Who Lives in a House Like This?

Henry Allington Pye was a local solicitor, born in Swinhope in 1799. In 1855 Henry built a Seaside Mansion on reclaimed land in Somercotes. Somewhat of a novelty, Pye’s Hall had steps up to the front door, living rooms on the first floor and en suite bathrooms. There was even a shed for the Donna Nook lifeboat!

Apart from Pyes Hall, he had two other large properties constructed in Louth; the Cedars in St Mary’s Lane and the Firs in Westgate. Henry enjoyed success and held the position of County Treasurer, among other important roles based on trust. Unfortunately, Henry’s fondness for large houses and lack of business judgement meant that by 1868 he owed £100,000 to creditors, which was a huge sum at the time. A local newspaper reported that funds, of which Henry was the custodian, had gone missing. Unable to repay his creditors, Henry fled.

He headed to Pye’s Hall, rowed out to sea and boarded a ship in the Humber, eventually ending up in Belgium where he died in 1883. Sadly abandoned, Pye’s Hall was demolished around 1972. The site of the Hall now lies within the wetland created by the breach discussed in the previous post.

Henry’s daughter Charlotte (known as Claribel) was a popular poet and songwriter in Victorian London. Many of her poems reflect her childhood at Pye’s Hall. You can read more about Claribel on the link below.

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