Moseley Old Hall

Story

Moseley Old Hall is located in Fordhouses, north of Wolverhampton in the United Kingdom. It is famous as one of the resting places of Charles II of England during his escape to France following defeat at the Battle of Worcester in 1651. It is now a National Trust property.HallThe Hall is located in Staffordshire.Construction and early historyThe estate was owned by a Cordsall family until it was purchased by Henry Pitt of Bushby, one of the Merchants of the Staple, in 1583. He constructed the Hall around 1600 (the exact date is unknown). Originally known as 'Mr Pitt's new Hall at Moseley', it was a half-timbered building located in remote woodland. When Henry died in 1602, the Hall was inherited by Alice Pitt, his daughter, who later married Thomas Whitgreave from Bridgeford, Staffordshire, whose family came from the nearby Whitgreave.Role in Charles II's escapeAfter the final battle of the English Civil War, the Battle of Worcester on 3 September 1651, King Charles II escaped and was on the run from Parliamentarians. Charles arrived at the back door of Moseley Old Hall in the early morning of 8 September, after the journey from Boscobel House. He arrived cold and wet, disguised in workman's clothing and ill-fitting shoes that had made his feet bleed. He was welcomed by Thomas Whitgreave, the owner of the house, Alice Whitgreave, Thomas's mother, and John Huddleston, the Catholic priest of the house. They gave Charles dry clothes, food, and a proper bed (his first since Worcester on 3 September).