Joseph Lucas senior was born in Leeds in 1819 and was apprenticed to the building trade before walking to London where he set up a successful building business. His son Joseph Lucas junior (1851-1924) was a builder too, and also a Congregational minister.  In his late 40s, Joseph junior built himself a stately home at Foxhunt Manor, Waldron, in 1898.  His wife died there in 1904, and was buried in Waldron churchyard. In her memory, Joseph built and paid for the Village Hall in Waldron that bears their surname, and also the adjoining recreation ground.

Twenty or so years later Joseph Lucas sold the house and estate to the Oakshott family who lived there until 1935 when it was bought by lay teaching Brothers of the Xaverian Catholic Religious Order who ran it as a boys’ Prep School.  The school closed in 1959 and the estate became a convent for The Order of the Visitation.

Neither Joseph Lucas (senior or junior) should be confused with Joseph Lucas of Birmingham who founded Lucas Industries, initially specialising in lamps burning paraffin, petroleum and acetylene, The company progressed to automotive electrical components and as Joseph Lucas Ltd became the principal supplier to British manufacturers (of motorcycles especially)”.