MIDDLE CLAYDON
Claindone (xi cent.); Little Claydon (xiii, xiv
cent.).
This parish has an area of nearly 2,640 acres, of
which more than half is arable land, the remainder
being divided between meadow and woodland. (fn. 1) The
height of the land above the ordnance datum varies
from 287 ft. to a maximum height of about 410 ft.
at Runt's Wood in the south-east of the parish. The
ancient Three Points Lane, running north-west to
north of Runt's Wood, is part of the eastern boundary
of the parish, and Claydon Brook bounds it on the
north-west. The soil is clay loam with beds of sand
and gravel; the subsoil is clay. The chief feature of
this parish is Claydon Park. Centrally situated, it
covers over 300 acres, including three fine pieces of
water. In it stands Claydon House, the seat of
Sir Harry Calvert Williams Verney, bart., who owns
the whole of the parish except the Glebe and a small
portion belonging to the railway. Claydon House
was originally built in the time of Henry VII, probably by Roger Gifford (or Giffard), lessee under the
first Sir Ralph Verney. (fn. 2) Known as Gifford's Farmhouse in 1732, (fn. 3) it was enlarged by the first Viscount
Fermanagh, and almost entirely rebuilt on a grand
scale from Adam's designs in the middle 18th century
by Ralph, the second Earl Verney. (fn. 4) His successor,
Mary Baroness Fermanagh, pulled down the greater
part of the new building, retaining only the south
front. (fn. 5) Considerable alterations and repairs were
carried out in the mid-19th century. (fn. 6)
In its present state Claydon House, as far as
external appearance goes, is a fine 18th-century building,
but although retaining much 17th-century internal detail, it is probably of 16th-century construction. It is of
three stories with an attic, the principal front looking
westwards. The oldest detail is some panelling of
early 17th-century date in an attic room, while on the
ground floor are some ceiling beams of the middle of
the 17th century, with a chimneypiece of the same
date bearing the arms of Verney. A fine room on the
first floor has chimneypiece, doorways and low panelling of the time of Charles II, and there is also some
good later woodwork of the beginning of the 18th
century, and an iron fireback dated 1664. The
muniment room here contains many early documents
and a large collection of letters chiefly of the 17th
and 18th centuries. (fn. 7) The church stands to the
south-west of Claydon House. The village of Middle
Claydon lies to the north of the park with the
rectory (fn. 8) and the almshouses, which originally stood
to the north-west of the churchyard, but were
removed by Ralph, second Earl Verney, to their
present position. (fn. 9) North-east of the village is
Townsend Farm and the cemetery, dating from 1877.
West of the park are brick and tile works. Glebe
Farm lies in the north-west of the parish, and
Muxwell Farm, a 17-century brick house with a
thatched roof, just within its eastern borders;
Knowlhill Farm, another 17th-century brick and
timber house with a thatched roof, is near Home Wood.
