The Sun.
London, England, 1804-07-21 00:00:00

(From

Pennant' 'four fr6m Downing to Alston Moor.)

Latham is placed on a most, barren spot, and con.
minds a view as e.x►ensive as dull, The hack-front
was begun by William Earl of Derby,; the rest
completed in a most magnificent manner by Sir Thc6;
alas Bootle. The house.consiSts of a ground.floor;
principal, and attic; has a rustic basement, with a
double flight of steps to the first story. The front
extends a hundred' aird filty.six feet, and has nine
windows on each floor : the offices. are joined to it
q a corridor, supported by pillars of the lonic
order.

The hall is nearly a sguare, 4.0 feet by 42 ; its
height 36 ; the saloon jo. by !24.. On this floor arc
thirteen apartments.
The ancient Latham, the celebrated seat of no-
bility and hospitality, Stood_ betweetrthe northeast
offices of the oresent house and the kitchen garden.
This place, with vast property, belonged to the
Lathatns till the year 1369, When, by the death of
Sir Thomas de Latham, it fell to Sir John Stanley,
Knight of the Garter, second brother of Sir William
Stanley, of Houton, in right of Isabel, daughter of
Sir Thomas, who married into the fortunate house,
and laid the foundation of its greatness.
Notice has before been taken of the
_share his
grandson, Sir Thomas, first Earl of Derby, had in
the placing on the throne I lenry.Vll. In-his ab.
sence, during the preceding commotions, ballad
authority tells me. that the old house of Latham was
ruined, ,and that,. on his return, he rebuilt it with
great magnificence.
When pl.tce and weete anti wisdom called
donne tins,F.arl to rest, -
lie viewed his ancient seate, and saw
The mines of his nest :
•
And null'd it doWnee and from-the ground
New-builded.Latham-liall,
So spatious that it can receive
Two kings, their trains and all.
The' bard 'appears to have a strong partiality to
the place, by the following lines, after mentioning
the-visit the Earl was honoured with by his son-in.
law Henry VII; who was so struck with the place
as to build a palace on the same model : •
At his home cOrninge pull'd down Riehruor,d,
Faire in men's estimation,
And built it new in all respe4ls,
Like I.:ithain-rwn in fashion.
The form of thii !fame mayin a great measure be
collated .from the state it Was in immediately before
the noted siege in the last, century. • In the centre
Was a lofty tower called 'the Eagles ; it had two
.
courts ; for mention is, made of a strung and high
galiway before the firtt.' The whole was burrow&
ed with a wall two yards thick, flanked by nine
towers, and this again..guarded by a moat, eight
.yards wide and tWo,deep.
Such was its situation inFebruary ! 644, when*
was possessed by the heroic Countess.; who, re.
ceiving a summons from Sir Thomas Fairfax, with
an offerof most j.innourable terms, replied, " That
she was there in a double trust, of faith to her hus-
band, and allegiance to her Sovereign; and that she
meant to preserve her honour .and obedience, though
in her own ruin." She was as good as leer wcrd ;
for, during. The :space of sixteen months, with the
assistance of a set of gallant officers, appointed and
commanded by herself, she repelled every effort to
reduce the place. Colonel Edward.Chi,enhall was
one of the gallant (deers who commanded Under
her. Hearing that the enetty boasted of their store
pf provisions, he sallied,out, and, as the expression
was, " stole their dinner." With a fortitude be.
yond her aexpshe endured all the miseries of a siege;
and beheld, with as little emotion as Charles XII.
a bomb fall through the room where she and her
children were at dinner. At length she was ttliev.
ed by the royal forces, snider Prince Rupert and her
Lord, when she retired from the place, recommend.
ing, as Governor, Captain'Edward Rawsthorn,
Who, with the spirit. of his Mistress, endured' ano.
diet siege,. till the ruin of the royal cause;. and,
by. the royal command, he yielded up the :rouse to
World BoUth, December 5, 164.5. TherreduCs
Lion was, thought of such importance, that. public
thanks were, by order of Parliament, given by the
ministers of London in all the churches. 'The place
was dismantled ,the following year ; all the floors
and wainscotting were sold, for 541. m tbd.
KnowsleY was, by order of the ruling powers, re.
paired with the lead from hence.
On the Restoration, it was 'repossessed by the.
family ; was repaired, and even inhabited the be,
ginning of this century, when the Eagle Tower,
and some parts of the wooden house, were stand.
log. The house, and this part of the estate, were
transferred to John Lord A...liburnharti, by his mar.
riage, in 1714.,. With Henrietta, daughter of Wil,
Ham, ninth Ear) of Derby. Lord Ashburnham sold
it to a Furness, who soon disposed of it to Sir ThO:
mas Bootle.---I have more 'than opce heatd a rela.
lion, which, if well founded, is a 'wonderful in-
stance of the retribution of Providence, the insta-
bility of ph' human tenure, and the strange changes
of fortune: in families, which ought to instil a most
humiliating lesson. into the Great. Previous to.the
siege. of Larlt4tai,•`one,Baotle (.aid to have been an.
Color to Sir..Thotnas), Was porter to the Noble
sowner. is said to, have taken a voluntary oath
of loyalty, but afterwards
_sided with the Parlia-
ment. At the;.storining of Bolton, he had aiCap.
tain's command in-the town ; when surrounded by
the royalists,' and seeing his old Master near him,
he applied to his torilship for 414)rter : the fellow
perished in the,rage of the asSann. Hisdesceedants
piAsess the'riost anziertr property_ of. the Peer, to
whom he had sued in
mother sirvniar anrcdote is preserved, serving
to sheW the pride of litgh lineage; and thc vanity of,
law.. ' e'a e East of Derby had on sale a, place
near 'Liverpool called 13' toile, which Sit Thomas .was_
pdr iculatly deOrOus 11", tbrOsigli the, ambition of
being thought to have been detive,t from some an-
cient stuck. The E refused to part with it to
this new to in, who. with .proptr Tint sent his Lord.
ship word (Lailtatti b.lotg.theti to bw sold),' that if
he would nui : let lent L.-ode Bootle, he was
ss,,i.c.l to be.B I,lo{,lni.
Pos,ibly the family of rite
.13it.;rie may ha ve'been,
through envy,'depfeciated ; ter,. .s hen Sir William
Durtate made hii visitation of 4tutNishire, in 1664,