Country Images Magazine North Edition July 2017 | Page 15

D e r b y s h i re -
Lost Houses
T HE LOST HOUSE S OF DER BYSHIR E
by Maxwell Craven
NETHERSEAL
HALL
Today we know Seale, in Leicestershire until transferred to Derbyshire in 1897,
as two places, Netherseal and Overseal, but this was not always the case, for
at the time Domesday Book was compiled in 1086, the chief lord was Henry
de Ferrers and under him it was held by a man called Robert. It is thought
by some commentators that this man was the son or at least next heir of the
pre-Norman holder of the land, Wideline. Be that as it may, Robert was the
ancestor of the de Seale (otherwise de Seyl) family, which continued there
until the death of Ralph de Seale when the estate was divided between his two
daughters and co-heiresses, who had married William de Wivell and William
de Stretton (of the family that were at Stretton-en-le-Field, coincidentally also
transferred to Derbyshire in 1897. Today’s Sale family claim descent from a
junior branch of this ancient family.
N
etherseal fell to the Strettons around
1180 but they allowed their rights to
be acquired by Sir Walter de Ridware
of Boylestone in the 13th century. In the early
15th century it passed with the Ridwares’
other estates to the Cottons, who also ended in
heiresses, from the descendant of one of whom
it was bought by London merchant Gilbert
Morewood in 1620. He was a Derbyshire man,
however, second son of Rowland Morewood
of Oakes Park, Norton, on the NE edge of the
county (but now, ironically, seized by Sheffi eld
in 1936).
As most of the lords of the manorial estate
following the Seales had more important manors
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