HALL-PLACE is an antient and stately mansion, which stands in the northern part of this parish, next Crayford. It was antiently the inheritance of a family who assumed their name from it, being called At-ball; the last of whom was Thomas At-hall, who in the 41st year of king Edward III. conveyed it to Thomas Shelle, of Gaysum, in Westerham; in whose name and family it continued down to John Shelley, who resided here, and died possessed of it in the 20th year of king Henry VI. (fn. 12)
His son, William Shelley, passed away this seat in the 29th year of king Henry VIII. to Sir John Champneis, the son of Robert Champneis, of Chew, in Somersetshire, and being of the Skinners Company, was lord-mayor of London in the 26th year of the above reign. He bore for his arms, Parted per pale or and sable, a lion rampant, charged on the shoulder with a mullet within a bordure ingrailed, counterchanged. (fn. 13) He had, among others his possessions in this county, disgavelled by the act of the 31st of that reign, and resided at Hall-place, and dying in the 4th year of queen Mary, lies buried in this church, leaving by Meriell, his wife, daughter of John Barret, esq. of Belshouse, in Essex, several sons and daughters.
Of the sons, Justinian, the youngest, became the only survivor, and possessed this estate in the 25th year of queen Elizabeth, being then sheriff of this county, On his death Richard Champneis, esq. his son, succeeded to Hall-place, and remained possessed of it during the reign of king Charles I. soon after which he conveyed it to Robert Austen, esq. who was made a baronet on July 10, in the 12th year of king Charles II. and was sheriff of this county that and the next year, bearing for his arms, or, a chevron gules between three bears paws erased sable. (fn. 14) He left four sons, of whom John, the eldest, succeeded him in title and estate; Robert, the second son, was of Heronden, in Tenterden, the antient seat of the family, which branch afterwards succeeded to the title of baronet, on failure of the elder line, and Edward, the third son, was of Highstreet-house, in Bexley, as has been mentioned before.
Sir Robert Austen died in 1666, and was succeeded in this seat by his eldest son, Sir John Austen, bart. who resided here, as did his eldest son Sir Robert Austen, bart. who married Elizabeth, daughter and coheir of George Stawel, esq. of Somersetshire, by whom he left three sons, Robert, Sheffield, and John, and several daughters, and died in 1706.
Sir Robert Austen, bart. the eldest son, succeeded his father and resided at Hall-place. He was sheriff in 1724, and married Rachel, daughter of Sir Francis Dashwood, bart. of West Wicomb, by whom he had no issue. He died at Bath in 1743, and was buried at Church Dane, in Gloucestershire, where there is a memorial for him. He was succeeded by his next brother, Sir Sheffield Austen, bart. who resided in Ireland; and, on his death without issue, (his younger brother John being deceased some time before, likewise without issue) the title, together with the fee of this seat, came to Edward Austen, esq. of Boxley Abbey, the grandson of Robert, second son of Sir Robert Austen, the first baronet, as before-mentioned; and on his death likewise without issue in 1760, they descended together to his younger brother, Sir Robert Austen, bart of Tenterden, who dying in 1772 without issue, the title of baronet became extinct, and he being only tenant for life, the fee of this seat and estate, by the will of Sir Robert Austen, bart. who died in 1743, became vested in Francis lord Le Despencer. After the death of Sir Robert Austen last-mentioned, this estate had been put under the direction of the court of chancery, on account of the great debts and legacies which he had left charged on it by his will, and there being large jointures on it besides, which amounted together to the full annual receipts, it is hard to say, whether the succeeding baronets, after his death, ever had possession of it, the see of it they were certainly entitled to, but none of them resided here.
Francis, lord Le Despencer becoming thus proprietor of the fee of this estate, died possessed of it in 1781, and by his will devised it to Francis Dashwood, esq. who resided at it for a few years afterwards, and he still remains the owner of it, but the mansion has been for some time occupied as a school for young gentlemen.
At a small distance from Hall-place, in the road leading from thence to Crayford, is a small seat-called Mount Pleasant, built by Richard Simms, esq. of Blackheath, on a part of the Hall-place estate, on his marriage with one of the sisters of Sir Robert Austen, who died in 1743. By her he left an only daughter, who carried her interest in it in marriage to Granado Piggot, esq. on whose death the term in it again became vested in her. It was afterwards sold to Thomas Edsall, esq. who resided here, and laid out much money on the house and premises, but becoming a bankrupt in 1778, the remainder of his term was sold to William Selwyn, esq. one of the king's council, who now resides here; but the inheritance belongs to Francis Dashwood, esq. before-mentioned.
