The Tate Country House
The Tate ownership lasted two centuries until the mid-18th century during which time they reconstructed and adapted the nunnery buildings to form a courtyard house, probably on the foundations of the original monastic buildings. Examples of 16th century detailing, mainly door heads, remain in the north and east ranges.
The Tate family were distinguished in national affairs. Bartholomew I (d1532) was a prominent London merchant and member of the Royal household, in military service for Henry VIII. He married Anne Saunders of Harrington in Northamptonshire and it was Anne Saunders and her third husband Andrew Wadham and her son Bartholomew Tate II (d 1601) who took ownership of Delapré. Bartholomew II became Sheriff of Northamptonshire in 1585 and appears to have made Delapré the principal family seat. He was the father of Sir William Tate (1559-1617) who was sheriff in 1603 and MP for the County in 1614, and of Francis Tate, a lawyer and antiquary.
Sir William’s son Zouch Tate (1606-51) was MP in 1640 and was a zealous Parliamentarian who represented Northampton in the Long Parliament. Zouch, who was in possession of Delapré from 1617-1650, was responsible for major alterations to the house between around 1630-40, including the remodelling of the west entrance front to form a prestigious new entrance with a projecting porch in a recessed centre between two wings with shaped gables. Zouch Tate also rebuilt the east range containing the kitchen, scullery and larder as the windows here are of early 17th century date.
In 1749, Delapre was given to Captain, later Admiral, Sir Charles Hardy (c1714-80) on his marriage to Mary Tate. Mary died shortly after but Hardy remarried and undertook a number of alterations and remodelling of the house and also the erection of the coach house and stable block to the north of the house.
In order to provide space for entertaining including a formal dining room and withdrawing room, the south range built by Mary Tate’s father Bartholomew was also re modelled and rebuilt and given a two storey elevation with a run of 12 sashed windows. In 1755 Hardy was knighted and made Governor of New York, as a consequence he spent little further time at Delapre and the house was advertised for let in 1756. Tenants included in 1762 two surgeons – Lyon and Litchfield who used the house for their medical research in inoculation.
The Tate association with Delapre was drawing to an end and finally in 1764 the house and estate was sold to the Bouverie family.