The occupation of Temple Newsam by the Ingram family and their successors spans over 300 years, from 1622 when
the house was bought by Sir Arthur Ingram, to 1922 when it was acquired from the Hon Edward Wood (later Earl of
Halifax) by the Leeds Corporation.
The history of Sir Arthur Ingram's descendants is a fascinating one. His wildly extravagant grandson Henry joined
the court in exile of Charles II and was rewarded with the title of Viscount Irwin at the Restoration. In contrast
Henry's younger son, Arthur third Viscount Irwin, enjoyed rural pursuits and fathered nine sons with his wife, the
heiress Isabella Machell. Five of the sons inherited the title in succession, and only one, the Hon Charles Ingram
produced an heir. Charles, ninth and last Viscount Irwin, married another heiress, Frances Shepheard, and between
them produced five daughters, one of whom was to grow up to become Lady Hertford, the notorious confidant of the
Prince of Wales.
The Ingram Family Tree is available as a downloadable Adobe .pdf document :
Family Tree (47KB)
There are large numbers of Ingrams in America who claim descent from Sir Arthur. They may well be descendants
of the Hon John Ingram (b1693) the fifth son of Arthur, 3rd Viscount Irwin and Isabella, Viscountess Irwin.
Traditionally he is said to have been disinherited because he married a Quaker and later settled in the Colonies.
The records describe him as apparently 'dead' in 1715. There have not yet been any conclusive pedigrees linking
any Americans with this line of descent but they may well exist.
Please note : we are unable to respond to enquiries, or undertake research, in connection with genealogical
matters.
