From this time onwards Fryston Hall was the meeting place of famous literary people as guests of Richard Monckton-Milnes, Lord Houghton, who was born there in 1809. He was M.P. for Pontefract from 1837 to 1863. Richard Monckton-Milnes was Florence Nightingale's romantic interest as far as history is concerned. Theirs was a seven year courtship but when Milnes, whom she called "the man I adore," begged her to marry him, she refused. Tennyson, Hallam, Maurice, French, Alford and Spedding all visited the Hall, and in 1841 we have Carlyle and Mr. Disraeli. In 1844 Richard Monckton-Milnes is portrayed as Mr. Vavasour in Disraeli's 'Tancred". In the last 20 years of the Nineteenth Century Prince Edward (Edward VII) was a frequent visitor and hunted in the Fryston Woods.
The Monckton-Miles library was famous in its day but unfortunately suffered from a major fire in 1876 after which some of the surviving books were dispersed and the remainder distributed among Lord Houghton's descendants.
The Hall was eventually demolished in 1934, the recovered stone being used to build the Holy Cross Church in Airedale.
 |
 |
| Lord Houghton & his son were staying at the Shelburne Hotel
in Dublin on the night of the 16th. November 1876. It was here they received
a telegram at 6:00am on the 17th. telling them
the news of the tragic fire at Fryston Hall which had actually started on the
16th. of November 1876 at 10:30pm. The telegram simply stated that the
Hall was
on fire. Houghton also received the following news, "All valuables saved,
except what was in the tower!!! All the front of the building was gone, from
roof
to
entrance
hall." On the 20th November, Houghton wrote to Henry Bright stating that his daughters had lost all their valuables, even documents, personal letters and childhood memories were now gone! Although we can find no actual date for this piece of information it is on official record that shortly after the fire, "Houghton made name of all those in service who had taken part in 'the brave efforts to save the Hall', and having secured lists made from all the individuals who volunteered. Houghton then presented a handsome token to each one, for their gallant efforts." Of what he offered to each, no one knows!!!.... but this item could most certainly be one such result. |
