[6]: 76  John was a member of the Stanhope family of Low Hall who had purchased part of Horsforth in 1565.

The couple chose not to live in Low Hall and built a new house which was started two years after their marriage.

Ann's brother John Spencer (1719–1775) who was a bachelor owned Cannon Hall in Cawthorne.

His first tenant was Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Lloyd (1751–1828) commander of the Leeds Volunteers during hostilities with France in 1801.

[citation needed] The next tenant from 1843 was John Marshall (1796–1870)[11] who was a wealthy business man and member of the Leeds Council.

During his tenancy John Spencer Stanhope died and his son Walter Thomas William Spencer-Stanhope (1827–1911) became the owner.

[citation needed] From 1880 Sir Surr William Duncan (1834–1908) became the tenant and he lived there for 27 years.

In 1930 William Mathieson (1852–1943) who had lived in Horsforth for over 40 years offered to buy the hall from the Stanhope family and to donate it to the council.

William's family owned a factory in Larbert making iron goods such as stoves and gas fires.

In 1888[15] he moved to Leeds to set up a similar factory called Wilsons and Mathiesons in Forge Lane Armley.

[17] After an extensive lay-out scheme was completed and many recreational facilities the park was opened by Mr and Mrs Mathieson in 1932.