This family’s history is a remarkable narrative of ordinary farmers who, through connection with the aristocratic Audley’s, clever trading and good marriages, rose to become aristocrats themselves. A will published on the death of Richard Sneyd in 1537 describes an extensive manor and house at Bradwell where they owned all the land they could see for miles around.

“Royalty is introduced from the female line through the marriage of Ralph Sneyd to Frances Noel in 1690, a descendent of King Edward III and Queen Phillippa,” says Steve. “This Ralph died in 1695 and his widow Frances leased Bradwell Hall to the relatively unknown Dutch potters, the Elers brothers.”

Now why did the mysterious Elers come to Bradwell.

Steve suggests, “Pottery in North Staffordshire was in its infancy when the brothers came to England following the accession of William of Orange in 1688. The brothers were silversmiths from Delft where successful copies of Chinese teapots were being made. In an age when tea-drinking was a court craze, a Fulham potter, John Dwight, patented copies of red clay Chinese teapots. The Ellers brothers followed the trend even though there was some suggestion they’d stolen Dwight’s patent.”

Attracted by Bradwell’s red clay the Dutchmen leased Bradwell Hall from the Sneyd’s. There was also some talk that the decision to live beyond the dense Bradwell Wood was done to protect themselves from copyists and industrial espionage. Historian John Ward mentions they were extremely wary of the local potters and took great steps to keep them at arms distance. And because of the secrecy the locals were determined to find out what was going on. 

“Paranoid about their privacy the brothers decided to leave Staffordshire,” continues Steve. “An account of a Burslem potter, who pretended to be an imbecile when in fact he was spying to collect the secrets of manufacture, added to the Ellers’ distress. All this attention sent the reclusive siblings fleeing back to London and anonymity.”

To say that I am jealous of the occupiers of Bradwell hall is an understatement.

The Sneyd’s certainly knew how to pick a location. Even now the views are panoramic turning in 180 degrees from Mow Cop and taking in the Bagnall ridge, Trentham, Hanchurch and Newcastle ending on the western horizon at the family’s other home, Keele. And inside the old hall a few remnants of Tudor England grace its 14 rooms together with Georgian moderation and a dozen other adaptations reflecting changing times and architectural whims.