Apley Hall
Apley Hall is an English Gothic Revival house located in Stockton, Shropshire. The building was completed in 1811 with adjoining property of 180 acres (0.73 km2) of private parkland beside the river Severn. It was once home to the Whitmore, Foster and Avery families. The Hall is a Grade II* listed building claimed as one of the largest in the county of Shropshire.
The Whitmore family had been feudal landowners of Apley since 1572 when the manor was purchased by William Whitmore (d. 1593), a haberdasher of London. The will of William Whitmore, dated 6 August 1593 records:
ANNO 36 ELIZABETH. Monday next after the Feast of S. Ambrose, Bishop [4 April] Whitmore (William), haberdasher.—To George, William, and Thomas his sons he leaves the manor or lordship of Stockton, co. Salop, and his lands, tenements, &c., at Stockton, Apley, Hickford, Astley, and Norton, co. Salop, by equal thirds, in several tail, with cross remainders; remainder to Elizabeth, Anne, Margaret, Mary, "Francis," and Jane his daughters. Provision made against cutting off the entail. To Anne his wife the farm called "Balmes," (fn. 14) situate in the parishes of Hackney, Shorditch, and Tottenham, for life; remainder to all his children equally. Dated 6 August, 35 Elizabeth [A.D. 1593]. Roll 274 (15).
William Whitmore's eldest son was Sir William Whitmore of Apley, knight, High Sheriff of Shropshire in 1620, and his second son was Sir George Whitmore (d. 1654), Lord Mayor of London. Sir William resided at Apley and in 1634 purchased the manor of Balmes in Hackney, held under a lease by his father, for his brother Sir George, who there received King Charles I in 1641. Sir William's son and heir was Sir Thomas Whitmore, 1st Baronet (d. 1653).
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