Shenley ParkShenley Park
History of Porters Park
The history of Shenley stretches back a thousand years or more - it is mentioned in the Domesday Book. The name Shenley is based on the Anglo-Saxon Scenlai, Scenlei or Senlai, which means ‘fair or bright clearing or wood’. In the early Middle Ages, south-west Hertfordshire was heavily wooded, with isolated farmsteads or hamlets in forest clearings. Shenley would have been one of these settlements.
By the 1300’s, Shenley was considered to be a convenient parish for a country estate, being within reasonable reach of London. Its pure air, after the smoke and fog of the city made it a healthy place to live. The present village of Shenley apparently grew to accommodate the families of those providing a variety of services for the country estates of the gentry. Parish Registers, dating back to 1657, include service occupations such as coachmen, bailiffs, bakers and labourers. Others worked in agriculture, as cattle drovers, shepherds and millers. Craftsmen in Shenley included tailors, weavers, shoemakers, cordwainers, brick makers, blacksmiths and carpenters. Tiles and bricks were made in the area, due to the abundance of suitable clay.
Although many of Shenley’s population were involved in humble occupations, the village was considered quite prosperous. In 1754 the village was assessed to be the sixteenth highest parish in the county (excluding the areas around St Albans) and by 1823, the rateable value of the parish was £9,796.00, with only nine other parishes in the county rating higher.
Porters Park has a lengthy history and has had many different owners in its time.
The land was granted to Adam de Stratton (Chief Baron of the Exchequor, owner of most of land in Shenley Parish at the time) by John son of Saer in 1256 as a result of payment of a fine.
In 1290 Adam de Stratton was convicted of forgery and his lands confiscated. In 1291 records show that 69 acres of land and 3 acres of meadow were conveyed by Robert de Kendall to John de Toky of Aldenham and his wife Agnes. It is not clear how the estate acquired the name of Porters, Porters Lodge or Porters Park. It is likely that in 1340 John de Toky settled on the property himself, thus calling himself John, son of Roger le Porter of Aldenham. In 1386 Margery Porter leased the Estate and in 1391 records show that Geoffrey Porter of Titburst was shown as a tenant of Porters and 'Porterlees'.
In 1403 John Stevens and his wife were tennants, in 1487 a Ralph Werall conveyed the manor and lands to Humphrey Coningsby. It passed from the family of Connigsby to that of Harvey, through the marriage of Margaret, daughter of John, son of Humphrey, with John, son of Richard Harvey. In 1529 the Estate was in the hands of Richard Harvey, then his son Henry Harvey.
The Estate passed to Sir Richard Cox around 1600, he was one of the Masters of the household of King James I together with being a founder of a local charity for the needy. Sir Richard died in 1623 but his brother remained, succeeded by his son William Cox and then his daughter followed by her son (!) until 1685.
In 1685 as there were no more Cox, John Mason acquired the Estate.
In 1714 Sir Nicholas Hawksmoor, the famous architect and pupil of Sir Christopher Wren was in residence, he died in his Millbank home in London but is buried at St Botolph's Churchyard in Shenleybury.
In 1726 Admiral Lord Howe moved to Porters and remained there until 1799. Admiral Howe provided land for the construction of Radlett Lane to link his Shenley Estate to Watling Street, Radlett. Admiral Lord Howe had a famous navel record and he had been Commander-in-Chief in America.
In 1799 the Manor went to his youngest daughter Louisa Catherine, Marchioness of Sligo who sold the Estate in 1816 to Luke White. At his death the it went to his fourth son Henry White , afterwards Baron Annaly who sold it in 1839 to Samuel Clarke Jervoise and then he later sold it in 1859 to William Joseph Myers, he later sold it to Michael Paul Grace.
In 1881 the Sanders family were in residence, presumably as tennants as in 1901 the Estate was conveyed from Michael Paul Grace to Cecil Frank Raphael. In 1901 the house was reconstructed to a larger accomodation and a new servants quarters added. Around this time two cottages in Radlett Lane were built, named Frank and Winnifred after two of his children.
During the First World War, part of the land at Porters was requisitioned and used as an aerodrome. Later Mr Raphael sold the land to Middlesex County Council in 1924 for the purpose of building a Mental Hospital. See the History of Shenley Hospital.and, several years later, two psychiatric hospitals were built on the land. The design was such that as many of the existing buildings as possible were incorporated, including the mansion, the walled garden, stables and coach houses. King George V and Queen Mary officially opened the hospital in 1934. During the Second World War, part of the hospital was used as a military hospital, with three thousand wounded soldiers being treated there.
There are some gaps in the History of the Mansion and we are currently researching to fill these. If you have any information that could help us we would very gratefully receive it, please contact us.