SPEC, Speake,—or Speke Hall, according to the more modern reading,—is situate about seven miles from Liverpool, and nearly the same distance from Prescot. The house and the estates adjacent—after passing through “several hands”—are now the property of Richard Watt, Esq., of Bishop-Burton, whose uncle, Richard Watt, Esq., merchant of Liverpool, purchased the manor from the Beauclerk family. The house is, however, “let,” and is now in the occupation of Joseph Brereton, Esq. The history of the mansion—preserved as it is from a very early period—is curious and interesting. Speke, according to Domesday Book, was “held by Uctred,” with “two caracutes of land,” and was “worth sixty-four pence.” With Uctred, however, it did not long remain; for, soon afterwards, we find it given by Benedict de Gerneth or Garnet, with Annota his daughter and heiress, to Adam de Molineux, of the Sefton branch of that very noble and chivalric family. From them it passed—by marriage with Joan Molineux, daughter of Sir John Molineux, Knt., of Sefton—to William Norris, Esq., of Sutton. From this union sprung the Lord Norris, of Rycot, and the founders of several other noble families of Lancashire and Berkshire.[65] It was held by the Norrises, in direct descent, until the middle of the last century, when it was inherited by Topham Beauclerk, Esq., by whose son it was transferred to Mr. Watt.

Speke Hall is among the best specimens of its class that yet endure in England. It is built of wood and plaster—the material employed in all the Lancashire houses of the sixteenth century. It was formerly surrounded by a moat, the remains of which are easily traced, although long ago filled up by gravelled walks and flowering shrubs in rich abundance. A stone bridge, with high piers, leads to the principal front; and the house is entered through a picturesque stone porch, immediately over which is the following inscription, in black letter of antique shape:—

The annexed woodcut shows the Stone Bridge leading to the entrance arch, from

which there is a flight of stone steps communicating with the moat; there appears formerly to have been a terrace walk on this side of the house, the situation of which is shown by the figure looking over the wall. The pinnacles and ornaments from the Gables on this side of the building are quite gone, the only ornament now remaining is the string course round the whole building which still remains in good preservation; and the window over the arch has some bold mouldings, it occupies the space below the second gable in the woodcut. A large room in the further Gable, now used as a Laundry, is said to have formerly been the Chapel: we may imagine this to have been the case by the window, which is different in size and shape from the others. On the right of the arch is a doorway leading to the moat by the flight of stone steps, also to the terrace-walk before mentioned, which is only continued on one side of the building. On each side of this doorway is a large stone seat, one of which is shown in the woodcut. The arch is ornamented with a number of small mouldings, which, commencing at one base, is continued through the impost and architrave to the base opposite.

Two large oak doors open from the porch into an inner court of an oblong form, in

length about twenty-four yards, and in breadth about seventeen. Two enormous and very venerable yew-trees still flourish here—now only picturesque ornaments in keeping with the solemn character of the structure; but in ancient times, no doubt, they answered the purpose of equipping many a stout English bowman, and may have aided the victors of Crecy and Poictiers. The principal windows of the mansion look into this court; several of them yet retain their costly ornaments, and everywhere there is to be found some indication that wealth and taste were lavishly expended in decorating the noble and beautiful structure.

Passing down the principal lobby, we enter the Great Hall on the right. It is very lofty; a fine oak wainscoting reaches from the floor to the ceiling, which is of oak also, crossed by large beams, deeply moulded, forming squares, which are again crossed, diagonally, by small moulded ribs. The large Bay

Window, as we have noted, looks into the court-yard. The huge Chimney-piece, which seems to be of a much later date than the Hall, contains a singular mass of strange forms; its peculiarities are shown in the drawing, for which, and the other illustrations of this fine old mansion, we are indebted to Mr. J. J. Dodd, an excellent artist, of Manchester. The drawing introduces the Bay Window and a projecting doorway leading to the drawing-room; it exhibits, too, the fine wainscoting, which is divided perpendicularly and horizontally into panels of various sizes; above the eye is a row of twelve panels, bearing shields or scrolls, similar to achievement shields, of Gothic shapes, on each of which is carved a head, supposed to represent one of the twelve CÆsars. Of this wainscot Seacome, in his “History of the House of Stanley,” says, “And here justice as well as respect to the ancient and worthy house, Norris of Speke, calls upon me to acquaint the reader with the bravery of Sir Edward Norris, son of Sir William, who was slain at the battle of Musselburrow, in the time of Henry VII. This valiant and heroic gentleman, Sir Edward Norris, commanded a body of the army, under General Stanley, at Flodden Field, where he behaved with so much courage and good conduct, that he was honoured by the King his master with a congratulatory letter, for his good services on the victory of that day, in token whereof he brought from the deceased King of Scots’ palace all or most of his princely library; and he also brought from the said palace the wainscot of the King’s Hall, and put it up in his own hall of Speke, wherein are seen all the orders of architecture, and round the top of it this inscription” (broken by the projections and ornaments):—

