The History of Thurnham Hall, Lancashire, England

At which the Dalton Family lived for almost 400 years

Researched, complied & edited by Rodney G. Dalton from the following sources:
Victoria County History - A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 8.
Special thanks to the Thurnham Hall Owners Club website for providing the great photos of their property.

The Domesday book have this entry about Thurnham; Tiernun, Dom. Bk.; Thurnum, 1212; Thirnum, 1282.

Thurnham, from its position on the south side of the Lune estuary and cut off from Ashton by the Conder on the north-east, belongs rather to Cockerham than to Lancaster; yet the larger part of its area of 2,096½ acres lies within the latter parish— viz. 1,315½ acres. This part also includes Glasson, at the mouth of the Lune, which forms a port for Lancaster, having since 1787 had a dock; it has the terminus of the single-line railway from Lancaster, opened in 1887, and also that of a canal branching at Galgate from the Preston and Lancaster Canal, formed in 1826. The hamlet of Higher Thurnham is in Lancaster parish, but Lower Thurnham, with the hall, is in Cockerham. Cockersand Abbey, extra-parochial, is sometimes considered a hamlet of Thurnham. The population numbered 540 in 1901.

An arial view of Thurnham Hall

The principal road is that from Lancaster to Cockerham going south through the eastern side of the township. To the west of this road the land is flat and lies very low, but to the east, between the road and the canal and Conder, is a tract of higher land, 100 ft. above sea level being attained, in which are the hamlets just named and the hall with its well-wooded grounds. Other roads connect Glasson with Conder Green and with Thurnham, and from Upper Thurnham a minor road leads west to Cockersand Abbey. The railway and the canal, which is little used, have been mentioned. There is a ferry across the Lune from Glasson to Overton.

The township has a parish council.

Thurnham Hall

Wheat, oats, potatoes and clover are grown. The soil is loam with clay subsoil, but on the north clayey with marl subsoil. There is a graving dock at Glasson and ships are repaired there. The first vessel built at it was launched in 1838. There is also a custom-house.

Manor

Before the Conquest THURNHAM, which was assessed as two plough-lands, was a member of the Halton fee, being held in 1066 by Earl Tostig. Afterwards it is found to belong to the lordship of the Lancaster family, and was held of them by the Flemings of Aldingham in Furness. Their tenure was sometimes described as knight's service and sometimes as socage. A rent of either 20s. or 13s. 4d. was payable to the heirs of Lancaster; afterwards it was 6s. 8d. only perhaps by composition with some of the heirs. It thus descended to the Harringtons of Aldingham, and through Bonvill to Grey, being held by Henry Grey Duke of Suffolk, executed for treason in 1554. The duke had in 1552 sold it to Thomas Lowne, citizen of London, who transferred it at an advanced price to Robert Dalton of Bispham in 1556.

John de Harrington in 1315 obtained leave to enclose a park at Thurnham from Thomas Earl of Lancaster, and a charter of free warren was granted by the king in 1318.

The earlier history of the Dalton family has already been told. Robert Dalton, by his marriage with Anne daughter of John Kitchen of Pilling, obtained the site of Cockersand Abbey, adjoining Thurnham, and in 1558 added Aldcliffe and Bulk by purchase from the Crown. A pedigree was recorded in 1567. Robert Dalton died in 1578 without issue, and left his estates to his namesake, son of his brother Thomas, an infant two months old.

The younger Robert, a recusant in religion, grew up and held possession till his death in 1626, when he was succeeded by his son Thomas, born in 1609. Like the Roman Catholic gentry in general, he proved himself an ardent Royalist at the outbreak of the Civil War, raised a troop of horse, and was fatally wounded at the second battle of Newbury, 27 October 1644; he died at Marlborough a week later. His estates were of course seized by the Parliament for his recusancy and delinquency; but Robert his son and heir being only five years of age, there was probably some delay, and no record of the proceedings has been preserved.

