Newby Hall, Yorkshire, England. Further historical information.

NEWBY HALL

NEWBY HALL, (the seat of the Right Hon. Lord Grantham) in the township of Mulwith with Newby, and liberty and parish of Ripon, lower-division of Claro; 3 miles SE. of Ripon and Boroughbridge, 10 from Knaresborough. Pop. including Mulwith, 52, which being united, form a township.

It is situated on the north bank of the river Ure; and usually said, but on what authority we cannot learn, to have been built after a design of Sir Christopher Wren, in 1705. The late Mr. Weddell built the wings, one of which contains the statue gallery. The dining room was built by his present Lordship. The two dogs, in Portland stone, on either side of the portico, were copied from Alcibiades' dog at Duncombe Park. The house contains several good rooms, a valuable library, and many excellent paintings: but it is most admired for its statuary, the gallery of which contains the best private collection of ancient sculpture in the kingdom, collected by the late Mr. Weddell. The statue most esteemed, is that of Venus, 5 feet 1½ inch high, purchased at Rome, and formerly well known by the name of the "Barberini Venus", as it was originally in the possession of that family. The garden and pleasure grounds are laid out with much taste; and in the former are excellent hot Houses.

Thomas Phillip Weddell Robinson, the present Right Hon. Lord Grantham, is the third Lord, having succeeded his father, Thomas, the late Lord, in July, 1786, he married, 1805, Henrietta Frances Cole, youngest daughter of William Willoughby, first Earl of Enniskillen, and has issue, Frederick William William, born April, 1810, heir apparent, and several daughters.

Sir Metcalf Robinson, of Newby, near Topcliffe, ancestor of the present family, was created Baronet in 1660, and died 1689, when the title became extinct, which was revived in the person of his nephew, Sir William Robinson, who married Mary, the daughter of George Aislabie, Esq. of Studley Royal, and had issue: Thomas, his fourth son, was created Baron Grantham, of Grantham, April 7, 1761; Thomas, the second Lord, was appointed Secretary to the Embassy to the Congress of Augsburgh, 1761; Ambassador to the Court of Madrid, 1771; and 1779, appointed first Lord of Trade; July, 1782, Secretary of State for the Foreign Department; and January, 1783, his Lordship concluded the preliminaries of peace: he married 1780, Mary Jemima, daughter of Phillip, the second Earl of Hardwick, sister and heiress presumptive to Amabel, Countess de Grey, by whom he had three sons, Thomas Phillip, the present Lord, &c. --Debrett.

In the time of Edward I. Alexander de Nubie, held this territory; who was succeeded therein, by Roger, his son and heir. In the reign of Charles II. Sir John Crosland, Knight, was seated here; he died in 1670, and was buried at Ripon, at the south end of the transept, where a brass plate commemorates his memory. He was succeeded by Sir Walter Blackett, Bart. who also lies buried at Ripon; the Blacketts sold it to Richard Weddell, Esq. and was succeeded by his son William, by whose death, in April, 1792, this, with other estates, devolved to the present noble proprietor.