Manor
Under King Edward the Confessor,
Alwin, one of his thegns, held [MIDDLE]
CLAYDON MANOR, which was held in
1086 by William Peverel. (fn. 10) It formed two knights'
fees of the honour of Peverel, (fn. 11) held of the king in
chief, (fn. 12) the last direct reference to the honour in this
connexion occurring in 1517. (fn. 13) In 1525 (fn. 14) and
1559 the overlordship was vested in the Earls of
Rutland. (fn. 15)
Two of the three fees held by Ralph de Gresley
of the honour of Peverel in 1211 correspond to
Middle Claydon. (fn. 16) He presented to the church in 1231. (fn. 17)
His daughter and heir Agnes
married Hugh Fitz Ralph, (fn. 18)
who was holding in 1234. (fn. 19)
His son Ralph held the manor
before 1258, since he presented to the church in that
year, (fn. 20) but apparently died
before his father. (fn. 21) In 1261
Ralph's daughter and heir
Eustacia and her husband
Nicholas Cauntlow (fn. 22) (de Cantilupe) granted [Middle]
Claydon Manor to his widow Joan for life, who in
return gave up all claim to Hugh's estates. (fn. 23) By
1268 the manor had reverted to Eustacia, whose
second husband William de Ros (fn. 24) was holding in
1284. (fn. 25) They apparently enfeoffed Eustacia's son
William Cauntlow (fn. 26) before 1302. (fn. 27) On his death in
1308 one-third of this manor was assigned to his
widow Eva, (fn. 28) and two-thirds passed with his son and
heir William into the custody of Hugh le Despencer. (fn. 29)
In 1320 William Cauntlow granted Middle Claydon
Manor to his brother Nicholas, (fn. 30) who soon afterwards
succeeded him in Ellesborough. Middle Claydon
then descended with Ellesborough in the Cauntlows (fn. 31)
and Zouches to William la Zouche, a minor at his
father's death in 1416. (fn. 32) In 1431 he and his wife
Alice conveyed Middle Claydon to John Brockley,
William Edy and other feoffees, (fn. 33) and they in 1434
bought up outstanding interests in it (fn. 34) arising out of
previous feoffments. (fn. 35) In 1460 William Edy was sole
owner. (fn. 36) Sir Ralph Verney advanced him money on
the security of Middle Claydon, (fn. 37) and his son and
heir John, afterwards Sir John Verney, died seised in
1505. (fn. 38) In 1514 Sir Ralph Verney obtained livery
of this manor as his father's heir, (fn. 39) and died in 1525,
in the minority of his son Ralph, (fn. 40) who did homage
for Middle Claydon in 1536. (fn. 41) Dying in 1546, (fn. 42) he
left Middle Claydon among five sons, so that on the
death of the eldest, Sir Edmund Verney, without
issue in 1558, the next brother, Edmund (afterwards
knighted, and, to prevent confusion, often called
junior), had the largest interest. (fn. 43) He died scised of
the whole manor in 1600. (fn. 44) It had been settled by
Act of Parliament, in 1597, (fn. 45) on his widow Mary
until their son Edmund had attained his majority. (fn. 46)
In 1620 he purchased from Martin Lister the
remainder of a lease formerly made to Roger
Gifford, (fn. 47) and was the first of the Verneys to reside
at Middle Claydon. He was knight marshal and
standard bearer to Charles I and was killed at Edgehill
in 1642. (fn. 48) His son and successor Sir Ralph Verney,
kt., at first sympathized with the Parliament, (fn. 49) but
refused to take the Covenant in 1643, and, obtaining a
licence of protection for his estates, went into voluntary
exile. (fn. 50) His property was, however, sequestered by
Parliament in 1644, (fn. 51) but the sequestration was
removed in 1647. (fn. 52) Sir Ralph Verney returned to
England before 1653, (fn. 53) was imprisoned for some
months in 1655, (fn. 54) and created a baronet in 1661. (fn. 55)
He died in 1696, (fn. 56) and his son and successor Sir John
Verney, who authorized a settlement of Middle Claydon made shortly before his father's death, (fn. 57) became
Viscount Fermanagh in 1703. (fn. 58) His son Ralph, the
second viscount, was given the higher title of Earl
Verney in 1743. (fn. 59) In 1752 he was succeeded by
his second son and heir Ralph, second Earl Verney,
who was buried at Middle Claydon in 1791. (fn. 60) His
niece the Hon. Mary Verney succeeded to the family
estates and was raised to the peerage as Baroness
Fermanagh. (fn. 61) She, the last of the Buckinghamshire
Verneys, died unmarried in 1810 and was buried at
Middle Claydon. (fn. 62) She bequeathed all her estates
to her maternal half-sister Catherine, directing her and
her husband, the Rev. Robert Wright, to take the
name and bear the arms of Verney. (fn. 63) He died in
1820 and she in 1827. (fn. 64) Middle Claydon then passed
to her cousin Captain Sir Harry Calvert, bart., who
soon afterwards by royal licence took the name and
arms of Verney. (fn. 65) Middle Claydon has since descended in his family, and his grandson (fn. 66) Sir Harry
Calvert Williams Verney, bart., is the present
owner.
Verney of Middle Claydon. Azure a cross argent charged with five pierced molets gules.
