Relhan Collection : 125 Cherry Hinton. Manor house

Relhan, Richard, 1782-1844

Relhan Collection

The medieval manor of Uphall, with a manor house close to the church in the drier half of Cherry Hinton, was acquired by Bishop Thomas Watson in the late C17. It passed to his brother William, who left it to his daughter Abigail (her memorial is in the church) and her husband Walter Serocold. He left it c. 1747 to his cousin, also Walter Serocold, vicar 1758-1789, and he passed it to his 4 daughters. One of these, Anne, married Dr Charles Pearce, Master of Jesus College (102), and another, Henrietta, married George Borlase, who succeeded Serocold as vicar 1789. Borlase, 1743-1809, went to Peterhouse in 1759, was elected Registrar to the University 1778, failed in an election to become Master of Peterhouse but was elected Professor of Casuistry 1788. He was also the first editor of the Cantabrigienses Graduati. Anne bought out her 3 sisters. Her heir Edward Pearce, from 1842 Pearce-Serocold, died 1849 and was succeeded by his son Captain Walter Pearce-Serocold, who sold the manor in 1864 to the Ward family, residents until the late C19. The present Uphall manor house, ’externally of early C19 character but in fact a C16 timber-framed building cased in grey gault brick c.1830 and altered since’ (Listing Description), two-storeyed and three-bayed, is shown by Relhan in a peaceful rural setting. After this drawing, about 1830, it was recased in brick and considerably extended, with a Regency style front added, probably by Edward Pearce. Mallets Manor was a smaller satellite manor to Uphall Manor and stood directly opposite, where a small causeway connected the two sites. They both seem to be ecclesiastically linked in their administration and history. Relhan’s view is more rural, and the house appears radically different after the brick encasing. It is possible it is the current rear view that he depicts, which is inaccessible at present (2020).Bullivant M pers comm; Historic England Listing description; VCH 2002