Little Aston Hall

It was constructed around 1730 by Richard Scott of nearby Great Barr Hall, in a Georgian style with a park and lake.

The house was restyled by architect James Wyatt for William Tennant in the early 19th century.

[2] Clarke died in 1924 and the hall was sold to Harry Scribbans, a wealthy cake maker, with only 118 acres (0.48 km2).

Unoccupied from 1950, the house became the Midlands regional headquarters of Esso in 1954, later the Head Office of Birfield Ltd.

The original hall was converted into seven superior residential apartments, whilst retaining its external appearance.

When Richard died in 1734 the property was left to his daughter Mary and therefore came into the possession of the Hacket family.

William Tennant (1713-1785) who bought the hall[6] inherited a fortune from his brother Timothy who died in 1746.

In about 1790 William commissioned the famous architect James Wyatt to make substantial alterations and additions to the existing house.

William Tennant (1783-1835) married in 1804 the Hon Maria Charlotte Anderson Pelham (1780-1840) who was the daughter of Charles 1st Lord Yarborough.

He was very religious and donated large sums of money to churches particularly to those in Adelaide, South Australia.

A detailed description was given in the “Building News and Engineering Journal” of that time which can be read at this reference.

He started life in fairly poor circumstances helping his father in the family bakery.

[16] It was during World War I that they became very wealthy selling large quantities of slab cake to the Government for the troops.

[18] The couple lived at Little Aston Hall for several years and then moved to their own house in Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield.

Ada was interviewed in 1949 and said that she renounced the inheritance for the sake of the “man she loved” but since then “her children – two daughters and a son – have told her they will not take the income from her.”[19] In 1954 the Hall was sold to Esso Petroleum Company.