Houghton-le-Spring, Houghton Hall, Hutton's tomb

HER Number:
7853

District:
Sunderland

Site Name:
Houghton-le-Spring, Houghton Hall, Hutton's tomb

Place:
Houghton-le-Spring

Map Sheet:
NZ34NW

Class:
Religious Ritual and Funerary

Site Type: Broad:
Tomb

Site Type: Specific:
Altar Tomb

General Period:
Post Medieval

Specific Period:
C17

Form of Evidence:
Documentary Evidence

Description:
Robert Hutton, rector of Houghton in 1589, built Houghton Hall. His grandson, also called Robert, was a captain in Cromwell's Army and served in the Scottish campaign and the plunder of Dundee after the Restoration. He and the Rector fueded because of their religious differences - the younger Robert Hutton was a Puritan. The arguments are said to have been caused because Captain Hutton wanted his favourite horse to be buried in the churchyard and the Rector had refused. The grandson had then exclaimed "I would not even enter your church". When the Rector retorted "Aye, but I'll warrant thou'll come in here feet first", Captain Hutton replied "No, I'd rather be buried in my own garden". When the horse died, Captain Hutton buried it in his orchard at Houghton Hall and left instructions that on his death, he too should be buried there. This was duly carried out. The latar tomb bore the inscription "Hic lacet Robertus Hutton, Armiger, qui obut Avg. die nono 1680 et moriendo vivit". The tomb remained in the orchard of Houghton Hall until the twentieth century when it was taken to the churchyard. The tomb is marked on the Ordnance Survey first edition map of 1850 as "Hutton's Tomb 1680".

Easting:
3454

Northing:
4968

Grid Reference:
NZ34544968

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
Frank H. Rushford, c1950, Houghton le Spring: A History, pp 19-20