On this day in 1733 it was recorded in the Court minutes that Ambrose Dickins, Claudius Amyand, William Petty, John Shott, William Parker and Luke Maurice should receive proposals for building a cupola in the Hall parlour and report the same to the next Court of Assistants. There is no further mention of the cupola until some years later when on 13 August 1752 it was ordered that the Master and Wardens treat with Mr Thomas Reynolds about erecting a cupola over the great parlour, repairing the roof, repairing whitewashing and painting the parlour at a cost not to exceed £117. An Agreement to carry out the work was made on 19 August and the specification of his work is recorded in the minutes as follows:
"The Cupola compleat and properly secured glazed and ornamented with Stucco and the Roof covered with Milled lead seven pounds to the ffoot with good brass pulley in the middle fit for a Branch or Lustre. A new white veined marble Chimney piece and Slabb with a carved wooden ovalo round it and Slabb of the same Marble The Chimney piece of the same dimensions as the present and the Slabb six foot nine inches by two foot four inches with a new fire stone hearth. The ceiling and ornaments thereof to he secured mended cleaned and whitewashed."
The Parlour became the Great Hall in the late 1860s. The two photographs below show the cupola c. 1890 and the drawing depicts the outside of the Hall with the cupola on the North wing.
