Exhibition: The History of Walton Hall

Owners of Walton Hall: Seagrave

Mary Seagrave (1858-1920)

The last member of the Pinfold family to own Walton Hall and the surrounding estate was Fanny Maria Pinfold who died on 30 October 1902. She bequeathed the estate to her cousin Miss Mary Katherine Seagrave (1858-1920) to whom she was related on her mother’s side of the family. Fanny Maria’s mother Anna Maria Pinfold (née Seagrave) was Mary Katherine Seagrave’s great aunt. An image of the Seagrave family tree can be viewed on this page. 

 

At the turn of the twentieth century, Kelly's Directory described the Walton Hall estate as follows: "Walton Hall, a noble mansion of brick, the property and residence of Miss Seagrave, is pleasantly seated in a well-wooded park of about 60 acres. The Manor House, built in the 13th century, is also the property of Miss Seagrave, who is lady of the manor. Mr David Cook (farmer) and Miss Seagrave are the principal landowners. The soil is light clay; subsoil, gravel and clay. The chief crops are wheat, beans, barley and oats. The land is chiefly pasture".  

 

However it didn’t take long for Miss Seagrave to put the Walton estate up for sale. By the end of March 1903 an announcement in local newspapers revealed that an auction would be held the following month at the Swan Hotel in Newport Pagnell on 29 April. The estate was advertised as “The valuable Freehold Property known as The Walton Hall Estate… comprising “Walton Hall,” a substantial Mansion with park and Woodlands, productive Farms, known as “The Manor Farm,” the “Walnut Tree Farm” and “Bodley’s Farm,” together with excellent Farm Houses and Buildings; the “Pine Tree” Inn, a fully licensed Public House, a residence and land known as “Mount Pleasant,” and 16 Cottages, the whole containing about 716 Acres.” Only one bid of £15,000 was made for the estate as a whole and was refused. In May 1903 the estate was auctioned again divided into lots and sold separately as follows:

 

Manor Farm (306 acres) sold to Mr Hensman of Milton Keynes for £8300

Walnut Tree Farm (191 acres) sold to Mr W. R. Rowland J.P. of Fenny Stratford for £2030

Mount Pleasant (25 acres) sold to Mr J. Hoskins of Golley Lane Farm for £1150

The Pine Tree Inn sold to Messrs. Phipps & Co, Brewers of Northampton for £410

A farmhouse & building sold to Mr Pitkin (or Pipkin) of London for £350

Arable land of 41 acres sold to Mr Charles Janes of Simpson for £1000

Pasture land of 14 acres sold to Mr J King of Wavendon for £450

Woodland (2 lots) totalling approx. 2.5 acres sold to Messrs. Rowland Bros., Fenny Stratford for £210

Six cottages including 2 built in 1897 (various lots) sold to Rev. W. Rice, Rector of Simpson for £625

Two cottages sold to Mr Charles Garrett of Bow Brickhill for £90

Eight cottages (various lots) sold to Mr Hensman for £335

Bodley’s Farm was withdrawn due to lack of interest.

A bid of £5000 was made for Walton Hall which was offered for sale with 69 acres, but the bid was refused. Walton Hall remained unoccupied for several months until it was purchased in 1904 by a London physician, Dr Edward Vaughan Berkeley Harley. The photograph of Walton Hall on this page was taken about two years after Dr Harley bought the estate.