17th Century Touleys/Tooleys
The land on which most of the homes surrounding Russell House stand was formerly owned by the Earls of Essex and lay close to their Cassiobury Estate. Russells Estate came to the Essex family in 1628 when Sir Charles Morrison, grandfather of the first Earl, purchased what was then known as Tooleys Farm. However, there […]
18th Century – The Capel (Essex) Family
An early reference to the mansion appears in the Universal British Directory compiled between 1793 and 1798 which recorded:- “Russel [sic] Farm, built by the Right Honourable the Countess Dowager of Essex, mother of the present earl, and is now occupied by the Right Honourable the Ladies Capel, sisters to the said earl.” The “said […]
20th Century Owners
1902 Estate Sold In 1902 the Earl, by then in considerable debt, put the Estate up for sale. The advertisement which appeared in the Herts Advertiser in May described; “beautifully wooded, undulating lands, together with a superior old-fashioned mansion-house, standing on high ground in the centre of the park, approached by a long winding carriage […]