Capesthorne. 141 



by the late Sir Joseph Paxton, 150 feet long, and inter- 

 nally of the most airy and elegant aspect, and remark- 

 able for the beauty of its climbers and golden-haired 

 acacias, are among the many merits of this handsome 

 pile, which unhappily had its heart burnt out during the 

 night of September 28, 1861. The family is a younger 

 branch of the very ancient one seated at Bramhall, hav- 

 ing descended from the third of three brothers, the 

 eldest of whom settled in Staffordshire, while the middle 

 one became possessor of the estate near Stockport. 

 Capesthorne is not their primitive seat, the Davenports 

 having only entered in 1748, when it was brought as a 

 marriage-portion by a descendant of John de Ward, in 

 whose family it had been since the time of Edward III., 

 and who had acquired it in turn by marriage with the 

 daughter of Randal de Capesthorne. The ancestors of 

 the last named had assumed the name of the place early 

 in the thirteenth century ; for in A.D. 1238, there is 

 mention made in history of friendship between Thomas 

 de Capesthorne and the beautiful Lucia, lady of Gaws- 

 worth. The Davenports themselves took their name 

 from the original place of their abode, Davenport, near 

 Congleton, granted by William the Conqueror to their 

 ancestor Orme or Ormus. 



Admirable (fay-trips may be made by this line of rail- 

 way, to BEESTON CASTLE, for instance, and to COMBER- 

 MERE. For either of these, it is desirable to start not 



