Sir Francis Dashwood

In 1772 the house passed to Sir Francis Dashwood, some time Postmaster General, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and leader of the infamous Hellf ire Club, who as Baron Le Despencer also possessed one of the oldest titles of nobility in the Kingdom. The widowed Dame Rachel Austen had exchanged her interest in the Austen estates for an annuity of £800 per annum from her wealthy brother. The Dashwoods, like the Austens, had made their fortunes in the City of London, becoming prominent members of the Saddlers, Brewers and Vintners Companies.

The second Baronet has enjoyed a reputation as a rake that borders on infamy. He was a leading member of the Hellfire Club, along with the Earls of Bute and Sandwich, who were leading politicians, John Wilkes, the journalist and agitator, and Sir Henry Vansittart, Governor of Bengal and father of the future Lord Bexley. As well as drinking, the Club purportedly engaged in various pseudo-satanic rituals.

Sir Francis was MP for New Romney, 1741 -1761, succeeding his brother-in-law, Sir Robert Austen. Sir Francis held the offices of Treasurer of the Chamber from 1761 and then Chancellor of the Exchequer. The imposition of a new tax on cider proved unpopular and when the administration fell the following year, he was removed to the sinecure office of Keeper of the Great Wardrobe. The Barony of Le Despencer belonging to his grandfather, the Earl of Westmorland was called out of abeyance on his behalf, by way of compensation. He was appointed Joint Postmaster General by Pitt the Elder in 1766, a post he held until his death. In this position he became a friend of Benjamin Franklin, then Deputy Postmaster General of America.

Such a man had little need for Hall Place having many other more fashionable, or in his case, more bizarre residences to call his own. This was in many ways fortunate, for the Tudor style was now deeply unfashionable and a less wealthy owner may have been tempted to demolish the house and rebuild it in the classical or neogothic design. Instead it was left to Sir Francis' illegitimate son, (by his mistress, Frances Barry) Francis Dashwood. He lived there from the time of his marriage in 1793 to Lady Ann Maitland, sister of the Scottish Earl of Lauderdale.