Robert Dalton, who recorded a pedigree in 1664, left two daughters to inherit at his death in 1700. Elizabeth, the elder, married William Hoghton of Park Hall in Charnock, and had Thurnham, Bulk and other estates; Dorothy, the younger, married Edward Riddell of Swinburne Castle, Northumberland, and received Caton and a moiety of Aldcliffe. John the son of William and Elizabeth Hoghton assumed the surname of Dalton in 1710, and succeeded his father in 1712. He was a strong Roman Catholic and Jacobite, and on the invasion in 1715 joined the Pretender's forces at Lancaster and marched with them to Preston, where he was taken prisoner. His life was spared, and his estates, in which he had only a life interest, were redeemed by him for £6,000. He died in 1736 and his son Robert in 1785. John Dalton, son of Robert by his first wife, had several children, but the heirs at his death in 1837 were two daughters, Lucy wife of Joseph Bushell, who died without issue in 1843, and Elizabeth, who died at Thurnham in 1861 unmarried.

Under a settlement made by John Dalton with the object of barring out of the estate his half-brother William Hoghton Dalton, who was a Protestant, and his descendants, the manor then went to a cousin, Sir James George Fitzgerald, who on succeeding took the additional surname of Dalton. He died in 1867, and was followed by his brother Gerald Richard, who likewise prefixed Dalton to his surname. At his death in 1894 Thurnham went to William Henry Dalton, son of the above-named William Hoghton Dalton of Park Hall, half-brother of John Dalton. Mr. W. H. Dalton, who had a good deal of litigation on succeeding, died in 1902, and was followed by his son Mr. John Henry Dalton, aged twenty-eight.

Thurnham Hall stands on slightly rising ground about a quarter of a mile from the left bank of the River Conder in the eastern part of the township, and is a three-story stone-built house, erected probably by Robert Dalton soon after his purchase of the property. The front of the building faces west, and is said to have had originally three gables with an embattled porch and mullioned windows, and in front a 'spacious courtyard protected by six square embattled towers, three on each side, connected by lofty curtain walls.' In 1823, however, the old front was pulled down and the present pseudo-Gothic facade erected, with corner turrets and embattled parapet. Of the courtyard and inclosing walls, if ever they existed, there are now no remains. The front, which is faced with ashlar, is about 100 ft. in length, with square and four-centred headed windows, the middle part slightly projecting, with a porch, or vestibule to the hall, 34 ft. in length, on the ground floor, projecting 9 ft. from the main building. The house has been for long unoccupied, and is now in a state of dilapidation. It had apparently undergone some process of restoration or rebuilding before the addition of the new front, some of the work in the older part at the back being apparently of 18th-century date, very few of the original mullioned windows remaining. There have been additions at the north-east end, the first an extension or rebuilding northwards of the original east wing, and later, but apparently in the 17th century, a long two-story brick wing at right angles, now used as a residence for the caretaker. The brick wing has, however, been restored in recent times and new windows inserted. A domestic chapel in the Gothic style was added at the south end of the house by Miss Dalton in 1854–5.

The hall, which is 39 ft. by 24 ft., is probably a reconstruction of the original 16th-century apartment and is 12 ft. high, with plastered ceiling and flagged floor. The walls are panelled to a height of 8 ft. 3 in. with grained deal wainscot, but the hop pattern plaster frieze above appears to be of 17thcentury date. The arms of Dalton and Gage, which appear on the porch outside and again in the vestibule, have been introduced on to the frieze in 1823, and the fireplace, over which are two shields with the arms of (1) Dalton quartering Fleming and (2) Dalton and Fleming impaling Middleton, is modern. The ceiling is supported by two modern classic columns, and the west side of the room, the wall of which is 4 ft. thick, is open by two arches to the vestibule, which measures internally 31 ft. 3 in. by 6 ft. 9 in. The rooms north and south of the hall are now dilapidated, but preserve the classic decoration of the early 19th-century rebuilding, in contrast with its pseudo-Gothic exterior. Most of the rooms on the first floor are also neglected, the floors in many cases being broken. The drawing-room is immediately over the hall and of the same dimensions. Two hiding-places have been discovered in the upper floor in recent times, one entered through a square opening about 4 ft. from the floor covered with a large stone moving on a pivot.

