Prescott Coat of Arms
The Prescott family came to Hoxne after 1619, when Sir Thomas Southwell of Hoxne Hall and Woodrising Hall, Norfolk disposed of his estates. Alexander Prescott [1562-1621] was the son of William Prescott and his first wife Margaret and the family resided at Coppull in Standish, Lancashire.
Alexander came to London in 1580 to take up an apprenticeship with John Pemberton [d.1603] the goldsmith who resided at Twickenham, London. On the 26th of November 1593 Alexander Prescott was married to Martha Pemberton [1576-1616] who was the daughter of John Pemberton at St Mary’s Church, Twickenham.
The Pemberton family came from Wrightington, Eccleston, Lancashire and most probably knew the Prescott family. Alexander and Martha were the parents of a number of children including Alexander, Edward, John, Mary and Martha. Alexander died in 1621 and his estate at Hoxne was inherited by his son Sir John Prescott [d.1640] of Radwinter Hall, Essex and Bromley, Kent who was married to Crysogena Jenour the daughter of Sir Kenelm Jenoure [d.1629] and his wife Jane Clarke.
John and Crysogena were the parents of William [d.1642] and Jane. Jane inherited the Hoxne Hall Estate and was firstly married to Sir Thomas Fisher of Islington and secondly to William Maynard [d.1704] of Bury St Edmunds the second son of William 2nd Lord Maynard.
Jane and William had no children and after her death William inherited Hoxne Hall and was afterwards married to Susan Evans [d.1727] the daughter and heiress of Thomas Evans of Bow, Middlesex. Susan and William were the parents of Thomas, Prescot and Anne. The heir to the Hoxne Hall Estate was Thomas Maynard [d.1742] whose larger than life memorial can be seen at Hoxne Church.
Crysogena Prescott was married again after the death of Sir John Prescott to Robert Style of Chickering Hall. The Style family were seated at Langley in Kent. Robert and Crysogena appear not to have had any children. It is stated the Robert built the Hall here at Hoxne, but most probably a remodelling of the old Hoxne Hall. Robert probably altered and updated his home at Chickering Hall and his will is dated to 1667. Robert was the son of William Style [d.1624] and his second wife Mary Clarke. After Crysogena’s death Robert was married to Martha Style of Westerham.
Hoxne Hall survived until the 1820s when the main core of the house was surrounded by additions made by the architect Sydney Smirke [1798-1877] who transformed and embellished the old building in the neo-classical style. At the same time Hoxne Hall became known as Oakley Park, as the Kerrison family were the owners of the Hoxne Hall Estate purchased from the Maynard family and the Brome Hall and Oakley Estates which were purchased from the Cornwallis family of Culford Hall, Suffolk.
Article provided by Stephen Govier