Lauderdale House

Lauderdale House was one of the finest country houses in Highgate and was originally built for Richard Martin (Lord Mayor of London) in 1582 with a timber frame. In the early 17th Century it was occupied by Sir Henry Hobart, who in 1616 had built Blickling Hall, Norfolk, now a National Trust property. The house was bought by Henrietta Maria's silkman William Geere, who sold it to Mary, Countess of Home. She extended the house. In 1645 it came to Earl of Lauderdale (hence its name) as his wife Anne Home's inheritance. She thought the weight of Lauderdale's extensive library might damage the house. The library was worth £4,000 according to an estimate in her will. In 1666, Lauderdale House…