The chapel is 34 ft. 3 in. by 14 ft. 9 in., and has a turret containing a bell on the south side. The sanctuary is at the west end, and there is an eastern gallery approached both by stairs from below and from the first floor of the house. On the north side, at the level of the first floor and approached from it, is a recessed pew containing a fireplace. The chapel, like the rest of the building, is now in a state of dilapidation. A carved chest formerly kept in the chapel is now at the priest's house at Thurnham.

Inserted within one of the built-up windows at the north end of the house, near the front, is the stone inscribed 'Catholicae virgines,' &c., brought here from Aldcliffe Hall.

The family portraits are now at Bygods Hall, Essex.

Source: Victoria County History - A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 8.

A Brief history of the Dalton Family

The Dalton Family were lords of the manor of Thurnham for many centuries. They acquired Cockersands Abbey in 1556 partly by purchase and partly by the marriage of Robert Dalton, Lord of Dalton and Bispham, to Anne, eldest daughter of John Kytchen of Pilling Hall, to whom the Abbey was granted after the dissolution of the monasteries.

The earlier owners had adopted the name of the property as their own and were known as the de Thurnham. In the 12th century William de Thurnham granted land to the hospital of Cockersands Abbey and thereafter there was always a connection between the Hall and the Abbey. After the Dissolution both came under the same ownership.

The estate passed from the de Thurnham, by descent, through the families of Flemmings, Cancerfield, Harrington, Bonvile and Grey. Thomas Grey the marquis of Dorset , who had fought at the Battle of Tewkesbury, later took up arms against Richard III having sided with the earl of Richmond . Thomas Grey was imprisoned on suspicion of high treason. His estates were forfeited to the crown. However he was later released and had his properties returned to him.

Dorset 's son, the 3 rd Marquise, is better know to history as Henry, Duke of Suffolk, the father of Lady Jane Grey. With Suffolk , the Grey family connection with Thurnham ended. In 1553 Suffolk sold the estate to a London grocer, Thomas Lonne. Lonne sold the estate, three years later, to Robert Dalton of Bispham in Lancashire . Robert was the grandson of William Dalton of Bispham and his wife Jane who was the daughter of Sir John Townley, one of the oldest families in the country. Robert married Ann Kitchen and through her the Daltons acquired the sequestered lands of Cockersands Abbey.

Robert Dalton had a son, Thomas, who fought on the side of the king in the Civil War, he also had ten, (some say seven), daughters. All of the daughters were renowned for their piety and for their adherence to the Roman Catholic Faith. (The Daltons being well known recusants in the country). These ladies lived in Aldcliffe hall and were known as the “Catholic Virgins”. Their brother, Thomas, suffered from his part in the Civil War. Having raised a troop of horses for his king, he was wounded at the second Battle of Newbury and died within a week at Marlborough . His properties, and those of his sisters, were seized by the Cromwellians, but they were afterwards restored to the family.

In 1572, Robert having no children, the estate was settled on his younger brother Thomas. From the onwards the family remained prominent among the hierarchy of the gentry by marriages with well-to-do families. Several sons were educated at Douai (or Douay) College in France. This was the college where many Catholic sons were educated during Penal Times. Some became priests and returned to this country where they suffered martyrdom.

The Daltons continued at Thurnham until Robert Dalton, grandson of the original purchaser of the estate, died leaving an heiress Elizabeth Dalton. Elizabeth Dalton married into another ancient and staunchly Roman Catholic Lancashire family, the de Hoghtons. Her husband was William de Hoghton, one of the de Hoghton's of Hoghton Tower.

The son of this union, John de Hoghton, took the name of Dalton . Like his forbears he incurred trouble by loyalty to the old faith and the old royal family, for in 1715 he joined the first Jacobite uprising when the Scots arrived in Lancaster . For this he was imprisoned in London and his lands confiscated. After his release he walked back to Lancaster and recovered Thurnham after paying a huge fine.