The Door-case between the great hall and large Drawing-room projects into the former, and is richly ornamented with a coat of arms and supporters. In the windows

there are still to be seen many arms painted on the glass, which add greatly to the imposing effect of the room. A seat or bench, with a rest for the feet, is continued, not only in the recess of the bow and bay windows, but all round the apartment.

Crossing the hall, a passage leading from the projecting doorway brings us to the staircase on the right, opposite to which is the entrance to the great parlour or drawing-room, on the door frieze of which is the following inscription, in similar characters to those in the Great Hall:—

While the Great Hall has been renovated and repaired with considerable taste and skill, the Drawing-room has been grievously neglected, until it has become a complete ruin. The floor has been entirely removed; every window is boarded up, mouldings from the oak wainscot are crumbling and falling down on every side, and it is not till we have remained in the room some time, and the eye is accustomed to the darkness, that we discern the elaborately enriched ceiling, which consists of fifteen square compartments, being divided by four beams horizontally, having the corners splayed off; they are of plaster, ornamented with a running stem of the hop-plant, skilfully continued throughout.

The ceiling of the Bay Window is also ornamented, but in a different style, being panelled with scrolls and ogee lines, and having in the centre an angel, apparently rising into the clouds; the seats and panelling from this window are gone, and the space is filled with broken panels, mouldings, and “firewood;” the wind and rain force their way between the pieces of board which stand in the stead of glass; and the ivy has in many places forced itself through from the outside. This Bay Window, with a square window of six lights close to it, looks into the moat. This side of the house has been quite neglected: windows are partially boarded up, and it is difficult to trace any architectural features, except the two fine Chimneys; all else is a complete wreck, exhibiting grievous proof of the want of taste and right feeling in the present owner. The Chimneys here are stone, but the greater part of the building is of wood; a few bricks have been introduced, but only because they were absolutely necessary to support the tottering woodwork from the ruin that follows neglect. Another window, at the end, looked into the garden, into which there was also a communication through an arched doorway—shown in the garden front view—having the initials carved on it. The whole of the drawing-room is of oak, from the floor to the ceiling; the panels at the top of the end adjoining the Great Hall are pierced with stars and circles of different kinds in two rows; intended doubtless to destroy the dull uniformity which must have been otherwise exhibited by one hundred and twenty panels broken only by two doorways.

It only remains to notice the Carved Oak Chimney-piece in this room, with which time has not yet made so much havoc as it has with the ceiling. From the carved figures and inscriptions on the frieze, there can be no doubt of its representing a pedigree of the Norris family for three generations. It consists of three principal compartments, separated by pairs of square columns, having their interstices occupied

by beautiful arabesque foliage of different patterns, the whole resting on a base corresponding with the extent of the fireplace, and finished with carvings of a similar kind to those filling the spaces between the columns. An inscription formerly ran along the cornice, explanatory of the figures in the different compartments, but it is entirely gone: the remainder is in a fair state of preservation, and is a good specimen of the class introduced into England, when the Italian became mixed with our English classic in domestic architecture.

The ancient Hall of Speke supplies a highly interesting example of the architecture of the period. Although time has made sad havoc among its beauties and peculiarities, and it has been shamefully neglected by those who should have cherished the old House, as “the apple of an eye,” its leading outlines still exist unimpaired; the arrangements of the several apartments may be distinctly traced; and if by some fortunate event it should happen to fall into the hands of parties capable of estimating its worth, its restoration might be so effected as to exhibit a perfect mansion of the 16th century.

Most auspiciously situated in the midst of rich and lovely scenery, surrounded by venerable trees, many of them coeval with the building, it would seem as if all the moral, social, and physical wants of the owner might be supplied by means ready at his hands. Alas! that there is no manorial lord to estimate the value of rare gifts of nature and fortune beyond the actual profit the venerable walls can be made to yield.