This mornings dog walk took me past this little place.

Firby Hall.


"Firby Hall stands beautifully within its own parkland with landscaped gardens and grounds overlooking the lakes and open fields. The hall sits in approximately 57 acres.
Firby Hall is a grade || listed building being of architectural and historical importance. The property was constructed in 1788 by Colonel Thomas Coore who on his return from fighting in the American War of Independence demolished much of the village of Firby to build the Hall and improve the views from the house."



"In the painting "THE PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN by JOHANN ZOFFANY R.A.1733-1810PORTRAIT OF JOHN YORKE AND COLONEL COORE" PROVENANCE:Commissioned by John Yorke (1733-1813) of Bewerley Hall, Yorkshire.
painted by Zoffany in circa 1769, it shows two friends fishing on the banks of the river Nidd in North Yorkshire.Seated to the right with his dog is John Yorke (1733-1813), who owned substantial estates in the area and who commissioned the picture. To his left is his friend Thomas Coore in the uniform of the 54th Foot, which he had joined as a lieutenant in 1764. In his fishing net is a perch, which has just been caught from the river Nidd. The Yorkes were a distinguished Yorkshire family, his friend Thomas Coore came from a prominent Liverpool family, his grandfather being Thomas Coore an Alderman of the City. His military career began in 1760 when he was commissioned Lieutenant in Captain Alexander Wood' s independent Company, later amalgamated to form Sir Charles Grey's 98th Foot. In 1764 he became Lieutenant in the 54th Foot, rising to Captain in 1770, Major in 1778 and Lieutenant Colonel in 1780. Judging by his uniform, he was painted by Zoffany as a Lieutenant. He died in 1821 without issue,and his property passed to his nephew Colonel Foster Lechmere Coore (1780-1837), who had married Harriet Gale in 1816. Through this marriage he inherited Scruton Hall and its estates, situated close to Bewerley.

So everyone was happy, the Americans got their independence and Colonel Coore did well enough to build himself a nice house..... well everyone apart from the peasants who had their homes demolished so they didn't spoil the view.

Interesting, Roger - the 98th Foot (Prince of Wales' Regt) later amalgamated with the 64th Foot to become the North Staffordshire Regiment.....small world!!

Following a bit more searching on the internet I found this which is quite interesting.
It would appear our Thomas Coore was a member of the Court Martial that tried Private Bartholomew Gilmore at Rhode Island in 1778.


http://h-joswick.tripod.com/primarysourcedocuments/id2.html



Court Martial of private Bartholomew Gilmore


Court Martial of private Bartholomew Gilmore, 22d Regiment of Foot, September 1778
W. O. 71/87 p. 209 - 250, Public Record Office

Proceedings of a General Court Martial held in the Camp at Rhode Island on Monday the 7th of September 1778, by virtue of Warrants from His Excellency Sir Henry Clinton, Knight of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath, General and Commander in Chief of all His Majesty's Forces within the Colonies, laying on the Atlantic Ocean, from Nova Scotia to West Florida inclusive, &ca &ca &ca. Dated at Head Quarters, in Newport, September the 2d 1778.

Lieutenant Colonel John Campbell [22nd Regiment] President.
Members
Lieut. Col. Andrew Bruce [54th Regiment] Lieut. Col. Rawlins Hillman [22nd Regiment]
Capt. Stephen Bromfield [43th Regiment] Capt. Thomas Coore [54th Regiment]
Capt. Duncan Cameron [54th Regiment] Capt. John Bachop [54th Regiment]
Capt. William Miller [43th Regiment] Capt. William Wade [38th Regiment]
Capt. Robert Lindsay [22nd Regiment] Capt. Michael Seix [22nd Regiment]
Capt. John Rowland [22nd Regiment] Capt. Thomas Cornwall [not identified]
Capt. Andrew Maxwell [not identified] Capt. Thomas Chapman [not identified]

Captain Henry Barry, Deputy Judge Advocate

Saturday September 12th 1778, The Court being assembled.

Prisoner Bartholomy Gillmore, private Soldier in the 22d Regiment and the Colonel's Company being brought before the Court, was charged with being Guilty of Desertion.

1st Evidence. Serjeant John Gilbert, of the same Regiment and Company with the Prisoner, being duly sowrn deposes, that on the Evening of the 31st of July last, the Prisoner was missing from the Company, to which he did not return for two nights, and the best part of as many days, when he was brought back a Prisoner, and without his Cloaths.