Calvert. Paly erminois and pean a bend engrailed countercoloured.
Verney. Azure a cross argent fimbriated or with five molets gules thereon.
In 1517 Roger Gifford or Giffard was lessee of
Middle Claydon Manor, apparently from 1495. (fn. 67)
He was buried at Middle Claydon in 1542, (fn. 68) leaving
the premier right in the lease, which had been
renewed for about 100 years, in 1535, to his second
son George. (fn. 69) He acquired his brothers' rights in
the lease in 1545, (fn. 70) and died in 1557. (fn. 71) His daughter
Lettice (fn. 72) married Urian Verney, (fn. 73) who presented to
Middle Claydon Church in 1571, apparently in
right of this lease. (fn. 74) In 1620 the leasehold rights
were vested in Martin Lister, who surrendered them
in that year to Edmund Verney, afterwards knight
marshal.
The right of view of frankpledge appertained to
Middle Claydon Manor in the 17th century. (fn. 75) Middle
Claydon Wood was granted to King John by Ralph de
Gresley in exchange for Willey Wood in Nottinghamshire, but the Crown failed to perform its part of
the bargain. (fn. 76) In 1336 Middle Claydon Wood was
restored to his descendant Nicholas Cauntlow, after
frequent applications to Parliament. (fn. 77) A windmill
on the manor is mentioned in 1308. (fn. 78)
Church
The church of ALL SAINTS has a
chancel measuring internally 29 ft. by
14 ft. 6 in., a nave 34 ft. by 23 ft. 6 in.
and a west tower 10 ft. 6 in. by 9 ft.; the vestry and
south porch are modern additions.
The nave dates from the beginning of the 14th
century and the west tower from the end of the 15th.
The date of the chancel is fixed by an inscription over
the north door, 'Rogerus Giffard et Maria uxor ejus
hanc cancellam fieri fecerunt anno dñi 1519.' It is
an interesting piece of work, of very good masonry,
but shows a dryness of detail characteristic of the last
phase of English Gothic. The east window is fourcentred and has five lights under a traceried head, and
there are two three-light windows in each side wall
with uncusped lights, the south-east window being
carried down to serve as sedilia, while under the southwest window is an arched recess with panelled soffit,
originally the canopy of a tomb, but now pierced
with a modern doorway. The chancel is full of
monuments of Giffards and Verneys, but has no old
fittings; there is, however, a 17th-century communion
table in the vestry. The chancel arch is of the date
of the nave, and in it stands a screen probably coeval
with the rebuilding of the chancel; it has a wide
four-centred doorway and four narrower traceried
bays on either side, with a moulded cornice, a good
deal repaired, and capped with a modern embattled
moulding.
The nave has two windows in the north wall of
about 1300, of two pointed uncusped lights with a
pierced spandrel, and in the south wall are a like
pair, but almost entirely modern. West of each pair
are doorways, that on the north of about 1350, that
on the south of about 1300. In the north wall west
of the doorway are two more windows, entirely modern.
In the sill of the south east window is a piscina, but
all other fittings are new except the Jacobean hexagonal
pulpit of oak, a good specimen with 'perspective'
arches on each panel, and a moulded cornice; the
base is modern.
The tower is of three stages, with a north-east
staircase and a west doorway, which has in one of its
external spandrels the words 'Ihe merci' cut to read
backwards, probably by an illiterate mason. Over
the doorway is a three-light window, and in the
belfry stage are uncusped two-light windows under
square heads. The tower arch springs from halfoctagonal responds, with moulded capitals and bases.
The church contains a very fine series of monuments, the earliest being a brass in the chancel to
Isabella Giffard, 1523, with figure and inscription,
and the next a figure of a priest, Alexander Anne,
1526. A third brass is to Roger Giffard, 1542, the
builder of the chancel, and his wife Mary [Nansicles],
with their thirteen sons and seven daughters, and has
the arms of Giffard: three lions passant, impaling a
cheveron between three lapwings with three stars on
the cheveron. The brass is palimpsest on one to
Walter Bellingham, 1487, Ireland King of Arms.
