The Rise and Fall and Rise Again of Seaton Deleval Hall

April 2025 Meeting Report

This month we welcomed Liz Finch, National Trust volunteer, to speak on ‘The Rise and Fall and Rise Again of Seaton Delaval Hall’.

She explained that the Delavals originated from Normandy. They were gifted their land by William the Conqueror, a reward for their support at the Battle of Hastings. They made money from coal mining and salt panning, but exporting goods was difficult as boats could not navigate the river until Sir Ralph Delaval built a sluice system creating sufficient depth for boats coming up from the Tyne.

Sir Ralph became richer and married Diana Booth in 1677.

When Ralph died, his cousin, Sir John Delaval took over but was less successful, and when Diana remarried the money went with her. Another wealthy cousin, Admiral George Delaval, came to the rescue and employed Sir John Vanbrugh to rebuild the hall in 1718. Admiral George moved in, but died after falling from his horse in 1723 before building was complete. It now passed to Sir Francis Blake Delaval, an actor, soldier and MP. He married Rhoda Apreece, a wealthy heiress, and they had 12 children. At this point Seaton Delaval Hall was extended!

These children were known as the gay Delavals, famous for their wild parties. The eldest son, also Sir Francis, inherited in 1753. He was a womaniser, drunkard, gambler and a spendthrift. The family valuables had to be locked away for safety. The second son, John, was a good businessman and ran the Hall himself. In 1749, aged 21, Sir Francis married Isabella Powlett, a wealthy 54 year old widow. He outlived her and she died in poverty.

The Delavals held lavish parties and loved to play tricks on their guests. One was the ‘upside down room’, thought to have been achieved by the clever use of mirrors.

Sir Francis died in 1771 and Lord John Hussey Delaval became the legitimate owner. His daughter, Sarah Hussey Delaval, with something of a reputation, was the original ‘Brazen Hussey’! Lord John’s younger brother Robert built a ‘cut’ to the North Sea, increasing trade massively. John’s only son, Jack, died of TB aged 19 and was the last of the Delavals.

In 1822 fire destroyed the central block. Sir Jacob Astley, its then owner, employed architect John Dobson to rebuild most of the original building. The Astleys lived there until 2007. The National Trust took ownership in 2009 and have since been involved in extensive repairs and conservation work to Hall and gardens.

Report by Kathryn McLachlan