LIVERMERE HALL STOOD SOME EIGHT MILES NORTH-EAST OF BURY ST EDMUNDS in Little Livermere, with its parkland extending into Great Livermere. The manor of Murrells (alias Little Livermere) was held by a succession of families from medieval times through to the end of the sixteenth century when, in 1597, it was acquired by William Cooke of Barrow and William Chapman, who were brothers-in-law. Six years later they acquired the ‘site of the manor of Great Livermere alias Broom Hall with the mansion house, gatehouse and closes’.

The Cooke family's ownership of property in Great and Little Livermere lasted a little over a century during which time additions were made to the estate. After the deaths of Cooke and Chapman, who in 1617 had partitioned their joint estate by allocating Broom Hall to Cooke and Murrells to Chapman, both properties passed to Cooke's son, Richard. On his death in 1688 his son, also Richard (who appears to have adopted the spelling Coke for his surname), inherited the estate but he died later in the same year. In 1692 trustees appointed by Act of Parliament assigned Richard Coke the younger's lands to the trustees of his son Arundell's marriage settlement. In 1699 they appear to have been transferred to Arundell Coke himself.

In 1709 the estate, which by then extended to more than 2,000 acres, was sold by Coke to Thomas Lee of Kensington who paid £7,500 for the manors of Murrells and Broom Hall, fifteen messuages, two dove houses, six gardens, six orchards, 600 acres of land (presumably arable), 100 acres of meadow, 250 acres of pasture, 1,200 acres of heath and the advowson of Little Livermere Church. Lee's family had owned Lawshall, south of Bury St Edmunds, since the manor there was acquired by Sir Robert Lee, Lord Mayor of London, who died in 1605. The acquisition of the Cokes’ property was followed by the purchase of further property in Great Livermere in 1715.

There are some accounts of the history of the Livermere estate which do not accord with the account given above. These relate to the ownership of Livermere Hall after 1688. It is stated that either Richard Cooke the elder or his son was responsible for building the house and that it was left to the second Duke of Grafton from whom it was purchased by Baptist Lee (Thomas Lee's son) in 1722 or 1724.