Stapleton Hall, in Hornsey, has been the subject of research over the years by several other people, and this  contribution focuses on the period that the Lucas family was associated with it.

The first mention of Stapleton Hall is in the will of Joseph Lucas (1739-1807).  Joseph Lucas was a wealthy merchant in London who had an interesting life and business.   His wealth was derived from the South Seas whaling industry, but he was also a great purchaser of land and real estate.

Joseph Lucas never married and his 28 page will is the stuff of dreams for a genealogist. In it he disposes of Stapleton Hall to his nephew John Lucas, the son of his brother Rudd Lucas.  The year after the death of Joseph Lucas, in 1807, John Lucas married Sarah Lane, but she was 43 at the time of the marriage and there were no descendants.

During the time that John Lucas had Stapleton Hall it was inhabited by his brother William Lucas.  William Lucas was in fact married at St. Mary, Hornsey, in 1808, and their eight children were all baptised at St. Mary, Hornsey.

William Lucas died in 1832.  His wife survived until 1836.

After the death of his mother, Joseph Lucas, the son of William Lucas took over the lease, however he didn’t live there as he had also inherited property in Upper Tooting, south of London.   After a few years in Camberwell and Battersea, he moved in 1845 to Upper Tooting, to a residence he named Stapleton House.

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From the VCH and then look at each section.

[From p.114.] Stapleton Hall was the only house in Hornsey between Crouch End and Seven Sisters Road as late as 1861, but the streets of Islington were approaching Stroud Green Road, along the east side of which stood several large houses.

Annotated Bibliography

Here’s a bit of an annotated bibliography. I ended up just doing a cut and paste from the National Library of Canada catalogue, and then putting a few notes below. Not in any particular order at all.

• Howitt, William, 1792-1879. The northern heights of London, or, Historical associations of Hampstead, Highgate, Muswell Hill, Hornsey, and Islington / by William Howitt Historical associations of Hampstead, Highgate, Muswell Hill, Hornsey, and Islington. London : Longmans, Green, 1869. xxvi, 590 p. : illus. ; 22 cm.
  

  Examined this Oct 2001 at Vancouver Public Library. No index. Largeley concerned with Hampstead, Highgate, etc. No mention of Stroud Green or Stapleton Hall.

• Murray, Alexander, David Llewellyn Rees, and Charles Burlington. The modern universal British traveller, or, A new, complete, and accurate tour through England, Wales, Scotland and the neighbouring islands : comprising all that is worthy of observation in Great Britain … / the articles respecting England by Charles Burlington …Wales, by David Llewellyn Rees … and … Scotland, by Alexander Murray British traveller. London : Printed for J. Cooke, [1779]. 836, [16] p., [98] leaves of plates : ill., maps. ; (fol). Includes index. With the list of subscribers. Reference in source given: ESTC t110011.
  

  It has a lovely engraving of Hornsey Church which I saved as hornseychurch2.jpg. Got the image from London Ancestor. Publication not available at UBC. Check it out though, as it is part of the ESTC and might be on microfilm.

• Thornbury, Walter, 1828-1876 and Edward Walford, 1823-1897. Old and new London : a narrative of its history, its people, and its places. London : Cassell, Petter and Galpin, [1875?-1899]. 6 v. in 3 : ill., plan ; 27 cm. Includes index (v. 6). Vol. 1-2 by Walter Thornbury, v. 3-6 by Edward Walford.
  

  UBC has this at DA0677.T49 MAIN. In volume 5, page 432, is a map of Hornsey and neighbourhood in 1819. Shows Stapleton Hall.

