4. 18th Century – Gradual Regeneration

Georgian elegance

The period 1714 to 1830 was characterised in England by marked cultural awareness, industrial growth and urban development. Colchester, although not at the forefront of industrial and economic change, remained an important centre for north Essex and south Suffolk and many wealthy men established impressive town houses during this period. There was a confidence in the town at this time and many improvements took place. William Stukeley’s drawing of 1718 shows the remaining friary buildings before the tidying-up of the Georgian period transformed this part of town into a very desirable area. Unfortunately it gives no information on the orientation of the view, although in terms of his access, he may be likely to have drawn it from the south, looking north. Stukely, also drew the St Botolphs Priory ruins, which themselves had a Grey Friars connection through ownership by the Selley and Halls families.

 Drawing by William Stukely 1718

The new buildings about to arrive in this part of town would give the area an air of elegance worthy of its new residents. The Grey Friars site’s prominent setting would now come to the fore in providing dignified residences for leading citizens. The commanding views afforded by the elevated position along the eastern end of High Street (previously known as Frere Street) made the area a highly desirable location for magnificent houses of local gentlemen. Holly Trees, East Hill House, the remodelled Minories and, of course, Grey Friars (in its superior position) are perfect examples. (below) View from Grey Friars, over roofs of Roman/Castle roads towards High Woods  (LPP)

Much later, in 1941, Eric Rudsdale (museum curator) would allude to this setting in his diary of the Second World War. “From my office window at Holly Trees: Green grass of the Park lawns, green leaves of the ancient trees on the Ramparts, russet and yellow flowers in the beds beneath the windows. Pale green of the distant meadows at Mile End Hall, olive green of High Woods beyond them. The sky is a blue vault, with a few fleecy clouds and the brazen sun beating down. Over everything, the brooding lazy heat. No wind, the trees hardly moving in the still, hot air, the distant woods fading in a haze.” Such must have been the prospect from upper stories at Grey Friars. It is no wonder that the site was chosen as the setting for an elegant house.

Georgian Colchester   The prosperity of Georgian Colchester, the largest town in Essex, was founded largely on wealth accumulated during the previous century’s cloth trade. Most of the larger, more impressive houses in the town were built by an elite group of families. Hollytrees was built in 1716 and inherited by the widowed Sarah Creffield, whose second husband, Colchester’s MP Charles Gray, built the west wing and landscaped the castle grounds. Opposite Grey Friars, East Hill House, built circa 1740 by George Wegg is one of the finest and is listed as grade 1 due to its importance. Elsewhere, in the centre of town in West Stockwell Street, Dr Richard Daniell built St Martin’s House, thought to have been designed by James Deane circa 1734 similar to Grey Friars. The Rebow family house (home of a Colchester MP), although much altered, still stands at Headgate (corner of Sir Isaac’s Walk). There is a Grey Friars connection here, for Sir Isaac Rebow’s first wife (circa 1682) was Mary, daughter of James Lemyng of Grey Friars. The period 1714 to 1837 (the reign of three Georges) was certainly a time of improvement in the street scene in Colchester. English society was going through great change in taste, highly influenced by the ‘grand tour’ of Europe undertaken by those who were both wealthy and educated. In architecture especially, following Robert Adam’s own ‘grand tour’, fashion brought the ‘Palladian’ movement to the fore, following the Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio, whose work was based on ancient Rome’s buildings. The best Georgian houses exhibited balanced proportions, high quality and elegance.

This view (above) of the site in 1724 (detail from Pryer’s, “A New and Exact Prospect of Colchester taken from ye North Part 1724” – print available in the British Library) shows little change since the 1697 drawing shown in chapter 3. This and the earlier maps suggest that the building shown along the street frontage, opposite St James’ church, is on or near the site of the original gatehouse and the current range of buildings. The building within the site has long gone and may be in the position of the C13th friary structures. The following view by James Deane, from Morant’s book (1748), again shows the former friary land clearly enclosed, and what may be the remaining (possibly derelict) friary buildings, or other structures in their position, along with other constructions opposite St James’ Church.

Twenty-six years after Pryer, there appears little change, apart from an additional and separate structure opposite the church. As this is at the time of Dr Potter’s tenure, could this be an original Georgian house, later to be upgraded in 1755 by Rev Halls, or demolished and replaced entirely? Again, it is situated approximately in the position of the current existing range of buildings. Also, a slight but distinct curve of the western boundary is still apparent. This is interesting in the context of the present property where the perimeter takes a diversion to the west on reaching the present Grey Friars building, before proceeding south to the High Street. Although the line of the current modern boundary is sharply delineated, with right-angled turns, it may still have something akin to the original northern and southern starting points (ie starting at the town wall, near Duncan’s Gate, and ending somewhere along the High Street, near Hillcrest and Winsley’s House). The open aspect and commanding position of the site is readily apparent from these C18th views, demonstrating why the location is so special.

