GHOSTS, CURSES AND PARTIES
Im pleased to see that Delaval hall has re-opened It's doors to the public. Delaval hall is a Grade 1 listed country house in Northumberland, designed by Jon Vanbrugh in 1718 for Admiral George Delaval. Ive been fascinated by this building for years and Ive been looking forward to a peep inside.
There is a mandatory ghost(s), a curse, a lineage stretching to William the Conqueror, a royal mistress, a bed hopping MP who blasts bribes from a canon, and a sex starved heir who died from a kick in the bollocks ! It boasts more scandals than a sunday tabloid ! What more do you want right on your doorstep.
The most interesting one for me, was Admiral George Delaval. The Admiral met his death after falling from his horse. Today the base of an obelisk to be found just off the tree fringed avenue to the west of the hall marks the place where he was unseated. Legend has it that his foot was trapped in a stirrup, the Admiral was dragged across fields and died at the very spot marked by a tall obelisk standing in a field south of the hall. I've heard from local residents that they have seen a ghostly horse running about the surrounding areas.
In 1723 the Delaval estates were inherited by the Admirals nephew-Francis Blake Delaval. A young naval Captain, who must of nearly fainted to discover that he would have to pick up the £10000 bill when the building work on the hall was completed.
He soon solved the problem by marrying Rhoda Apreece, a rich, but ageing Heiress and produced a total of 11 children - 3 girls and 8 boys, unbeknown to their parents, to live under a strange curse...
It was rumoured that as long as the estate of Ford was united with that of Seaton Delaval no man of the family would die in his bed, and so uncanny it proved to be. According to family legend a carved rams head had prounounced a curse on all male Delavals. Unfortunately Captain Francis died in a drunken fall down his own steps of the halls South portico. One-by-one all 7 of the male heirs including his only legitimate grandson all died unnateral deaths. The only exception was the Captains son Edward who survived beyond 1808, the year in which the two estates were restored to seperate ownership.
Gulp.
There is a mandatory ghost(s), a curse, a lineage stretching to William the Conqueror, a royal mistress, a bed hopping MP who blasts bribes from a canon, and a sex starved heir who died from a kick in the bollocks ! It boasts more scandals than a sunday tabloid ! What more do you want right on your doorstep.
The most interesting one for me, was Admiral George Delaval. The Admiral met his death after falling from his horse. Today the base of an obelisk to be found just off the tree fringed avenue to the west of the hall marks the place where he was unseated. Legend has it that his foot was trapped in a stirrup, the Admiral was dragged across fields and died at the very spot marked by a tall obelisk standing in a field south of the hall. I've heard from local residents that they have seen a ghostly horse running about the surrounding areas.
In 1723 the Delaval estates were inherited by the Admirals nephew-Francis Blake Delaval. A young naval Captain, who must of nearly fainted to discover that he would have to pick up the £10000 bill when the building work on the hall was completed.
He soon solved the problem by marrying Rhoda Apreece, a rich, but ageing Heiress and produced a total of 11 children - 3 girls and 8 boys, unbeknown to their parents, to live under a strange curse...
It was rumoured that as long as the estate of Ford was united with that of Seaton Delaval no man of the family would die in his bed, and so uncanny it proved to be. According to family legend a carved rams head had prounounced a curse on all male Delavals. Unfortunately Captain Francis died in a drunken fall down his own steps of the halls South portico. One-by-one all 7 of the male heirs including his only legitimate grandson all died unnateral deaths. The only exception was the Captains son Edward who survived beyond 1808, the year in which the two estates were restored to seperate ownership.
Gulp.
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