• A History of the county of Middlesex / edited by J.S. Cockburn, H.P.F. King, and K.G.T. McDonnell. A History of Middlesex. The Victoria history of the County of Middlesex. London ; New York : Published for the Institute of Historical Research by Oxford University Press, 1911- . v. : ill., coats of arms, facsims., maps ; 31 cm. The Victoria history of the counties of England. Vol. 2 has title: The Victoria history of the County of Middlesex; v. 4-7 have title: A History of Middlesex; v. 8-10 have title: A History of the county of Middlesex. Vol. 2 edited by William Page; v. 3 edited by Susan Reynolds; v. 4 edited by J.S. Cockburn and T.F.T. Baker; v. 5-10 edited by T.F.T. Baker. Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
  

  This publication has the most detailed coverage of the history of Stapleton Hall that actually includes references to primary sources. See volume 6, p.114 and 147.Volume 6, p.104 has a map of Hornsey in 1815. Stapleton Hall is shown. Volume 6, p.112 has a map of Hornsey showing development from the mid 19th century. Stapleton Hall is shown. This publication is at UBC at DA670.A2M6 MAIN. I have not very good photocopies of both of these maps.

• Nelson, John. The history and antiquities of the parish of Islington in the County of Middlesex; including biographical sketches of the most eminent and remarkable inhabitants, with some account of several objects of interest in the adjoining parishes EDITION: Ed. 2. PUBLISHER: London, Nelson, 1823. DESCRIPTION: [2], ii, 357,[17] p. fold. map, plates

Haven’t examined this one. Stapleton Hall is right on the edge of the two parishes.

• Mingard, W. Vere. The story of Islington & Finsbury / by W. Vere Mingard PUBLISHER: London : T. W. Laurie, [18–] DESCRIPTION: 89 p. : ill. SUBJECTS: Islington (London, England)–History Finsbury (London, England)–History
  

  Another one from the NLC catalogue. Haven’t examined it. Toronto Public Library has it. Not for ILL.

• Nelson, John, of Islington.  The history, topography and antiquities of the parish of St. Mary Islington in the county of Middlesex : including bibliographical sketches of the most eminent and remarkable persons who have been born, or have resided there PUBLISHER: London : Printed for the author by John Nichols [etc.], 1811. DESCRIPTION: viii, 416 p. : ill. (fold.) map.
  

  I have a photocopy from a facsimile reprint. On page 172 is a short description mentioning Sir Thomas Stapleton.”Stroud Green, which lies to the North-west of the situation formerly occupied by the Boarded River, is a long piece of common land belonging to the copyholders of Highbury Manor: here stands an old farm house (in Hornsey Parish) called Stapleton Hall, and which was formerly the property and residence of Sir Thomas Stapleton, of Grey’s Court, in the county of Oxon, Bart. and antient family, remarkable for the number of eminent men it has produced. In the building are his initials, with those of his wife, and the date 1609. It was afterwards converted into a publick house, and within memory had in front the following inscription: “Ye are welcome all To Stapleton Hall”. Mr. William Lucas is the present occupier of the house, together with a farm of more than 80 acres of land contiguous thereto.”

• Hornsey Historical Society. Bulletin of the Hornsey Historical Society PUBLISHER: London : The Society, DESCRIPTION: v. : ill. ; 21 cm. Began in 1989. FREQUENCY: Annual NOTES: Portion of title: Hornsey Historical Society bulletin Each issue has also a distinctive title. Title varies slightly. Description based on: No. 31 (1990); title from cover. RELATIONSHIPS: Continues: Haringey history bulletin. 0951-0664 NUMBERS: LCCN: sn 91025425 ISSN: 0955-8071 CONSER: ocm23275282
  

  No locations given in the NLC for this one.

• Builder [microform] Uniform title: Builder (London, England) Call number: AW1.R7034 Published: London, 1843-1966. Subject: Architecture — Periodicals. Building — Periodicals. Later title: Building (London, England : 1966). Material: 209 v. Volumes: V.1 (Dec.31, 1842) – V.209 (Jan./Feb. 1966). Notes: No numbers issued Jan. 7 – Feb. 11, 1843. Microfilm. Ann Arbor, University Microfilms International, reels. Holdings: FINE ARTS microforms AW1 .R7034 Library has: SET 1 V.1-2 1842-44 – V.106-107 1914
  

  For a history (probably architectural) of St. Mary’s, Hornsey, see v.54 (1888), p.340. This is at UBC on microfilm in the Fine Arts Library.