I correct myself again. The only person who called it Pitzhanger Manor was John Soane for the short ten year period that he lived there. Mason's Directory of 1853 shows that "Perceval, Misses, Manor house, the Green" so Perceval's daughters lived in Ealing Green, Manor. It was the Manor simply. Going back to Pitzhanger with a "z" is a reference to a very short period in its distant history. Ealing Council marketing at its mosts confusing I am afraid.The original Pitts Hanger was a mile or so to the North on the hill which Castle Bar was on and it is from this that the name Pitshanger comes from, and not from John Soanes brief relabeling of Manor, the Green,VICTORIA COUNTY HISTORY - Middlesex Victoria County History - Middlesex. Originally published by Victoria County History, London, 1982. This has the following account of the name Pitshanger and doesn't even reference Soane's fancy of calling a Manor elsewhere "Pitzhanger"PITSHANGER manor was described as a free tenement in 1423, when it was held of Ealing manor for rent, relief, and aid. (fn. 117) The demesne consisted of c. 140 a. stretching northward from Hanger Hill to the Brent. (fn. 118) Members of the Putelshanger or Pitshanger family occurred from 1229 and in 1293-4 Robert of Pitshanger fraudulently claimed woodland at Ealing from the bishop. (fn. 119) The manor was held by William, son of Thomas Bray, in 1423 (fn. 120) and descended in the Bray family to Catherine Welby (née Bray) in 1508, (fn. 121) perhaps the Catherine on whom Pitshanger was settled jointly with her husband John Hall in 1537, with remainder to her son Thomas Webb. (fn. 122) It descended to her son George Hall and was held in 1553 by Edward Bayshe, (fn. 123) who conveyed it in 1563 to Gilbert Gerard, later Sir Gilbert Gerard, Master of the Rolls, and Gilbert Sherrington, (fn. 124) apparently to Gerard's use. Pitshanger belonged to Thomas Stevens in 1575, passed to his son Henry in 1579, (fn. 125) and was conveyed by Uriah and Anne Babington in 1596 to Arthur, later Sir Arthur, Atye, (fn. 126) who held the manor, 3 houses, with gardens and barns, and 331 a. in Ealing at his death in 1605. (fn. 127) Atye's son Robert was succeeded in 1612 by his daughter Eleanor, a minor. (fn. 128) The manor was held by Richard Lee of Kingston from 1620 or earlier until 1663, (fn. 129) when he left it to Thomas and Margaret Edwards. It descended to Thomas Edwards (1699-1757), critic, whose nephew sold it to King Gould (d. 1756). Charles Gould (1726-1806), Judge Advocate General and from 1792 Sir Charles Morgan, Bt., sold it and Botelers farm to Thomas Gurnell, who settled it in 1780 on his son Jonathan and prospective daughterin-law Susannah Swinden, (fn. 130) whose second husband was Admiral Peyton. Her daughter Mary Anne, wife of Henry Armstrong, held 429 a. until her death in 1858. (fn. 131) In 1862 the estate belonged to C. P. Millard. (fn. 132)The manor house, usually called Pitshanger farmhouse, stood near the centre of the modern Meadvale Road. A plain house of brick and tile, it was demolished in 1908. (fn. 133) The so-called Pitzhanger Manor House, Ealing Green, in 1979 the public library, stands on former copyhold land of Ealing manor. (fn. 134) The latter house, consisting of a three-storeyed central block with two-storeyed wings, was built c. 1770 for Thomas Gurnell by George Dance the younger and sold in 1799 by Susannah Peyton to John, later Sir John, Soane (1753-1837), architect, who largely rebuilt it in 1801-2. It belonged to Eric Mackay, Lord Reay (d. 1847), from 1832 (fn. 135) and was inhabited by the daughter of Spencer Perceval from 1844 until 1900, (fn. 136) when it was sold to Ealing U.D.C. Soane retained only the south wing of Dance's house, rebuilding the central block and replacing the north wing by sham ruins. Although modest in size, his villa is designed on a grandiose scale. The centre block, of Portland stone and brick, is of three bays and two storeys, fronted by monumental Ionic pillars topped by statues of Coade stone. (fn. 137) The house was adapted as a library by extending Dance's wing westward, and by additions on the north side which were replaced by the modern wing in 