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Bramall Hall in morning light, 15 April |
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The West side in evening light on 6 June |
Bramall Hall, is one of the classic Cheshire Black and White timber framed houses. It was built in the 15th century, enlarged in the 1590s and 1609 to form a quadrangle. One side of the quadrangle was demolished in the late 18th century and the house was extensively restored in 1833. It is now owned by Stockport and is open to visitors throughout the year.
The Davenports of Bramall traced their ancestry to John de Davenport, the 2nd son of Thomas Davenport of Wheltrough, who was the 2nd son of Sir Thomas Davenport of Davenport, a knight living in 1397. Over the three hundred years the male heirs married into the following local Cheshire gentry families:
Fitton of Gawsworth
Warren of Poynton
Legh of Adlington
Warburton of Arley
Booth of Dunham Massey
Warren of Poynton
Wilbraham of Woodhey
Arderne of Harden
For the current exercise I begin in the mid 17th century with the third marriage into the Warren family of Poynton. William Davenport in the third generation below had no legitimate heirs but had two illegitimate daughters, Maria and Anne, whom he adopted. Earwaker states rather discretely that the younger daughter had a "misalliance" in that she did not marry into the gentry.
Admiral Sir Salisbury Pryce Davenport, R.N., C.B. was born in Montgomery. He entered the navy aged 12 and served in numerous engagements against the French. He was involved in the engagement with the American frigate, Chesapeake, and was knighted by William IV.
Cheshire
Country Houses, by Peter de Figueiredo and Julian Treuhertz, Phillimore,
Chichester, 1988.
East Cheshire Past and Present by J. P. Earwaker,
London, 1870.
Cheshire Heroes by W. I. Wild in Cheshire Notes and
Queries, Vol. 1, page 179, December 1896