William Wrightson (1676–1760), The Pipe Office of the Exchequer, and the Re-Building of Cusworth Hall

Abstract

William Wrightson (1676–1760) had landholdings in both Yorkshire and the North East, and represented Newcastle and then Northumberland in successive Parliaments. In 1724 he inherited the family estate at Cusworth near Doncaster where between 1740 and 1753 he rebuilt the hall. This article makes additions and amendments to his biographical entry in 'The History of Parliament' and also describes, largely from his own papers, the workings of the Pipe Office of the Exchequer where he held a sinecure that provided a substantial supplement to the income from his landed estates, providing the means by which he rebuilt his family seat. An Appendix contains brief details of the clerks and attorneys of the Pipe Office from 1732 to 1833, when the office was abolished.