1938. (fn. 138) HISTORY ABD ANTIQUITIES OF BRENTFORD, EALING.....The original Pitts Hanger was a mile or so to the North on the hill which Castle Bar was on and it is from this that the name Pitshanger comes from, and not from John Soanes brief relabeling of Manor, the Green,The History and Antiquities of Brentford, Ealing, and Chiswick (1845) by Thomas Faulkner has the following entry:"There are several handsome villas on this hill, in one of which resided for some time the gallant defender of Gibraltar, General Elliot, afterwards Lord Heathfield, and where his son, the present Lord Heathfield was born.Manor of Pitt's-Hanger.—Sir Arthur Ayte, who died in 1605, was siezed of a manor, or manor farm, inthe parish of Ealing, called Pitt's Hanger, containing143 acres.In 1690 this manor was the property of Margaret Edwards, widow ; from her it descended to Thomas Edwards, Esq. the ingenious author of the Canons of Criticism, whoit is probable was her grandson. Mr. Edwards spent someof the early part of his life at Pitt's-Hanger, but afterwardsremoved to an estate which he had purchased in Buckinghamshire. After his death, which happened in 1757,Pitt's-Hanger was sold by his nephews, Joseph Paice and Nathaniel Mason, Esq., to King Gould, Esq. whose son, the late Sir Charles Morgan, Bart, alienated it to ThomasGurnell, Esq.Mrs. Peyton, some time the wife of Jonathan Gurnell,Esq. and then relict of the late Admiral Peyton, was the late proprietor. Mr. Meacock is the present occupier. Thomas Edwards, a critic and poet, born in 1699, was the son of a gentleman of London, in the profession of the law. After receiving a good classical education, he was entered of Lincoln's Inn, and in due time was called to the bar ; but like many others, he occupied himself more with the belles lettres, than with Coke upon Littleton.See Faulkner's Hist, of Kensington . p. 558,MANOR OF PITT'S HANGER. 265Having paid a particular attention to Shakspeare, on theappearance of Warburton's edition of that dramatist, in 1744, he published " A Letter to the Author of a late Epistolary Dedication, addressed to Mr. Warburton." This was followed, in 1747, by " A Supplement to Mr. Warburton's Edition of Shakspeare," a work which passed through several editions, and subsequently became famous under the title of " Canons of Criticism," the idea of which was derived from a hint given by Warburton,that he intended to construct a body of canons for literary criticism. Edwards took up this design, and framed a burlesque set of canons, which he illustrated from Warburton's notes on Shakspeare, wherein that celebrated personage appears to very singular disadvantage. " AnEssay towards a Glossary," another of Warburton's abortive designs, also furnished his ironical opponent with great scope for his humourous acuteness. The criticattacked was not of a temper to be thus assailed with impunity, and took the opportunity of a new edition of Pope's Dunciad, to introduce Edwards by name, with hisusual coarseness of invective—Her children first of more distinguished sort, Who study Shakspeare at the inns of court,Impale a glow worm, or virtu profess,Shine in the dignity of F.R.S.—Dunciad, iv. 570.The latter, however, received compensation in an ode addressed to him, by Akenside, who reflected upon Warburton in turn, and thus the affair ended. As a poet, Mr. Edwards chiefly distinguished himself by an attemptto revive the sonnet, and composed several which aremore creditable to the justness of his sentiments, than tohis powers of imagination. He was a skilful critic in the English language ; and the seventh edition of the " Canons," besides the sonnets, contains an " account of the letter Y," in which he discusses the principles of English orthography. Hepassed his life in the ease of competence and literary leisure, chiefly in London and Ealing, until he purchased266 HISTORY OF EALING.an estate in Buckinghamshire, in 1739, which from that time became the place of his residence. He died,* unmarried, in 1757, whilst on a visit to Mr. Richardson, at Parson's Green.f In 1761 appeared his posthumous " Tract on Predestination."
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