for high treason, following Monmouth's execution. He was acquitted, and just 2 years later raised troops to support William of Orange. William rewarded him with the title, Earl of Warrington.
In the 1770s the 2nd Earl of Warrington completely remodelled the house and laid out the extensive parkland around the house. The money to make all these improvements to Dunham Massey came from an advantageous marriage to the daughter of a wealthy London merchant.
The house was then acquired by the Grey family of Enville Hall via the marriage of Lady Mary Booth, daughter of the 2nd Earl, the Earl of Stamford.
The house remained unchanged until the Edwardian period, when the 9th Earl of Stamford added an imposing stone entrance on the south front and redecorated many of the state rooms in Edwardian style.
It has been owned by the National Trust since the death of the 10th and last Earl of Stamford in 1976.
Dunham Massey
The Dunham estate was granted to the Massey family shortly after the Norman Conquest, passing through the female line of the Massey family until 1453, when the Booth family acquired the estate through marriage. Initially there was a moated medieval manor house on the site but in the late 16th century this was rebuilt by Sir George Booth.
Booth's grandson (also, George) raised an army in 1659 to support the Royalist cause. This led Booth being incarcerated in the Tower of London. However, in 1660 the Monarchy was restored and Charles II rewarded Booth with a peerage, making him Lord Delamere.
Booth supported the Duke of Monmouth's Rebellion two decades later and Lord Delamere entertained Monmouth at Dunham Massey. Lord Delamere died in 1684, but his son was deemed suspect and brought to trial before the House of Lords for high treason, following Monmouth's execution. He was acquitted, and just 2 years later raised troops to support William of Orange. William rewarded him with the title, Earl of Warrington.
In the 1770s the 2nd Earl of Warrington completely remodelled the house and laid out the extensive parkland around the house. The money to make all these improvements to Dunham Massey came from an advantageous marriage to the daughter of a wealthy London merchant.
The house was then acquired by the Grey family of Enville Hall via the marriage of Lady Mary Booth, daughter of the 2nd Earl, the Earl of Stamford.
The house remained unchanged until the Edwardian period, when the 9th Earl of Stamford added an imposing stone entrance on the south front and redecorated many of the state rooms in Edwardian style.
It has been owned by the National Trust since the death of the 10th and last Earl of Stamford in 1976.