John Dalton, who died in the year of Queen Victoria 's accession, married Mary Gage. She was the daughter of Sir Thomas Rockwood Gage, 5th Baronet by his wife, Lucy Knight. The Gage Baronetcy eventually became extinct, but the main line of the family, who became viscounts, are still extant and live at Firle Place in Sussex . Thurnham hall, when inherited by John Dalton, was regarded as a little old fashioned so he replaced the mullioned windows and massive bays with gothic windows. When he completed it, John Dalton put his coat of arms, and those of his wife (Gage), over the door.

John Dalton's only son, also called john, died without issue and Thurnham passed, on the death of John senior in 1837, to his daughter Elizabeth who lived in the hall until her death. Elizabeth Dalton was one of several sisters, all of whom predeceased her without children. She was a remarkable woman of stern will and great piety – a throwback to those 17th century Dalton Ladies, the “Catholic Virgins”. Not only did she build the private chapel in the hall, she also paid for much of the present Thurnham Roman Catholic Church in 1848. Until then there had only been a small chapel. In 1837 her father, John Dalton, had left £100 in his will towards a fund for building a new church commensurate with the religious revival of the 19th century, sparked off by the Oxford movement.

Funds were not readily forthcoming and ten years later there was only £1,000 available, so Miss Dalton came to the rescue and offered to pay the balance. The building was completed in August 1848 at a cost of £5,000. The new edifice was aptly dedicated to St. Thomas More and St. Elizabeth of Hungary , the Princess who spent her Life in penance and self-denial. Both dedications were apt since St Elizabeth was the namesake of the benefactor of Thurnham Church and St. Thomas More was one of the forbearers of her successors at Thurnham. On her death in 1861, at the age of 81, she was succeeded by a distant cousin Sir James Fitzgerald.

We must now look back to Robert Dalton whose son married Mary Gage and was responsible for the present west facade. Robert married thrice. His third wife being Bridget, daughter of Thomas More of Barnborough hall near Doncaster . Bridget was the heiress and last lineral descendant of St. Thomas More, thus re-enforcing the strong Catholic traditions of Thurnham. Her daughter, also Bridget, married Sir James Fitzgerald, the 7th Baronet, of Castle Ishen, Co. Cork, Ireland. It was their grandson, the 9 h Baronet, who inherited Thurnham Hall. On doing so he assumed the additional name of Dalton , becoming Sir James Dalton-Fitzgerald and he died in 1867 without issue. His brother, Sir Gerald Dalton-Fitzgerald, succeeded to the title and property but he also died childless so the Baronetcy became extinct.

After Elizabeth Dalton's death there was a sale at Thurnham of most of the contents and from thence forward it remained empty, the Fitzgerald's remaining mostly in their Essex estates. The Daltons portraits and heirlooms which were not sold in 1861 were transferred to Essex .

With the passing of the Fitzgerald's, Thurnham came back into the male line of the Dalton's in the person of William Henry Dalton, a second cousin of the last Fitzgerald Baronet, who was descendant from Robert Dalton (died 1785) and his third wife Bridget More. William married an American wife and they had two sons and six daughters. The eldest son, John Henry, succeeded to the estate and was followed by his brother, William Augustus Dalton. The Chapter house of which had for many years served as a burial place for the Daltons . Many of the finds were kept at the Hall and the findings were fully published by the ancient monuments society.

With the death of William Augustus Dalton the Daltons died out of the main line of descent. Thurnham hall slowly deteriorated through the years of lying empty and disused. After the last war, (1939-1945), it looked as if the dilapidated building would suffer the same fate that had befallen so many of the fine old houses in this century.

Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Crabtree purchased Thurnham Hall in the early 1970's and then, assisted by their son David, completely renovated the building and brought the hall back to it's imposing former glory and splendor.

The Dalton Family also became involved with political issues.

Source: This history is taken from an old booklet about the hall that was published in 1979 by English Life Publications Ltd.

