The Shrigley Abduction

Fortunately, the recent fire on moorland on the Lyme Park Estates didn't affect Lyme Hall, the mansion house which became the home of Ellen Turner following her marriage to Thomas Legh of Lyme, in 1828.

Ellen Turner was abducted from her boarding school, a Ladies' Seminary in Liverpool, run by the Daulby sisters - almost 50 miles from her home in Pott Shrigley near Macclesfield in Cheshire.                                               That Ellen was a pupil at such renowned school, was evidence not only of her privileged posiion in society but the enlightened and progressive view of education held by her parents, William and Jane Turner.  Girls in her position were usually educated at home by a governess but as her ambitious father's heir, Ellen was being prepared for a marriage equal to her father's expectations.  She received a broad education being tutored in history, reading,writing, languages as well as drawing and music and was, it appears, a model student. By receiving such an privileged education, Ellen was set apart from working class girls, who might be lucky enough receive some form of  basic education from  a Dame or Sunday school.  But compulsory educati