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Page 3
The ancient family residence to which I have referred was situated at
Duddeston, a hamlet adjoining Birmingham. Here the Holts resided until
May, 1631, when Sir Thomas took up his abode at Ashton Hall, a noble
structure in the Elizabethan style of architecture, which, according to
a contemporary inscription, was commenced in April, 1618, and completed
in 1635. Sir Thomas was a decided royalist, and maintained his
allegiance to his sovereign, although the men of Birmingham were
notorious for their disaffection, and the neighbouring garrison of
Edgbaston was occupied by Parliamentarian troops. When Charles I., of
glorious or unhappy memory, was on his way from Shrewsbury to the
important battle of Edgehill, {507} on the confines of Warwickshire, he
remained with Sir Thomas, as his guest, from the 15th to the 17th of
October (vide Mauley's _Iter Carolinum_, Gutch's _Collectanea_, vol. ii.
p. 425.); and a closet is still pointed out to the visitor where he is
said to have been concealed. A neighbouring eminence is to the present
day called "King's Standing," from the fact of the unhappy monarch
having stood thereon whilst addressing his troops. By his acts of
loyalty, Sir Thomas Holt acquired the hostility of his rebellious
neighbours; and accordingly we learn that on the 18th of December, 1643,
he had recourse to Colonel Leveson, who "put forty muskettiers into the
house" to avert impending dangers; but eight days afterwards, on the
26th of December, "the rebels, 1,200 strong, assaulted it, and the day
following tooke it, kil'd 12, and ye rest made prisoners, though w'th
losse of 60 of themselves." (Vide Dugdale's _Diary_, edited by Hamper,
4to. p. 57.) The grand staircase, deservedly so entitled, bears evident
marks of the injury occasioned at this period, and an offending
cannon-ball is still preserved.
Edward, the son and heir of Sir Thomas, died at Oxford, on the 28th
August, 1643, and was buried in Christ Church. He was an ardent
supporter of the king. The old baronet was selected as ambassador to
Spain by Charles I., but was excused on account of his infirmities. He
died A.D. 1654, in the eighty-third year of his age. His excellence and
benevolence of character would afford presumptive evidence of the
falsehood of the tradition, if it were not totally exploded by the
absurdity of the hypothesis upon which it is grounded. Sir Thomas was
succeeded in the baronetcy by his grandson, Robert, who in compliance
with his will built an almshouse or hospital for five men and five
women. It is unnecessary to pursue the family further, excepting to
state that nearly at the close of the last century the entail was cut
off: the family is now unknown in the neighbourhood, excepting in its
collateral branches, and the hall has passed into the possession of
strangers. Its last occupant was James Watt, Esq., son of the eminent
mechanical philosopher. He died about two years ago, and the venerable
mansion remains tenantless.
With reference to the ancient family residence of the Holts, at
Duddeston, it will be sufficient to observe, that in the middle of the
last century the house and grounds were converted into a tavern and
pleasure gardens, under the metropolitan title of Vauxhall: and for a
century they continued to afford healthful recreation and scenic
amusement to the busy inhabitants of Birmingham. The amazing increase in
the size and population of the town has at length demanded this
interesting site for building purposes. Within the last three months the
house and gardens have been entirely dismantled, a range of building has
already been erected, and old Vauxhall is now numbered amongst the
things that were.
J. GOODWIN.
Birmingham.
_"Bloody Hands at Stoke d'Abernon, Surrey._--The legends of Sir Richard
Baker (Vol. ii., pp. 67. 244.) and of a member of the Holt family (Vol.
ii., p. 451.) recall to my mind one somewhat similar, connected with a
monument in the church of Stoke d'Abernon, Surrey, the appearance of a
"bloody hand" upon which was thus accounted for to me:--
"Two young brothers of the family of Vincent, the elder of whom had
just come into possession of the estate, were out shooting on
Fairmile Common, about two miles from the village; they had put up
several birds, but had not been able to get a single shot, when the
elder swore with an oath that he would fire at whatever they next
met with. They had not gone much further before the miller of a mill
near at hand (and which is still standing) passed them, and made
some trifling remark. As soon as he had got by, the younger brother
jokingly reminded the elder of his oath, whereupon the latter
immediately fired at the miller, who fell dead upon the spot. Young
Vincent escaped to his home, and by the influence of his family,
backed by large sums of money, no effective steps were taken to
apprehend him, and he was concealed in the 'Nunnery' on his estate
for some years, when death put a period to the insupportable anguish
of his mind. To commemorate his rash act and his untimely death,
this 'bloody hand' was placed on his monument."
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