Dear Joan, Who was Richard Brereton and was he involved with Tatton Hall? Joan answers:

Sir Richard Brereton was the last owner of Tatton before the Egertons took over. After owning Tatton for nearly 200 years the last Massey - Sir Geoffrey died c 1480 leaving a daughter, Joan, as heiress: she married Willian Stanley. His daughter and heir was Jane who married Sir Richard Brereton, younger son of Sir Randle B. of Malpas. Their grandson, another Sir Richard, married Dorothy Egerton of Ridley, sister of Sir Thomas Egerton born illegititmate but became a great lawyer and then Lord Chancellor. Sir Richard settled all his estates on Thomas Egerton in 1598. Dorothy re married after Richard's death. The Egertons became Earls of Bridgewater and had so much property that Tatton came to a younger son, about 1670.