Rev John Halls      Rev Halls (the Rector of Easthorpe) purchased Grey Friars from Dr Robert Potter in 1751. It is not clear whether he originally purchased an earlier, smaller, simpler house, but it is evident that he is responsible for the current impressive core building of 1755 and 1780. Halls joined a rich and interesting family when he married the wealthy Elizabeth Selly of Colchester in 1747. Her mother, also Elizabeth, was a widow who carried on the family brewing business in St Botolph’s Street (on the site of the Priory, which she bequeathed to Halls) until her death in 1768.  She must have been a formidable personality. She was apparently the only local landowner not to cave in to pressure over common land use in 1753. Further research may reveal whether Halls was risking his credibility by associating with this family. Quite what his reputation was, however, is in question as it is possible that his parishioners rarely saw him. At that time it was not uncommon to have more than one parish and pay a curate to keep them whilst still gathering the stipend. What is clear, however, is that Halls spent a great deal of money on Grey Friars and is responsible for the high quality still apparent today. Halls’ nephew, James, of London, owned the house afterwards, but leased it out (the 1771 census shows occupation by a tenant) until its eventual sale to Thomas Baskerfield circa 1814. Baskerfield’s widow passed it to Horatio Cock (‘apothecary & physick’). According to Chapman and Andre’s map of 1777 (detail below) the Castle Fields area (behind and around the castle) remains pleasantly open and undeveloped although there is some encroachment in the south-east quarter along the High/Frere Street (west of Grey Friars). To the south, opposite Grey Friars, the extensive gardens of East Hill House (marked ‘Wegg Esq’) are within the curve of the Roman wall along More Lane (now Priory Street). It can also be observed how this corner of town contrasts most favourably with much other space within the walls, where although not necessarily totally built-up, it would have been substantially enclosed.

Grey Friars’ neighbouring C18th buildings     The most important building (listed as Grade II with a star) to appear on the site during the C18th is without doubt the present ‘Grey Friars’ – the house of 1755 and 1780 at the core of the current complex. But what of the other buildings nearby? Between Cowdray Crescent and East Hill there is an impressive array of C16th to C18th town houses. Hillcrest, immediately west of Grey Friars, and now attached, is described in its listing (Grade II) as late C18th. Not a great deal is known about this house, but it may have a very close connection with one of the owners of Grey Friars. This is suggested by the presence of a right-of-way leading from the street to the rear of Grey Friars. What is intriguing is that it not only runs alongside Hillcrest (‘Lot 3’ on the plan below), but through the house! A passage runs through the building, across the back of Grey Friars’ side garden, and into the grounds. A plan drawn up for the 1904 conversion of Grey Friars to a convent school shows the adaptation of the right-of-way when Grey Friars and Hillcrest were joined by the new west wing. The passageway entrance from High Street is shown by the yellow arrow; the exit into Grey Friars’ grounds (through a doorway in the perimeter wall) is shown by the white arrow. There is much still to be discovered about this house, especially regarding the convoluted boundary arrangement. All Saints House, to the east of Grey Friars, is described in its Grade II listing as C18th with a later C18th front block. The original building of All Saints House is unusual in as much as it faces in a different direction to all the surrounding buildings. As with Hillcrest, it can be seen from plans that All Saints House, again, has convoluted boundary arrangements with Grey Friars. Again, this suggests a close relationship between the two properties, with All Saints House perhaps owned by Grey Friars and leased out. This would not have been a surprising development, as this was a prosperous part of town, ripe for development and would make sense for Grey Friars’ owner to make the most of his assets, investing for the future. Along with All Saints House there is a strip of land along the crest of East Hill, with its substantial boundary wall. The wall appears to be contemporaneous with the buildings.

The northern wall separating All Saints’ garden from Grey Friars’ garden seems to have been built on much older foundations. There is now an even more modern concrete wall above it. It has been suggested by the Colchester Archaeological Trust that All Saints House may have been built by James Halls Esq., nephew and heir of Rev John Halls. He inherited Grey Friars in 1795 and sold it circa 1814. If this is the case, it may also be James Halls who had Hillcrest built. His ownership spanned sufficient time for him to be able to utilise land either side of the main building, along the street frontage, perhaps in order to maximise his asset in an area of Colchester ripe for development. Such an arrangement would certainly explain the existence of such complicated boundary arrangements – especially if he initially rented out the properties, rather than selling them. Further research may reveal more about this.   Two other local premises of note are East Hill House and The Minories, both to be found on the opposite side of High Street. Details of these, further information on the surrounding features, together with the finer details of the architecture of Grey Friars itself,  can be found in part 2 of this book.

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