Miss Elizabeth Dalton, who inherited Thurnham in 1837, was Lady of the Manor for 24 years until her death in 1861. In 1845 she built the present private Roman Catholic Chapel, a fine example of domestic ecclesiastical architecture of its time. Miss Dalton herself occupied her own private gallery complete with fireplace. A screen, which is still place, was erected to protect her from the gaze of the tenant farmers who occupied the east gallery. The domestics and others would worship in the main body of the chapel.

The Great Hall

On entering the Great Hall, shown above, your eyes are immediately drawn to the magnificent Tudor fireplace, the Elizabethan plaster work of the ceiling and frieze and the lovely oak panelling, this latter having been installed by the present owner due to the original panelling having been removed. Most of the present panelling is of the same age and design as the original, having been brought from Park Hall, a former home of the Daltons.

The armorial windows are the work of a Miss Dalton and were executed in the 1930s. They depict the arms of the Daltons and the arms of St. Thomas More, the Daltons of Thurnham being directly descended from St. Thomas More.

The Staircase

The fine Jacobean staircase had to be removed, as the elements had penetrated into the house and caused considerable damage. The photo on the right shows the staircase well, before restoration.

It was completely removed and restored, and has now been replaced in its original position, as shown in the top two photos. The top left photo is the same view as the photo on the right!! Also included in the restoration is some very fine Jacobean plaster work.

At the head of the stairs are two pairs of carved doors which came from an old sailing ship and were made originally to fit the curve of the deck. The angle of the centre pan which are not parallel with the floor, indicate the lie of the deck.

The Gallery

To the right of the gallery there is another fine Jacobean staircase leading to the floor above.

On the left is a very fine oak-studded wall, this studding was covered with a very thick layer of plaster and because of this it escaped the worst of the fire that raged through this part of the house in 1959.

Old Kitchen

The photo above is the old kitchen in the Pele Tower, now the rear restaurant. The fine old kitchen range, once a feature of most kitchens and now a rarity, was made in Morecambe in the 1890s and is still in regular use.

The Bedroom has had to have extensive restoration and in consequence the visitor now sees the original beautiful Tudor bedroom which was preserved beneath the Victorian plaster work.

The lovely Tudor fireplace is one of seven similar ones found in the house and was discovered under the more compact Victorian one.

The arms are of Dalton impaling Gage. The window of this room is the only discordant note, having been altered in 1823 for the accommodation of the new stone frontage. The original window would have been larger, of the mullioned and transomed bay design.

This bedroom is said to be haunted by a lady in green. She is said to appear when tragedy is about to fall on Thurnham.

The Priest Hide is situated at the back of the Tudor fireplace in the bedroom. It is remarkably well preserved. As the Daltons remained faithful to the Catholic faith and held secret services at the Hall, the hide will have been put to good use.

The Pele Tower in the oldest part of the Hall, everything previously looked at was built at various times on to this tower.

This defensive building is fairly complete, with the exception of the south wall where the large window is situated. Originally there would be a large fireplace here, allowing no light from the south. This was pulled down and the fireplace arch rebuilt above, to form the window arch.

The huge dresser shown above was built in situ by the estate carpenter in 1926. To the right of the cooking range is a 17th century hot plate.

THE RESTORATION OF THURNHAM HALL

A house which has been neglected for ten years can become so decayed as to make its restoration an almost impossibly costly task. How much more difficult when the house has been decaying for a century! Thus it was with Thurnham when Mr. S. H. Crabtree first saw it and made up his mind to rescue it from imminent danger of collapse or demolition.

Thurnham Hall dates back to the 13th century when the original pele tower was built. This tower is incorporated with later work as the building was enlarged through the ages, notably from the 16th to the 19th centuries. With the amount of work done on the house in recent years it can truly be said that Thurnham has the traces of seven centuries of English architecture in its make-up.

