Kettlethorpe, Lincolnshire

Kettlethorpe is a village in Lincolnshire, England, some 12 miles west of the county town of Lincoln and 8 miles south of Gainsborough.

The village consists of 13 dwellings with a population of just 55 people.

A history of Kettlethorpe

As its name suggests, Kettlethorpe was originally a Danish settlement, probably dating from the 9^th century. In 1356, the manor of Kettlethorpe came into the hands of Sir Thomas Swynford, who also owned the manor of Coleby

Katherine

Sir Hugh Swynford, who succeeded his father in 1361 and died 10 years later, gave Kettlethorpe its place in history by marrying Katherine Roelt, who became the mistress of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, the third son of Edward III. In 1396 John married Katherine, a remarkable proof of devotion in the days of dynastic marriages. the historical novel "Katherine", by Anya Seton, chronicles her extraordinary life

Katherine's sister, Philippa, is believed to have been the wife of Geoffrey Chaucer. Katherine's four children by John of Gaunt were legitimised under the name of Beaufort. Katherine appears to have been treated with due respect by both Richard II (John of Gaunt's nephew) and Henry IV (his son). Richard granted her the right to enclose a deer park of 300 acres, which survived until 1830. But it was a strict term of the legitimation of her children that neither they nor their heirs should ever lay claim to the throne.

This condition was simply ignored by Henry VII, whose mother was Lady Margaret Beaufort, great-grand-daughter of Katherine and John and Henry's only claim to be in the direct line of descent.

Katherine died on 10^th May, 1403, and was buried on the south side of the Angel Choir in the Cathedral in Lincoln. The Swynford line continued at Kettlethorpe until the late 15^th century. Only the gateway, some of the original stone wall of the manor tower, parts of the moat and cellar remain from this time.

Parliamentarians

The next owner of importance was Charles Hall, in the early 17^th century. Charles's ownership lasted throughout the Civil War, when on the 26^th July 1645 a skirmish took place at Kettlethorpe, at which (according to Roundhead accounts) the Royalists were routed, suffering four casualties and being chased to within three miles of Newark. Charles was returned to the Commonwealth Parliament in 1654. The brick walls surrounding the garden date from this period, and his arms feature on one of the gate pillars, which shows a talbot together with the initials CH.

In the 18^thcentury, Kettlethorpe passed from the Hall to the Amcotts family, whose arms are displayed over the door. In this period Kettlethorpe became a very large house, and the obituary for Sir Wharton Amcotts (another MP) in 1807 asserts that "...at no place was the old English hospitality kept up with greater spirit than at Kettlethorpe park".

But shortly thereafter it fell into disrepair, and the present house was essentially reconstructed out of the old manor by Weston Cracroft-Amcotts (who represented mid-Lincolnshire in Parliament) in the 1860's. The church, St Peter and Paul, was rebuilt in the early 19^th century.

The house remains something of a history lesson in miniature, with some remarkable features preserved. As well as the medieval gatehouse, walls and some curious carved heads, there is a small oak-panelled room dating from the 17^th century. A panelled dining room situated in the old tower dates from the early 18^th century, with a fine marble fireplace from later in the same century. The drawing room has a particularly beautiful stucco ceiling from the end of the eighteenth century, while the library and front hall are Victorian.

Kettlethorpe today

In 1985 Kettlethorpe Hall passed back into the hands of a Parliamentarian, the Rt.Hon. Douglas Hogg, QC, MP, Viscount Hailsham. In the 1990's his wife was given the title of Baroness Hogg of Kettlethorpe in recognition of her work in Downing Street. It is a curious coincidence that the Hogg arms, like the Swynfords', consist of a shield bearing three boars' heads.

Last updated : 22nd February 2005

For further information, please contact: katherine@kettlethorpe.com