Seaforth House
Encyclopedia
Seaforth House was a mansion in Seaforth, Merseyside
England
built in 1813 for Sir John Gladstone, father of William Ewart Gladstone
who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
four times.
Sir John had lived on Rodney Street, Liverpool
and decided that he wanted to move his young family away from the city centre. The mansion was built on 100 acre (0.404686 km²) of Litherland
marsh, four miles (6 km) north-northwest of Liverpool
. The name Seaforth was taken by Gladstone from the title of Lord Seaforth
, the head of the MacKenzie family, to which his second wife's mother belonged. Gladstone also built two cottages for his wife's sisters on the land.
The Liverpool Post of 9 April 1913 recorded that the mansion "... was well remembered by many - a long, somewhat low building, having a veranda along the front, facing Elm-road", whilst John Preston Neale
observed in his Views of the Seats of Noblemen and Gentlemen "the house is not large, but is particularly commodious in the disposition of the apartments, with a pleasing exterior"
None of the contemporary descriptions of Seaforth describe the interiors, however Gladstone’s daughter Anne refers to the house in a letter to her brother Tom, saying that her father was spending so much on altering the house that it should now be called ‘Guttling Hall’ (A.M.G. to T.G., 20 October 1817). The letters mention alterations to the library and picture gallery and the building of a major extension.
In 1830 after the Gladstones had left for Fasque, Seaforth was let out to the Paulet family, who were often visited by Jane Carlyle, wife of Thomas Carlyle
. The house was demolished in 1881.
Seaforth, Merseyside
Seaforth is a district within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England. It is located to the north of Liverpool, between Bootle and Waterloo.-History:...
England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
built in 1813 for Sir John Gladstone, father of William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
four times.
Sir John had lived on Rodney Street, Liverpool
Rodney Street, Liverpool
Rodney Street in Liverpool, England is noted for the number of doctors and its Georgian architecture. It is sometimes known as the "Harley Street of the North". Together with Hope Street and Gambier Terrace it forms the Rodney Street conservation area...
and decided that he wanted to move his young family away from the city centre. The mansion was built on 100 acre (0.404686 km²) of Litherland
Litherland
Litherland is a suburban village in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England. It was formerly an urban district, which included Seaforth and Ford...
marsh, four miles (6 km) north-northwest of Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. The name Seaforth was taken by Gladstone from the title of Lord Seaforth
Francis Mackenzie, 1st Baron Seaforth
Francis Humberston Mackenzie, 1st Baron Seaforth FRS was a British politician and general and Chief of the Highland Clan Mackenzie....
, the head of the MacKenzie family, to which his second wife's mother belonged. Gladstone also built two cottages for his wife's sisters on the land.
The Liverpool Post of 9 April 1913 recorded that the mansion "... was well remembered by many - a long, somewhat low building, having a veranda along the front, facing Elm-road", whilst John Preston Neale
John Preston Neale
-Life:Neale's earliest works were drawings of insects. While in search of specimens in Hornsey Wood in the spring of 1796, Neale met John Varley the water-colour painter. Together they projected a work to be entitled ‘The Picturesque Cabinet of Nature,’ for which Varley was to make the landscape...
observed in his Views of the Seats of Noblemen and Gentlemen "the house is not large, but is particularly commodious in the disposition of the apartments, with a pleasing exterior"
None of the contemporary descriptions of Seaforth describe the interiors, however Gladstone’s daughter Anne refers to the house in a letter to her brother Tom, saying that her father was spending so much on altering the house that it should now be called ‘Guttling Hall’ (A.M.G. to T.G., 20 October 1817). The letters mention alterations to the library and picture gallery and the building of a major extension.
In 1830 after the Gladstones had left for Fasque, Seaforth was let out to the Paulet family, who were often visited by Jane Carlyle, wife of Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle was a Scottish satirical writer, essayist, historian and teacher during the Victorian era.He called economics "the dismal science", wrote articles for the Edinburgh Encyclopedia, and became a controversial social commentator.Coming from a strict Calvinist family, Carlyle was...
. The house was demolished in 1881.