Hi all,
An ancestor of mine’s will names one relative: a William Walker of ‘Haily burryhouse in Hodson, Hertfordshire’. I have deduced that he was referring to Hailey Bury in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, which is now known as Hailey House.
The Haileybury Society website states that “In 1805, the Directors of the East India Company purchased land and the ancient Hailey Bury (or manor house) near Hailey in Hertfordshire for £5000 to build a new College for the development of young men destined for service in India.” However, the will is dated 1801 and therefore the named relative must have been living there prior to its purchase and subsequent expansion by architect William Wilkins in 1809.
Historic England states that the original building dates from 1720 and was a private dwelling until its purchase by the EIC. Another unsubstantiated source claims that William Walker was previously a surgeon in the EIC and it was he that owned the Haileybury estate. However I’m really struggling to find any records that conclusively state this information. Has anyone got any suggestions as to where I might look for further information? TIA!
