(Comments in italics and within square brackets are from footnotes in the original)
The name of Wagstaff is also connected with a more important Northamptonshire house than Teeton. Henry Sawbridge of London in 1780 bought Bray’s Manor at East Haddon, and subsequently acquired Ragon’s Manor (1789),while his son William, who inherited these manors, bought St. Andrew’s Manor on 1807. Although Henry Sawbridge’s father was a London man, his grandfather William came from Daventry, so it was perhaps natural that Henry Sawbridge, when he decided to build himself a house should have employed a Daventry builder.
At any rate there exists a “Description of Haddon House”, dated 17 April 1780, which describes “Plans and Elevations delivered of a New House, intended to be built at East Haddon. . . . . . for Henry Sawbridge Esqre, March 11th 1780.” [Communicated by Miss Margaret Sawbridge of Walpole House, 16 Yarmouth Road, Thorpe Norwich.] This is really a contract with the builder, setting out what exactly is to be done by the Digger (of the foundations), Bricklayer, Carpenter, Mason, Plumber, Joiner, Plasterer, Glazier, Smith (“put up plain Iron Railings to the best stairs”), and Painter. The whole work was to be completed “in the best substantial and work man like manner agreeable to the approbation of Henry Sawbridge Esqre and to have the whole habitable by the feast of St. Michael 1781” at the cost of £4,142 by John Wagstaff, who has signed the contract. Henry Sawbridge was High Sheriff of Northamptonshire in 1782, and he no doubt wished to have his new house ready for his year of office. The “Description” is very detailed and luckily although some changes have been made, they are nothing like as drastic as those made at Teeton. The photograph of the house today shows, for instance, quite clearly “pannels over the windows in each Front with festoons of Laurels” which the Mason was to carry out “with the best Harlestone Freestone.”
This John Wagstaff can hardly be the man associated with Teeton, since he made his will in 1770, and it was proved in 1784, but almost certainly his son John, who was bailiff of Daventry for part of 1781, and also in 1799. In his will, proved on April 18, 1803, he described himself as “builder,” and there can be little doubt that he built East Haddon Hall for Henry Sawbridge.
Could he also have designed the house ? It seems an accomplished work (more so than Teeton) and unlikely to have been designed by a Daventry builder. Mr. H.M. Colvin has suggested that the design may well be the work of John Johnson (1732-1814), the Leicester architect, who by 1775 had established himself at Berners Street, London, where he became (in 1782) employed in designing country houses, and in Northamptonshire, designed Kingsthorpe Hall for James Fremeaux, and Pitsford Hall for Colonel Money, as well as East Carlton Hall (1778) for Sir John Palmer. He would have been a natural choice for someone like Henry Sawbridge, a Londoner from a family of Leicestershire origins. [Henry Sawbridge’s great grandfather came from North Kilworth].
The design is sound, and professional, without perhaps the mark of high fashion which someone like James Paine would have given it. [If the design is Johnson’s, it is difficult to know why Nicholls did not include it in his History of Leicestershire as one of Johnson’s works.]
In the photograph of East Haddon Hall today, it may be mentioned that the service wing is a nineteenth century addition, and that the porch was added by Mr. David Charles Guthrie, M.P. for South Northamptonshire 1892-5, who bought East Haddon Hall from the Sawbridges in the eighties. Mr Guthrie also did a good deal of panelling in the interior of the house, and remodelled the gardens, a task in which he had the assistance of Sir Edwin Lutyens
One other trace of the Wagstaffs, is to be found in the Northamptonshire Record Office, where there is an estimate for erecting a farmhouse and offices for the Hon. Edward Bouverie in Hardingstone Field with plans for the layout of the whole range of buildings and ground plans of the dwelling house. The builder is John Wagstaff, and the date 1769. This might be either the younger Wagstaff, or his father. The buildings do not now exist.
Mr. Bruce Bailey has drawn my attention to an advertisement in the Northampton Mercury of December 1, 1766 in which John Wagstaff “builder” advertises a pair of wrought iron gates for sale. This is presumably the elder Wagstaff, whose will mentions “a dwelling house with yards, gardens, shops, etc. in Daventry and a barn in Brook End.” On the other hand the Universal British Directory (1791) enters under Daventry: John Wagstaff “Architect”. In this Directory, as Mr. Bailey points out, trade descriptions are careful, and few names are distinguished as “Architects”, “Mason” and “Builder” being more usual descriptions.
The younger Wagstaff of Daventry must be intended, and it is at least possible that he was the designer as well as the builder of East Haddon Hall.
His contract with Henry Sawbridge is a good example of such a document and is given in full.
Monday, 17 April, 1780
Description of Plans and Elevations deliver’d of a New House intend’d to be Built at East Haddon in the county of Northampton for Henry Sawbridge Esqre March 11th 1780.
DIGGER
To dig out the foundations and Cellars under the whole House.
BRICKLAYER
To pave the Cellar floors with brick laid in good manner and to Arch and Groin all the Cellars with good hard Brick and Build such part of the External and internal of the same Matterials [Sic] where is found necessary to provide for Coppers Ovens &c in the Office. Should it be found necessary to make a drain from the Cellars such drain to be allow’d for.
SLATER
To slate the Roof of the House with the best Westmorland first Slates laid upon good Oak lathes socked on the inside with proper Lime and Hair.
The Offices to be slated with the best slates that are now upon the Old House and socked as above.
