An 1818 hand-colored engraving of elements from the old hall from "Excursions in the County of Essex"
Earlier Houses: There was at least one earlier house on, or near, the site of the current house.
Built / Designed For: William Fuller-Maitland
House & Family History: In 1438, Elizabeth, wife of John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford, inherited the Stansted Hall Estate. After the Battle of Towton in 1461, the earl and his son were arrested and their land confiscated (they both later lost their heads). The estate then passed into the ownership of the dukes of Norfolk; it was restored to the de Vere family in 1485 by Henry VII and remained with them until 1582. In 1615 Stansted was purchased by Sir Thomas Middleton, a wealthy man who helped finance Sir Walter Raleigh's exploration and who had been lord mayor of London until 1613. The estate remained in the Middleton family until 1715. Repton created a Red Book for the park in 1790, but his plans were never implemented. William Fuller-Maitland, an art collector, rebuilt the house when looking for a suitable residence in which to house his art collection. The rebuilding, in a Tudor style, was designed by Robert Armstrong, who incorporated two Adam fireplaces and painted Italian ceilings from the old house into the new one. Work began in 1871 and was finished in 1876; the family continued to live at Stansted until 1921. Arthur Findlay, author of the book "On the Edge of the Etheric" and a founder of the International Institute for Psychical Research, purchased the house and estate in 1923. During World War II Stansted was used by the British Red Cross as a hospital. At his death in 1964, Arthur Findlay left the house to the College for Advancement of Physical Science, today the Spiritualists' National Union.
Architect: Robert Armstrong
Date: 1875-76
Title: Burke's & Savills Guide to Country Houses, Volume III: East Anglia
Author: Kenworthy-Browne, John; Reid, Peter; Sayer, Michael; Watkin, David
Year Published: 1981
Reference: pg. 74
Publisher: London: Burke's Peerage
ISBN: 0850110351
Book Type: Hardback
House Listed: Grade II
Park Listed: Not Listed
Past Seat / Home of: SEATED AT EARLIER HOUSES: John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford, 15th century. Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, 16th century. Sir Thomas Myddelton, 1st Bt., 17th century; Myddelton (Middleton) family here from 1615 until 1715. Heath family, 1715-1818. SEATED AT CURRENT HOUSE: William Fuller-Maitland, 1876; Fuller-Maitland family here until 1921. Sir Albert Ball, 1921-23. Arthur Findlay, 1923-64.
Current Ownership Type: Charity / Nonprofit
Primary Current Ownership Use: Other
Ownership Details: Today Arthur Findlay College, part of the Spiritualists' National Union.
House Open to Public: No
Phone: 01279-816-363
Fax: 01279-812-034
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.snu.org.uk/
Historic Houses Member: No