Mary Abney

Mary, Lady Abney ( Gunston; 1676 – 12 January 1750) inherited the Manor of Stoke Newington in 1701 from her brother. The property lies about five miles north of St Paul's Cathedral in the City of London. She had a great influence on the design and landscaping of Abney Park, including the planting of the two elm walks that lead to Hackney Brook. She is known for having sheltered Dr Isaac Watts, a Nonconformist known as the father of English hymnody for his hundreds of hymns, as a houseguest for 36 years. He was inspired by her park in his writing of hymns and poems. Background The Manor of Stoke Newington, a small farming community about five miles north of St Paul's Cathedral and then considered beyond the boundaries of London, had been owned and managed directly by the cathedral until the early 17th century. After that, they granted it to a succession of private Lords of the Manor. Early life and marriage Mary Gunston was born in 1676. Her brother, Thomas, became Lord of the Manor of Stoke Newington in the late 1600s.