CARPENTER
To form Centers for the Bricklayers over the different Vaults to lay Oak Sleepers to floor in principal Story with Oak Bridg’s upon the same to lay proper Riga [A Russian Pine] Girders, Beams, Summers Bridg’s Binding and Ceiling Joists to the other floors of a proper scantling agreeable to the different bearings the Ceilings on the Bed Chambers and principal Story to be framed even the Roof to be of Deal where it is found best the whole to be trus’d with King posts Brases and Strutts in the best manner the Partitions to be Truss’d where it is found necessary so as to render the whole of this Branch Substantial and Compleat The Office floors to be naked and the Roof to be Truss’d as Above. To lay a Chain of Bond timber under each floor and under the Roof of just and proper scantling.
MASON
To face the outside of the whole Building with the best Harlestone free stone to put panels over the Windows in each Front with festoons of Laurels and a Center Ornament over the door to flute the second facia with a neat Cornice upon the House Enrich’d with dentails and a pediment in the Center supporting 3 Vases to pave the Hall floor and Staircase with clean Diamond paving to pave the Offices with random paving in a Good manner Excepting the House Keepers Room which is to be of boards to put up a Chimy piece in Drawing Room Amounting yo £30 and Do in the Dining Room Amounting to £16 agreeable to designs to be deliver’d by J. Wagstaff to have mantles and Jambs of Marble in the Bed Chamber and principal Story (except as above) with neat wood Dressings the other Chimy pieces in the Attick to be of the best hard free stones with slates agreeable to the same to put up a Geometrical Stone Stair case from the principal to the Attick Story in the best Manner.
PLUMBER
To lead the Gutters Hips and Valies with Lead not less than 8 pound to one superficial foot to irrect proper stacks of pipes to convey the Water from the top of the Building and to flash the Cornices and parts where Necessary and put down a Water Closet from the Bed Chamber in a good manner.
JOINER
To Sash the House and Offices with the best Oak Sashes stuck with Astrogal [A small moulding of semicircular section] and Hollow with Brass wheels and Boxes the Office Sashes to be made agreeable to their respective places the Doors in the principal and Bed Chamber Story to be of whole deal the Front Door 3” thick and the Attick doors to be 6 pannel’d 1½ thick the Shutters to be all framed 1¼ thick with wood back linings and soffits the door Jambs in the principal and Bed Chamber Story to be all framed and pannel’d to put up proper bracketing door Cornices and to batten the External Walls of the bed Chamber and principal Story to put up a Neat Mahegony hand rail to the best stairs to put proper base plinth sur (?) base and Dado of wood round the Drawing Room Dining Room and Breakfast Parler properly Gleev’d [Glued] and Tongu’d the Architraves to the doors and windows to contain 3 Members in the principal and Bed Chamr Story and the Atticks to have single Architraves the Attick floor to be fold’d deal the Bed Chamr floor to be straight joint nail’d and the Dining Drawing Rm and Breakfast Parler to be dowel’d..
PLASTERER
The Walls of the Dining Room to be Trowel’d Stucco the Walls of the Drawing Room to be prepar’d for paper and all the other Walls to receive 3 coats floted set and whited the Ceilings the same with proper Stuco Dado’s the Cornice in the Dining and Drawing Rooms to have 3 Members enrich’d all the other Rooms in the principal and bed Chambr Story to have to have neat plain Cornices.
GLAZER
To Glaze the House and Offices with the best London Crown Glass.
SMITH
To put up plain Iron railing to the best stairs fastenings to All the Windows Cramps plugs both where necessary the Locks of the bed Chambr and principal Story to be Mortice and in Suit [i.e. en suite].
PAINTER
To paint all the Wood Work 3 times over on Oil and the Dining Room of any Colour that shall be hereafter Agreed upon.
To Compleat all the Above Business in the best Substantial And Work man like manner Agreeable to the Approbation of Henry Sawbridge Esqr and to have the whole habitable by the feast of St. Michael 1781 will amount unto the Sum of £4046.16s. – be allow’d the old Matterials.
96 The difference between the Attlebury Stone and the Harlestone free
£4142 Stone
(in Wagstaff’s own hand)
I do agree to compleat all the Above Business for the Above Sums
As Witness My Hand
John Wagstaff
Estimate 4142
Times of Payment
1780 Apr 4 100 pd
May 5 150 pd
June 1 200 pd
July 1 200 pd
Augt 1 200 pd
Sepr 1 200 pd
Oct 1 200 pd
Novr 1 200 pd
Dec 1 92 pd
1781 Jany 1 100 pd
Feby 1 100 pd
March 1 100 pd
May 1 100 pd
June 1 100 pd
July 1 200 pd
Augt 1 200 pd
Sepr 1 100pd
Oct 1 100 pd
Novr 1 300 pd
1782 Feb 11 pd 100 (Note on the back cover in the hand of Henry
Apr 6 pd 100 Sawbridge:-
23 pd 200 1782 Jan 16 pd Wagstaff for a Ceiling £30)
Sep 17 pd 100
1783 Febr 17 pd 100
Apr 29 pd 100
Sepr 20 pd 100
4142
GYLES ISHAM
Notes.
The writer’s spelling has been preserved, but where he has written Heny for Henry the ascending letter has been placed in line’
I am grateful to Mr. P.J. Storry for explaining some architectural terms, made more difficult by Wagstaff’s erratic spelling.
[Note.
I have to thank Mrs. Groome, the present owner of Teeton Hall, Dr. Philip Langstone Locton, son of the former owner Mrs. Scott-Robson, Mrs. Lewis, the tenant of the Hall for permission to inspect the house’s inside and outside, and Miss Margaret Sawbridge for the loan of documents and plans. I have also to thank Mr. Bruce Bailey, Mr. H.M. Colvin, Mr. P.I. King and Professor Sommons for advice, suggestions and help of various kinds.]