Mr. Crabtree, a successful businessman and former managing director of a profitable light engineering firm, bought the house and four acres of land in 1973 as an almost incredible act of faith. He was then living at Stubley Old Hall at Littleborough and he and his family were looking for somewhere nearer the sea. When they saw Thurnham it seemed not only ideal but also presented an irresistible challenge to a man who had much experience in working with his hands and had already restored a 70 foot yacht and several Rolls Royce’s, two of which are on show in Blackpool and one took pride of place in Tokyo Antiques Fair.

Mr. Crabtree’s wife and son might well have regarded him as crazy and objected to a long period of hard work and possibly heartbreak as well, but the Crabtree's were made of sterner stuff. Mr. Crabtree, his wife, his son David and his son’s fiancée have all got down to it and helped to restore this fine old house.

One of the first concerns was the facade erected in 1823 by John Dalton. It was dressed with stone from Lancaster Castle but was in a very dangerous condition. The iron dowels had rusted, expanded and blown off the stone in large chunks as can be seen in the photo on the right.. With the stresses expanding sideways the outer wall bulged forward from the wall behind bringing down mouldings and smashing lintels.

A craftsman was found who could do the work, a Mr. Pemberton, but unfortunately he lived at Saddleworth some 70 miles away. For two years Mr. Pemberton travelled 140 miles a day to do this labour of love. The result is a perfect restoration of John Dalton’s façade.

A local carpenter was found to install the paneling and to carry out other intricate work.

A fire had swept through a section of the house in 1959 and so this part had to be almost completely rebuilt. A century of wind and rain had caused havoc with the interior and it all had to be put right.

Looking at photographs of the building in its last stages of decay and seeing it now it seems that a miracle has been performed. Thurnham, once again, is a fine Country house and a family home.

Thurnham Hall Sold again:

After the Crabtree’s had restored Thurnham Hall they decided to sell it to a time share group named Sunterra Resorts.

They them put in a 9 hole golf course and started to partition some of the larger rooms in the main building into rental rooms. In the surrounding buildings they also turned them into rentals. As time went on this group cleared some land around Thurnham and built some nice units. They built a large swimming pool at the back of the property. There are photos to view of these buildings below.

One bad move they did was to turn the former Lady’s Chapel into a bar. But luckily this was removed during the remodeling in 2008. It is now returned to its original state.

In 2007 Diamond Resorts International took over from Sunterra.

An online ad for Thurnham Hall today:

Thurnham Hall enjoys a countryside location, 500 metres from the village of Upper Thurnham and 4.5 miles from the city of Lancaster, England. It lies 12 miles from Broughton House stately home and 20 miles from the seaside resort of Blackpool.

Hotel Features. The main building of this hotel complex is a 12th-century country house with a Jacobean Great Hall; modern annexes are set in the 30 acres of grounds. There is an outdoor swimming pool as well as an indoor pool, and a sauna, spa tub, and fitness equipment. Massage treatments are also available. In addition, the hotel has a gift shop, and a grocery. Staff at the 24-hour front desk can offer concierge services, tour assistance, and the use of a safe-deposit box. Public areas have Internet access (surcharge) and complimentary parking is available.

Guestrooms. The 60 guestrooms and apartments have light decor in a modern or traditional style. Apartments extend to kitchens with refrigerators and microwaves and having living areas with televisions and VCRs. Bathrooms provide complimentary toiletries and hair dryers.

Of note is that the Dalton Genealogical Society has held a few meetings at Thurnham Hall over the years. The author of this article had the pleasure to stay at Thurnham Hall in June of 2003. The building at the left of the below photo is where he stayed for a week and from there he and his cousin, Arthur Whittaker of Utah toured the surrounding area.

Arthur Whittaker of Kaysville, Utah and Rodney Dalton of Ogden, Utah having breakfast in the small dinning room at Thurnham Hall.