FROM
Parishes: Bexley', The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent: Volume 2 (1797), pp. 162-183. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=62809 Date accessed: 11 September 2014.
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=62809
His son, William Shelley, passed away this seat in the 29th year of king Henry VIII. to Sir John Champneis, the son of Robert Champneis, of Chew, in Somersetshire, and being of the Skinners Company, was lord-mayor of London in the 26th year of the above reign. He bore for his arms, Parted per pale or and sable, a lion rampant, charged on the shoulder with a mullet within a bordure ingrailed, counterchanged. (fn. 13) He had, among others his possessions in this county, disgavelled by the act of the 31st of that reign, and resided at Hall-place, and dying in the 4th year of queen Mary, lies buried in this church, leaving by Meriell, his wife, daughter of John Barret, esq. of Belshouse, in Essex, several sons and daughters.
Of the sons, Justinian, the youngest, became the only survivor, and possessed this estate in the 25th year of queen Elizabeth, being then sheriff of this county, On his death Richard Champneis, esq. his son, succeeded to Hall-place, and remained possessed of it during the reign of king Charles I. soon after which he conveyed it to Robert Austen, esq. who was made a baronet on July 10, in the 12th year of king Charles II. and was sheriff of this county that and the next year, bearing for his arms, or, a chevron gules between three bears paws erased sable. (fn. 14) He left four sons, of whom John, the eldest, succeeded him in title and estate; Robert, the second son, was of Heronden, in Tenterden, the antient seat of the family, which branch afterwards succeeded to the title of baronet, on failure of the elder line, and Edward, the third son, was of Highstreet-house, in Bexley, as has been mentioned before.
Sir Robert Austen died in 1666, and was succeeded in this seat by his eldest son, Sir John Austen, bart. who resided here, as did his eldest son Sir Robert Austen, bart. who married Elizabeth, daughter and coheir of George Stawel, esq. of Somersetshire, by whom he left three sons, Robert, Sheffield, and John, and several daughters, and died in 1706.
Sir Robert Austen, bart. the eldest son, succeeded his father and resided at Hall-place. He was sheriff in 1724, and married Rachel, daughter of Sir Francis Dashwood, bart. of West Wicomb, by whom he had no issue. He died at Bath in 1743, and was buried at Church Dane, in Gloucestershire, where there is a memorial for him. He was succeeded by his next brother, Sir Sheffield Austen, bart. who resided in Ireland; and, on his death without issue, (his younger brother John being deceased some time before, likewise without issue) the title, together with the fee of this seat, came to Edward Austen, esq. of Boxley Abbey, the grandson of Robert, second son of Sir Robert Austen, the first baronet, as before-mentioned; and on his death likewise without issue in 1760, they descended together to his younger brother, Sir Robert Austen, bart of Tenterden, who dying in 1772 without issue, the title of baronet became extinct, and he being only tenant for life, the fee of this seat and estate, by the will of Sir Robert Austen, bart. who died in 1743, became vested in Francis lord Le Despencer. After the death of Sir Robert Austen last-mentioned, this estate had been put under the direction of the court of chancery, on account of the great debts and legacies which he had left charged on it by his will, and there being large jointures on it besides, which amounted together to the full annual receipts, it is hard to say, whether the succeeding baronets, after his death, ever had possession of it, the see of it they were certainly entitled to, but none of them resided here.
Francis, lord Le Despencer becoming thus proprietor of the fee of this estate, died possessed of it in 1781, and by his will devised it to Francis Dashwood, esq. who resided at it for a few years afterwards, and he still remains the owner of it, but the mansion has been for some time occupied as a school for young gentlemen.
At a small distance from Hall-place, in the road leading from thence to Crayford, is a small seat-called Mount Pleasant, built by Richard Simms, esq. of Blackheath, on a part of the Hall-place estate, on his marriage with one of the sisters of Sir Robert Austen, who died in 1743. By her he left an only daughter, who carried her interest in it in marriage to Granado Piggot, esq. on whose death the term in it again became vested in her. It was afterwards sold to Thomas Edsall, esq. who resided here, and laid out much money on the house and premises, but becoming a bankrupt in 1778, the remainder of his term was sold to William Selwyn, esq. one of the king's council, who now resides here; but the inheritance belongs to Francis Dashwood, esq. before-mentioned.
FROM
Parishes: Bexley', The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent: Volume 2 (1797), pp. 162-183. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=62809 Date accessed: 11 September 2014.
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=62809