SLHS Clopton House

History

There is a wealth of information out there about the family but not a great deal about the house itself.

More coming soon..

SLHS Picture & Document Archives..

1. Picture Vault: Cloptons & Clopton House

● Unique Information here -if any

Clopton House is on the Clopton Estate adjoining the Welcombe Hills Nature Reserve one mile NE of the town at the end of Clopton Road.

Clopton House 1870

● These items have aspects that uniquely contribute to national or world history.

History

CLOPTON James was the son of John de Clopton, who was living in 1247, (fn. 105) and the grandson of Sir Robert mentioned above. The manor continued in the male line of this family, which played so important a part in the history of Stratford, for more than 500 years. (fn. 106) In 1276 James granted it to Walter de Cockfield alias Marshall, who, according to Dugdale, was his grandson. (fn. 107) Besides the manor, he obtained from Isabel de Norton in 1280 a messuage, 8½ yardlands, 105 acres of land and 7 of meadow in Clopton together with pasturage in the Grove, (fn. 108) all of which Isabel held of Peter de Montfort, who had reserved it in his grant of the manor to James de Clopton. (fn. 109) Walter de Cockfield, 'the Marshal', was still living in 1304. (fn. 110) In 1316 Walter de Cockfield settled the manor on himself for life with remainder to his son Walter and his wife Maud and their heirs. (fn. 111) This latter Walter is mentioned in various grants down to 1342 (fn. 112) and, though he is nowhere else so styled, may probably be identified with the Walter Clopton, 'knight', who was a member of the Trinity Gild of Coventry, founded in 1364. (fn. 113) He was succeeded by his son John, whose son, also John, is described as lord of Clopton on his admittance to the gild of Stratford with his wife Agnes in 1414–15. (fn. 114) He was elected alderman of the gild in 1439 and obtained licence from the Bishop to erect an oratory in his manor-house at Clopton in 1450. (fn. 115) Of his three sons, the two younger, Hugh and John, became mercers of London. The eldest, Thomas, had already succeeded his father when he was admitted to the gild with Juliana his wife in 1453–4. In 1474 he obtained a papal licence for a priest to celebrate in the oratory at Clopton. (fn. 116) He served as master of the gild, 1482–3, and as alderman 1483–92. (fn. 117) His son John predeceased him, dying in 1486, and although John left an infant son the manor went to Thomas's younger brother, Hugh, the most celebrated member of the family, probably as guardian. Hugh Clopton was admitted to the Stratford Gild, as a merchant of London, 1469–70, and served as master for two consecutive years, 1485–7, when he is described as citizen of London and merchant of the staple. In 1486 he became Sheriff of London and in 1492, Lord Mayor. Like Shakespeare, he seems to have retired to Stratford, where he built New Place and made the public benefactions by which he is now chiefly remembered; and he was an alderman of the gild at the time of his death in 1496. He died holding the manor of Clopton of the king as of the manor of the Castle of Beaudesert by 1/8 of a knight's fee, and leaving as his heir William Clopton, the son of his nephew John, then aged 15. (fn. 118) William had livery of the manors of Clopton and Little Wilmcote (q.v.) (fn. 119) and of Hugh's lands in Stratford and Bridgetown in 1504 (fn. 120) and became a member of the gild with Rose his wife in 1508–9. He died in 1521 and was succeeded by his son William, alderman of the gild 1528–30. (fn. 121) His son William, who succeeded his father at the age of 22 in 1560, (fn. 122) was probably the builder of the oldest surviving portions of Clopton House, and a popish recusant. He died in 1592 and is buried with his wife Anne, who survived him by two years, in Stratford church. He left no male heirs and before his death had made marriage settlements of different portions of his property on his daughters, Joyce and Anne. (fn. 123) Clopton thus came to Joyce, who in 1580, when only 15, had been married to George Carew. (fn. 124) Her husband, son of the Dean of Exeter, took a leading part in all the Irish wars of Elizabeth and was created Baron Carew of Clopton House in 1605 and Earl of Totnes in 1626. (fn. 125) He was also the first High Steward of Stratford. He died in 1629 and his widow in 1635, and their tomb in the Clopton chapel is lavishly adorned with the sculptured emblems of his military career. Anne, the younger daughter of William Clopton, was married in 1589, at the age of 13, to her cousin William Clopton of Sledwick, co. Durham, (fn. 126) great-grandson of John Clopton, Merchant of the Staple, the younger brother of Hugh. The Countess of Totnes bequeathed the manor in 1635 to their son Thomas, (fn. 127) who died intestate and deeply in debt in 1643, leaving as his heir an infant son John. Litigation involving the administrators and the various mortgagees of his estate was still proceeding when John attained his majority in 1659. (fn. 128) Sir John Clopton—he was knighted by Charles II—is described by Dr. Thomas as 'a person of eminent loyalty, and of great interest in his Country'. He was a Deputy Lieutenant from 1660 until his death in 1719 (fn. 129) and, from 1665, also a justice of the Peace: (fn. 130) he sat for Warwick in the 1st Parliament of 1679 and was Recorder of Stratford 1684–1709. He was also actively interested in the navigation of the Avon. He married Barbara daughter of Sir Edward Walker, Garter King-at-Arms and author of the Historical Discourses, who seems to have occupied part of Clopton House, where he died in 1677. Sir John was succeeded by his son Edward, who was living in 1730. (fn. 131) On his death the estate passed to his brother John, whose daughter Frances married John Partheriche of Alderminster. Mrs. Partheriche died without issue in 1792, leaving the manor to her cousin, Charles Boothby Scrimshaw, who took the name of Clopton. He was son of Anne daughter of Hugh, third son of Sir John Clopton, and on his death the estates passed, under a settlement, to his cousin Edward Ingram (son of Sir John's daughter Barbara), who also assumed the family name and died in 1818, when his brother John succeeded. On the death of the latter, also without issue, in 1824, the estate went to Charles Meynell, who had bought the reversionary interest of Mrs. Noel, sister of C. B. Scrimshaw Clopton. The house and adjacent land was bought in 1830 by George Lloyd of Welcombe who left it to his brother John Gamaliel Lloyd. It passed from him to his nephew, Charles Thomas Warde, whose son H. C. L. Warde died in 1872, when it was purchased by Sir Arthur Hodgson, bart., for many years a notable figure in the public life of Stratford, who died in 1902. On the death of his son the Rev. Francis Hodgson in 1930 the Clopton Estate was broken up. The house, after remaining for some time unoccupied, was bought by Mr. Adrian Wells Beecham, the present owner.

From https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/warks/vol3/pp258-266

To return to Master page click on ‘Cloptons’ above.