2d Evidence. Patrick Dunn, private Soldier in the same Regiment being duly sworn, deposes, that on the second of August last, being on Guard at Bristol Ferry, he, with another Soldier walking near it, found the Prisoner in a Fen, and took him to the Officer of the Guard, to whom they delivered him, and that he was then without any other Cloathing than a Shirt and Trowsers.

3d Evidence. Timothy Connel, of the same Regiment being duly sworn and examined by the Court, deposes exactly the in every respect the same as the former Evidence.

Defence.

The Prisoner Bartholomy Gillmore, being called to and put on his Defence, says, that he never had any intention to Desert, but that he got drunk the Evening he quitted Camp, in which Condition he fell a sleep, and had his Cloaths stole, and this making him affraid to return to Camp, was the cause of his remaining so long absent from it.

The Court having heard and considered the Evidence against the Prisoner Bartholomy Gillmore, as also his Defence, is of Opinion he is Guilty of the Crime laid to his Charge, being a Breach of the first Article of the Sixth Section of the Articles of War, and doth therefore Adjudge him to suffer Death.
John Campbell
Lieut. Col. 22nd Regt.
Henry Barry
D. J. Advocate
Confirmed
HClinton

Bartholomew Gilmore had a rather infamous career in the army. He was recruited in Ireland
some time after the beginning of the war, and deserted from the recruiting party. He was
apprehended, and was one of a large contingent of recruits that sailed from Portsmouth in August
of 1776, joining the 22d Regiment in American in late October and being placed in General
Gage's company. He apparently was pardoned from his sentence above, for he was tried in 1779
for robbery and another desertion, and again he was sentenced to death. Unaccountably, this
sentence was also not remitted, and he was discharged from the army in September of 1780.

John Gilbert was a baker born in 1743 in Brampton, County Norfolk. He joined the army around
1764; by 1776 he was a Corporal in General Gage's company of the 22nd Regiment, and was
promoted to Serjeant on May 4, 1778. He was wounded during the war, but it is not known
when. He was discharged in 1783, and received a pension from Chelsea Hospital.

Patrick Dunn was added to the regiment's payrolls in August of 1776, but may not have joined
the regiment in America until the summer of 1777. He served in Christopher French's company.

Timothy Connel was one of several soldiers from the 50th Regiment of Foot, who were drafted
into the 22nd Regiment as soon as the 50th arrived in America during the Summer of 1776. A
weaver from Cork, Ireland, born in 1747, he served in two battalion companies before being
transferred to the Light Infantry company in 1780. He was among the soldiers captured at
Yorktown, and eventually returned to England to be discharged and receive a pension in 1785,
having served 17 years in the army.

Fascinating research mate and a great read.

Paul

Far from it Paul, this is was his home.



Sadly demolished in 1923 for reasons unknown.

Interesting to read that Captain William Wade was present at the Court Martial. He later became C in C of the 38th Foot (later S Staffs Regt).

It's all interesting stuff Steve.
I had to share it here as my wife's face took on a kind of distant glazed look when I told her of my discoveries. She's having a bit of a sit down and is expected to make a full recovery.

Its quite reassuring to hear, Roger. I also have the same reaction from my wife, which is strange really, as she loves to visit National Trust places! I suspect, however, that her interest in such places is limited to the type of cake available in the tea rooms, rather than any historical facts or architecture!!

"...well everyone apart from the pheasants who had their homes demolished so they didn't spoil the view."

The pheasants had their homes demolished?

Sounds like something our fearless leader would say. Then he would complain about the 'news media' and talk about deporting pheasants. Sorry, Roger...couldn't stop myself.

Thanks for the post. Everywhere we lived in UK, I enjoyed researching the local history and found lots of gems like Firby Hall, the Yorkes, LtCol Coore and Private Gillmore.

All the best,
Dan

Cake.... now we're talking!

I can certainly recommend the Bara Brith at Powys Castle!! (Home to Sir Robert Clive and his amazing collection of plundered loot - I mean Indian artifacts and armour!)

You nearly had me there Dan, I had to go back and check to make sure I'd not actually written pheasants.




To be fair I'm sure said peasants depended on the Coore family for their livelihoods and were re-homed in nice new hovels much more to their liking and were very grateful.

I misread that Roger and then edited it out sorry Buddy.
love what you bin doing here with this.

Paul.

Heh heh, I had the same thought when I read this, Roger! "We fought a war precisely because of this kind of nonsense." It is a pretty property, though, isn't it?

Prost!
Brad

So Brad, you're telling me the Founding Fathers didn't treat their tenants, peasants, or whatever you want to call them like that?
Me and the pooch sped up a bit though in case we were sniped at by one of the aristocracy who fancied a spot of peasant shooting.