This week in Down Memory Lane we look at the Whitmore family of Orsett and where they lived.

Orsett Hall is one of the few remaining large county houses in the area, albeit now a hotel and restaurant.

The original house dates back to the 17th century, it was greatly enlarged and rebuilt for the Wingfield-Baker family in the early 18th century and the ownership passed to the Whitmore’s in the late 1800s. One photo of the house was taken in 1920 and the grounds are largely unaltered from when the Whitmore’s lived there.

A group photo of the family in 1950s possibly shows the entire family at that time.

Next we see Sir Francis and Lady Whitmore who were invited to Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation in 1953, and finally Sir Francis died aged 91 on June 12, 1962 and his coffin was carried on a carriage on its way to Orsett parish church.