Rodney Dalton

John Regan explaining the additions to the Hall to members of the Dalton Genealogical Society

John Dalton was the organizer for the DGS of this group at Thurnham Hall held in August of 2009

Misc. Thurnham Hall Photos

Stairways in the Great Hall

Formal Dinning Room

The Dalton Coat of Arms in beautiful colored tile at the bottom of pool

Exercise room in the pool building

Typical rooms at Thurnham Hall

Penthouse Unit 43 Dining Area

Penthouse Bathroom

Penthouse Bedroom - Twins

Penthouse Bedroom - Double

Suffolk Unit 14 Bedroom

More out buildings and rooms at Thurnham Hall

The Lonne Suite Unit 11 from the Archway

Woodland View Central Courtyard

The lawn from the Courtyard

The Bowland Suite unit 21 from lawn.

The Lonne Suite Unit 11 from the Gardens

Woodland View - Courtyard Entrance

Rearview Dower House and Conservatories - former stables

Fountain Restaurant

More Misc. Thurnham Hall Photos

Very old map of Thurnham Parish

The pond at Thurnham Hall

The Thurnham Crest and Shield

A tradition says that three brothers, sons of John Dalton, went to the Crusades in the late 1100's. One of them, Sir Richard Dalton, killed a Saracen in the Holy Land and was given the green Griffen on the crest of the coat of arms which the family carried for their services to King Richard. The description of the shield is: a silver Lion Rampant Guardant on an azure shield with gold crosslets. In the Heraldic language it is: a shield azure propre, or crussely, a lion, rampant, guardant, argant and the crest is a dragon's head vert, between two wings.

The image shown here is the stained glass window in the great hall. It clearly shows the features of the crest, incorporating the shield.

The fireplace in the great hall

Some of the ducks at Thurnham Hall

Dalton Coat of Arms over doorway

The balcony in the Lady's Chapel. Mrs. Edith Dalton's private entrance to the right

Another stained glass window look out the front

The Dalton Coat of Arms at Thurnham Hall

The Stained Glass window in the Lady's Chapel

Rear entrance to Thurnham Hall

Back lawn of Thurnham Hall

Right side entrance Lady's Chapel

The Back Gate at Thurnham Hall

Library at Thurnham Hall.
Note the stairs that leads to Mrs. Edith Dalton‘s private viewing room
that was built for the Thurnham Dalton Lady's Chapel.
She later help fund the Church next door to Thurnham Hall.

Rodney Dalton setting in the green chair, c. June 2003

The Fireplace in the main lobby of Thurnham Hall – Note the Dalton Dragon

New look after remodeling - April 2006

The very old piano

New look in the Library

The bar has now been completely removed from
the Chapel and the Pool Table is now here - April 2008

Lucy the Duck now passed

The bar top has been removed from The Lady's Chapel
and used for the new bar in the main hall.

Winter at Thurnham Hall

Burrrrrrr!

St. Thomas & Elizabeth Church next door to Thurnham Hall

John Dalton died and passed Thurnham on to his daughter Elizabeth who lived in the hall until her death. Elizabeth Dalton was one of several sisters, all of whom predeceased her without children. She was a remarkable woman of stern will and great piety – a throwback to those 17th century Dalton Ladies, the “Catholic Virgins”. Not only did she build the private chapel in the hall, she also paid for much of the present Thurnham Roman Catholic Church in 1848.

The large graves of Dalton-Fitzgeralds in the St. Thomas Church
next door to Thurnham Hall.
Sir James George Fitzgerald & his son Gerald Richard Fitzgerald.

Rodney Dalton standing by the Dalton-Fitzgerald graves

Driveway to Thurnham Hall
This also serves the Church of St Thomas and St Elizabeth and
Cock Hall Farm, and is a public footpath.

The ruins Cockersand Abbey.
Inside this Chapter House there are many Thurnham Hall Dalton's in-tombed.

Coastal Path at Cockersand Abbey
The New Red Sandstone outcrop is probably the remains of the
quarry used to supply the initial stone for building the Abbey.
Soft and easy to carve, it weathered badly and later stone
used was a much harder grey gritstone.

The Chapter House, Cockersand Abbey
Taken from the south-west

Arthur Whittaker pointing at the sign of Cockersand Abby
on the very old entrance door to the Chapter House

Rodney G. Dalton, the author of this article and his new friend,
about 100 yards from Chapter House.