A Steeple Claydons’ History
THE CHALONERS
On the death of Katherine of Arragon the principal manor reverted to the Crown, and in August 1557 it was granted by Katherine’s daughter, Queen Mary, to Sir Thomas Chaloner. The Rectory Manor had passed to the Bishop of Oxford when Oseney Abbey was suppressed in 1529, which leased it to Sir Thomas and later sold it to his son. Chaloner was a diplomatist by profession, rising to be English ambassador at Madrid ; he also has a small place in English literature as poet (he contributed to The Mirror for Magistrates and translator. Sir Thomas (1521-1565) was succeeded by his son, Sir Thomas II (1561-1613), who was a courtier and scientist. During his minority his father’s friend William Cecil Lord Burghley, the great Elizabethan Statesman, superintended the Claydon properties.” The younger Chaloner, unlike his father, spent much of his time at Claydon; the Manor House a roomy Building of Studd and Plastered walls,’ was pulled down in 1720, when the present
Manor Farm was built on this site. Two of Sir Thomas 11’s sons were Members of the Long Parliament and signed King Charles’s death warrant. They were Thomas’ (1595-1661) and James (1603-1660). During the Civil Wars Claydon was held by them in trust for their young nephew Edward. It was therefore a natural choice for Cromwell to make when selecting a village to garrison his men in prior to attacking the Royalists in Hillesden House. Cromwell probably slept at the Manor House; his men are traditionally believed to have passed the night on the opposite side of the road on the site of the house till railed ‘The Camp.’ The present inscription on the ‘Camp’ barn is, however, incorrect. The attack on Hillesden House was made· on March 4th and not (as the inscription records) on March 3rd. It was Thomas Chaloner the regicide who in 1656 built the one room school which has now been enlarged to make the Public Library. He settled £ 12 a year for the schoolmaster’s maintenance, for which he was ‘to instruct children to read English, write, and cast accounts. At the Restoration the Chaloners Claydon properties were confiscated and given to Sir Richard Lane who, had helped Charles II to escape from the Battle of Worcester. But in 1662 they were bought back by Edward Chaloner and remained in the family until 1704, when they were sold to Lord Fermanagh of Middle Claydon.
