“A royal palace in Hackney you say?” I hear someone whisper. Yes indeed. Right here stood Brooke House a Tudor masterpiece. A place where history unfolded. Its story begins long before its most famous resident King Henry VIII.
Brooke House’s earliest mention is in 1532. But archaeological evidence suggests parts were much older possibly dating back to 1476. The house was part of a vast estate. It was called the manor of Hackney. This was a large freehold estate not a true manor. Many historians confused it with other Hackney manors like Kingshold. This is a common mistake. Brooke House and Kingshold were completely separate. The estate stretched across hundreds of acres. It included land near Clapton Roads Downs Road and Northwold Road.
In 1531 Henry Algernon Percy the sixth Earl of Northumberland owned Brooke House. He didn’t own it for long. He was plagued by ill health. His finances were also in disarray. He traded Brooke House to the King. Henry VIII visited the house in 1535. He then gave it to his minister Thomas Cromwell. However Cromwell never lived there. He returned the house to the King in 1536.
In July 1536 a significant event occurred. Henry VIII and his daughter Mary reconciled at Brooke House. Mary agreed to accept her illegitimacy and her father as head of the Church of England. The King gave her clothes as a reward.
After Henry VIII’s death in 1547 Brooke House changed hands frequently. It passed to Sir William Herbert then Sir Ralph Sadleir and finally Sir Wymond Carew. One notable tenant was Lady Margaret Douglas a granddaughter of Henry VII. She was imprisoned in the Tower of London multiple times. Her royal blood made her life quite complicated.
Brooke House’s owners included Henry Cary Ann Boleyn’s nephew and Sir Rowland Hayward twice Lord Mayor of London. The Greville family owned Brooke House for over two hundred years. They altered and expanded the house significantly.
By the mid-18th century Brooke House was a lunatic asylum. It remained one until 1940. Sadly the house was damaged in World War II. Demolition followed in the 1950s. An archaeological dig was undertaken beforehand. It was too late to save much of this historic building. Brooke Court today stands as a testament to this fascinating past. A reminder of the many lives and royal connections that once resided within its walls.