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Battle of Crècy - Sir Henry Slingsby - Charles I - Battle of Marston Moor - Red House School

1086
The Domesday Book mentions the existence of Scachertorp (later Scakelthorp, then Scagglethorp) village. The site is thought to be half-way along Redhouse Lane near the Deighton Plantation.
At the time of Edward the Confessor it had been worth ten shillings but, at the survey, it was only worth six shillings.
There was land for three ploughs, with one villane and four bordars living in the village.
It was claimed by Erwin the Priest and the Ughtred family were tenants-in-chief.

14th C.
Sir Thomas Ughtred gained a licence to ‘impark his woods and crenellate his house’ in the manor of Moor Monkton and Scagglethorpe.
He built the first ‘Rede Howse’ on the mound in the Moat Field. The name probably came from the reeds used to thatch the roof.
Sir Thomas fought at the Battle of Crècy (1346) and was made one of the first Knights of the Garter.

1523
Robert Ughtred was knighted in 1523 while fighting for Henry VIII in France.
Sir Robert, as he had only a daughter, sold Scagglethorpe and the Manor house to his uncle, Sir Anthony Ughtred, who was married to Elizabeth Seymour, sister of Queen Jane Seymour.
Sir Anthony Ughtred sold ‘Le Rede Howse’ for 1000 marks to his brother-in-law Sir Edward Seymour.

1560
Francis Slingsby of Scriven, near Knaresborough, purchased the estate for £1050 from Sir John Aleyn and gained the right to enclose ‘that part of Scagglethorpe adjoining the manor house commonly called ‘The Red House’. Some of the enclosed fields can still be seen adjacent to Red House Lane.
Francis married Mary Percy, daughter of the Earl of Northumberland.

1581
Thomas Slingsby (their oldest son) was drowned in the River Nidd while trying to rescue his servant.

1595
Sir Henry Slingsby (their oldest surviving son) inherited Red House.
He acquired Moor Monkton Manor and progressively bought up small freeholds in Moor Monkton, eventually uniting the village with Scagglethorpe.
Henry was Vice President of the Council of the North and was subsequently knighted.

1600
Construction of the college chapel was begun

1606
Sir Henry made a contract with two brickmakers of Woollous to dig clay at a convenient place within the Lordship of Scagglethorpe.
The total order was for 200,000 ‘good and hard’ bricks, 12,000 ‘good and perfect thacke’ tiles and eight score ridge tiles. The cost was £40.

1607
Construction of the main house and walled gardens was begun.

1620
Construction of the original buildings was completed.
A painting depicting the Jacobean House can be seen in the front hall of the main building.
Sir Henry (Harry) Slingsby (the younger) married Barbara Belasyse, daughter of Viscount Fauconberg.

1633
Charles I stayed at Red House on his way to Scotland. He attended York Races which were held on Hob Moor in Acomb and watched Slingsby‘s horse win The Plate. So much did Slinsgby love that horse that, on its death, it was buried in the Moat Field and a statue placed on the grave. The statue now lies outside the Chapel door.

1634
Sir Henry Slingsby (the elder) died.

1644
The Battle of Marston Moor. (5km south of Red House).
The City of York was under siege by the parliamentarian armies.
Sir Harry Slingsby was put in charge of the Royalist defence of York.
Prince Rupert led a Royalist force to relieve the city.
The Parliamentarians, led by Lord Fairfax, raised the siege and moved west of York to meet Rupert. They camped on the ridge close to the village of Long Marston.
The 14,000 strong Royalist army was defeated and York fell to the Parliamentarians.

1650
Sir Harry refused to renounce his allegiance to the king.
In fear of having his possessions confiscated by Parliament, Sir Harry sold the Red House estates for £7000 to his relatives.

1655
The Marston Moor Rising.
Sir Harry was a ringleader in the uprising to take York and then Hull in support of the king.
The scheme failed due to lack of support.
Sir Harry went into hiding in Red House
According to local tradition, Sir John Bouchier of Beningborough Hall (across the River Ouse from Red House), a regicide, spotted Slingsby walking on the roof of Red House. He reported him to Parliament.
Sir Harry was arrested by a doorway in the Peach Wall as he walked to the Deer Park. He was taken to Hull.

1658
Sir Harry was executed in the Tower of London for his continued support of the King.

1691
Thomas (4th Baronet) inherited the estate from his brother.
He marries into the wealthy Savile family of Methley.
He lives quietly with his family at Red House.

1805-15
The Slingsbys leave Red House as a residence and rent the buildings.

1815
George Hopps, a surgeon and son of a Moor Monkton farmer, rented Red House and a small amount of land for £303.16s per year.

1860
The Red House buildings were extensively refurbished.
The east wing of the main house was demolished.
The north extension was added and the present façade erected.
The stable block, yard and arch were built.
The original staircase and brick inscription were moved to the chapel which was, itself, extensively rebuilt.

1861
Edward Hopps, son of George, was resident at Red House with his wife, 7 children and 4 agricultural workers.

1869
Sir Charles Slingsby, Master of the York and Ainsty Hunt, was drowned in the River Ouse, with four others, when the ferry capsized during a hunt.
Sir Charles’ hatchment hangs on the south wall of the chapel - Mors Janua Vitæ (Death the Gate of Life).

c1890
Frederick William Slingsby JP, not of the direct Slingsby line which had now died out, was renting Red House.

1871
Robert Swan, a banker, rented Red House and his household included a butler, governess, cook, housemaid, laundrymaid, nurse, kitchenmaid and 2 stable boys.

1881
Thomas Wardle lived at Red House with his wife, 2 children and mother-in-law.

1902
The Carteret School, run by C.C Lemprière, moved from High Harrogate to rent the Red House buildings, eventually becoming Red House School.

1914-16
The Slingsby Legitimacy Case.
The brothers of Commander Charles Slingsby claimed that his only son, Teddy, was a substitute for his real son who was stillborn.
In 1915 the courts ruled that Teddy was the legitimate heir to the Slingsby estates due to the similarity of his left earlobe to that of his mother.

1916
The Red House Estate, including the lands, farms and houses around Moor Monkton and Scagglethorpe Moor were sold at auction at the Royal Hotel in York. Mr Lemprière bought the Red House buildings and 25 acres of land.

1924
The Bungalow was built in front of the main building using part of the 17th century Peach Wall. It provided accommodation for the headmaster, Col. Mozley.

1975
The Gordon family took over the estate and school. The school goes co-educational.

1980
The threshing barn in the Old Farmyard was converted to the Round House.

1982
Further barns and the pigeon loft in the Old Farmyard were converted to staff accommodation (Sunset and Signal Cottages).

1985
The first Riding Holiday was held at Red House.

2001
Red House School closed.

2002
Development of the Equestrian Centre and Garden House (The Bungalow) accommodation was begun and completed.

2003
Refurbishment work on the Main Building began.

2004
Vavasour and Montrose Houses (parts of the Main Building) were completed.

2005
Prince Rupert House (19th century part of the Main Building) was completed.