The most interesting monument in the church is an
alter-tomb in the chancel with the alabaster effigy of
Margaret Giffard, 1539, a beautiful piece of late
Gothic and Italian Renaissance detail. The effigy is
of alabaster, and in general design follows the fashion
of English effigies of the time, but with a freedom
and mastery of detail which give evidence of the new
influence. The tomb itself has shields of the Gothic
type, but Italian baluster shafts at the angles, and the
marginal inscription is in capital letters of mixed
Gothic and Italian character. The heraldry gives
the arms of Giffard and of Bradfield: three fleurs de
lis on a bend quartered with quarterly a border ermine.
On the north wall of the chancel is an uninscribed
monument with the Giffard arms, of fine Italian
detail and about contemporary with Margaret Giffard's
monument. There are a number of monuments of
the Verneys, who succeeded the Giffards, the earliest
being that of Urian and Lettice Verney (d. 1608).
Others are Col. Henry Verney (d. 1671), Sir Edmund
Verney (d. 1642), Sir Ralph Verney (d. 1696), John
Verney (d. 1694) and Mary Verney (d. 1694).
There is a ring of three bells: the treble, 1674,
and second, 1664, are probably by Richard Chandler;
the tenor bears no date or inscription. There is also a
saunce bell, which is blank.
The plate includes a standing paten of 1663, and
a paten of 1667.
The registers begin in 1630.
Advowson
The advowson of the rectory of
Middle Claydon has always descended
with the manor (fn. 79) (q.v.).
William Cauntlow in 1306 gave the rectors of
Middle Claydon a rent-charge of 13s. 4d. yearly on
land in the parish for the maintenance of two waxlights, weighing 12 lb. each, to burn daily at the
elevation of the Host. (fn. 80) A grant of 2s. from this
yearly rent was made to Christopher Denton and
Bernard Gilpin in 1573 (fn. 81) and of 9 acres of pasture
called the 'Torch-land,' worth 3s. 4d. yearly, to John
Walton and John Cresset in 1586. (fn. 82)
Charities
The charities founded by Sir Ralph
Verney by deeds, dated respectively
16 December 1691 and 24 May 1694,
consist of six almshouses in Middle Claydon, a rentcharge of £15 12s. issuing out of an estate now
belonging to Sir Harry Verney, bart., 19 a. 2 r., known
as Poor's Piece, and a house and 4 a. 2 r. situate in
Steeple Claydon, let at £48 a year, and £47 19s. 10d.
India 3 per cent. stock with the official trustees,
arising from the sale of timber, producing £1 8s. 8d.
yearly.
The charities are administered under the provisions
of schemes of the Charity Commissioners, dated respectively 10 August 1883 and 29 October 1909,
whereby the net income is applied in payment of
stipends to the almspeople. In 1912 the sum of
£45 10s. was so applied.
The charities of Elizabeth Verney, endowed with
£858 10s. 2d. consols, producing £21 9s. yearly,
and that of Mary Verney Baroness Fermanagh,
endowed with a rent-charge of £12 issuing out of
lands in Steeple Claydon, are under a scheme of
the Charity Commissioners, dated 16 August 1883,
applicable in apprenticing children to a trade or profession, or in exhibitions at any place of higher
education.
The sum of stock is held by the official trustees,
who also hold £65 1s. 2d. India 3 per cent. stock,
arising from accumulations, producing £1 19s. yearly.
The Cottage Hospital Fund, arising under the will
of Mrs. Emily Caroline Freemantle, proved at London
20 September 1877, consists of the following sums of
stock held by the official trustee, namely:—
£1,012 5s. 10d. consols, £137 7s. 8d. India 3 per
cents. and £526 15s. 6d. India 3 per cents. (constituting a building fund), producing together in
annual dividends £45 4s. 4d. yearly.
By the will of the Very Rev. William Robert
Freemantle, dated in 1892, it was directed that the
income of the trust should be applied towards the
maintenance of any cottage hospital existing in any of
the three parishes of Middle Claydon, East Claydon
and Steeple Claydon. In 1912 the income was paid
to the Claydon District Nursing Association.