Hanby Hall is located at 15 Church Street in Alford, East Lindsey, Lincolnshire. It’s situated opposite St. Wilfrid’s church.
Hanby Hall was not built by or for a Sir Richard Hamby or Hanby. According to ‘The “Alford Fight”: Fact or Fiction?’ by Ian Haythorne, Lincolnshire Past & Present, No. 6, Winter 1991, Hanby Hall was built by John Andrews, the third son of John and Mary Andrews of Addlethorpe. It was John’s home until he died in 1789. From a date found on a drain pipe, it’s estimated the house was built around 1735. A parapet was added and the interior modified with late eighteenth century additions. It’s a red brick, Flemish bond, two-story, Georgian house with attics. Originally a five-bay in an L-plan, it was extended to the right in the late 18th century. The building was listed as Grade II on May 20, 1953.
Photo was taken August 2019 through the front gate of St. Wilfrid’s Church.
The story that an earlier Hanby Hall existed in the village and partly destroyed in 1645 during the English Civil War by Parliamentarian forces led by the Earl of Manchester who captured and killed William Hamby, its Royalist owner, was first discounted in Lincolnshire Notes & Queries, Volume 9, published in 1907, and again in Lincolnshire Past & Present, the #6 Winter 1991 and #7 Spring 1992 issues.
The following is from Lincolnshire Notes & Queries, Volume 9, 1907, pages 162-163:
The Battle of Alford – The Battle of Alford is an interesting example of a spurious tradition obtaining a wide currency; it has appeared in all the authority of print; and a local guide book gives it as an historical fact relating to the town.
What then, is the origin of the myth?
Some forty or fifty years ago there flourished, more or less, in Alford, a person named Wm. Maldon Bateman, known locally as the Alford poet. This man, for his own amusement we will hope, or for purposes of deception, wrote “A short account of the battle fought at Alford, 2 July, 1645, between the Royalists under Cavendish, and the Parliamentarians under Montague.”
On Bateman’s death the MS., bound up with a volume of a local magazine, came into the possession of Mr. B. Hibbitt, of the White Horse Hotel. Here it became an object of interest to his numerous customers, who, receiving the story with a large and simple faith, were the means of spreading it widely abroad throughout the neighbourhood. When Mr. Hibbitt died the book disappears and is forgotten, but the tradition, like John Brown’s soul, goes marching on.
No exposure would now be likely to kill it, but for the sake of the future historian of Alford, it may be well to place the truth on record.
Mr. Bateman’s narrative is briefly as follows: “The King’s forces under Cavendish came down upon Alford “with a fell swoop,” their object being to seize Sir Lionel Weldon, and to “force a route to Boston.” The plan of seizing Sir Lionel was “instigated by Sir Wm. Hanby, of Hanby Hall, Alford.” The Royalists took up a position in Hanby Park, their left resting on Bilsby Carrs, their right on Holy Well Farm, protected by swamps in their rear, and a wood, “of which a fragment yet remains.”
Sir Drainer Massingberd, of S. Ormsby, tried to hold them in check. The Parliamentary Army, under the Earl of Manchester, then came up and toook ground in Bilsby Field, its left strongly protected by swamps, and its right by Ancroft Fen. Then ensued a desperate battle, in which the Royalists were duly defeated and driven towards Willoughby, where they were met by Colonel Rossiter, “with his regiment of infantry.” “After a conflict of very short endurance the ill-fated fugitives were cut to pieces. A small party of them nearly reached Orby, but were slain to a man in the road that now forms the avenue of Boothby Hall by the enraged peasantry.” Colonel Penruddock, who was with the Royalists, with the remnant of his regiment, took refuge in the chuirch. There, they were “mercilessly slaughtered,” only the Colonel, who was severely wounded, escaping.”
We might reasonably suppose that where there is so much smoke there must be some fire, and, indeed, we find that the whole story is founded on two facts.
There was a Battle of Alford on July 2nd, 1645 – but at Alford, in Scotland, between Montrose and the Covenanters under General Baillie, when the latter was defeated. Colonel Rossiter did defeat the Royalists at Willoughby but at Willoughby, near Nottingham, on July 4th, 1648, and under the command of Sir Philip Monkton.
For the rest – Cavendish was slain in a skirmish near Gainsborough, on July 28th, 1643.
Penruddock was a west country man and probably never set foot in Lincolnshire.
There is not, and never has been, a house in Alford called Hanby Hall.
The position of the armies and the various events of the fight are a patchwork gathered from the different battles of war.
The story was reprinted in William Andrews’ 1891 book Bygone Lincolnshire, as a story told by Rev. George S. Tyack.
It seems likely that Ian Haythorne, author of the article in Lincolnshire Past & Present, was unaware the same subject had been written about earlier in Lincolnshire Notes & Queries. It’s also apparent the author of Lincolnshire Notes & Queries was unaware there really was a Hanby Hall in Alford.
In Lincolnshire, the name Hamby is a surname while the name Hanby, seems to have traditionally been a name given to things, i.e., Hanby Lane, Hanby Farm. Therefore, it seems very likely that Hanby Hall got its name in the same way. Hanby Hall was built by John Andrews. He lived there until he died in 1789. The building was known as Hanby Hall in his lifetime. William Manners was born in 1766 and later became Lord Huntingtower, He was living at Hanby Hall when he became a baronet in January 1793. His son, Lionel William John Tollemache was born in 1791. For a time, he also lived at Hanby Hall.
There is no evidence an earlier Hanby Hall ever existed in Alford. The only Hamby ever to become knighted was John Hamby of Tathwell, in 1668-9. Sir William Hamby and Sir Richard Hamby are fictional characters.