Conyngham Hall Hotel, Knaresborough Bygone Days

November 26, 2021 11:52 am Published by

In 1796 Ellen the Dowager Countess Conyngham purchased Coghill Hall with 51 acres of land from Sir John Coghill and changed the name of the estate to Conyngham House. Ellen was the widow of Henry Conyngham (Earl Conyngham of Mount Charles). Ellen was born in 1725 and married Henry in 1744. He died in 1781 leaving Ellen as Countess Conyngham of Mount Charles. She died in 1816.
The 1851 Census shows Marcus and Harriet Worsley occupied the hall. He was a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and Landed Proprietor with 10 servants, including butler, housekeeper, cook, coachman, footman, lady's maid, two housemaids and a kitchen maid.
On 27 February 1856 the hall was bought by Basil T Woodd, who was Knaresborough's Conservative MP during 1852 and 1874. The 1861, 1871, 1881 and 1891 Census shows that the Woodd family still occupied the building. Basil Aubrey Holland Woodd subsequently sold to Charles Ernest Charlesworth on 8 February 1905. Charles E Charlesworth died on 9 September 1919. Sir Harold Mackintosh, the Halifax Toffee Magnate, leased the hall and grounds from the Trustees of the late C E Charlesworth from 1925-1942.
In April 1941 the hall became an annex to Harrogate District Hospital and was used as a temporary hospital for injured soldiers. The hall was sold to the Urban District Council of Knaresborough on 3 June 1946 for an estimated £17,500.
The hall was opened as a business centre in November 1995 with funding from the European Commission, North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council.

Categorised in: Buildings, Bygone Days

This post was written by C Wealleans