[3]
Offley Palace is said to have been built in the eighth century by the Saxon King Offa [4], from whom the village probably takes its name. According to local legend, Offley Palace once stood where Offley Place, currently a training and conference centre [5], now stands in the Hertfordshire village of Great Offley [6].
This was where Hester Lynch Thrale [7] grew up and was first introduced to Henry Thrale [8]. At this time (mid 1700's) it was owned by Sir Thomas Salusbury [9] (Hester's uncle).
After the death of Sir Thomas Salusbury's first wife - Anne Maria Penrice [11] - the estate would have been inherited by Hester as Salusbury's closest relative. However - much to Hester's disappointment, Salusbury married again to Mrs. King [12] who inherited instead.
The Great Ash Tree - much loved by Anne Maria Penrice - in Offley Park was brought down by a heavy storm in 1760. This was the subject of these verses [13] by Hester Thrale. A year later - in 1761 - Hester Thrale wrote verses about Offley Place [14], and verses about the fall of the great ash tree at Offley Park in 1760 [15].
It was later home to George Hughes (1821-1872) and his wife, Anne Salusbury Hughes, daughter of Samuel Steward and Anne Salisbury.
Links
[1] https://thrale.com/user/login?destination=comment/reply/365%23comment-form
[2] https://thrale.com/user/register?destination=comment/reply/365%23comment-form
[3] http://www.thrale.com/sites/all/libraries/tng/photos/offley_place_2.jpg
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offa_of_Mercia
[5] http://www.offleyplace.com/
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Offley
[7] https://thrale.com/hester_thrale_1741_1821
[8] https://thrale.com/henry_thrale_17249_1781
[9] https://thrale.com/sites/all/libraries/tng/getperson.php%3FpersonID%3DI428%26amp%3Btree%3Dtree01
[10] https://www.thrale.com/sites/all/libraries/tng/documents/offley-place-1700-sir-henry-chauncys-historical-antiquities-of-hertfordshire.jpg
[11] https://thrale.com/sites/all/libraries/tng/getperson.php%3FpersonID%3DI485%26amp%3Btree%3Dtree01
[12] https://thrale.com/sites/all/libraries/tng/getperson.php%3FpersonID%3DI685%26amp%3Btree%3Dtree01
[13] https://thrale.com/ash_tree
[14] https://thrale.com/offley_park_1761
[15] https://thrale.com/fall_great_ash_tree_offley_park_1760
[16] http://www.thrale.com/sites/default/files/pictures/offley_place_1.jpg
[17] https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/Offley_place_panoramic.jpg/1280px-Offley_place_panoramic.jpg
[18] https://thrale.com/category/image_galleries/place_images/offley_place_images