Northborough Manor

The village of Northborough is situated on the A15 road, about 6 miles NNW of Peterborough. It was originally part of Northamptonshire, but is now part of the new county of Cambridge. Locally known as "The Castle," Northborough Manor is considered one of the finest examples of a small medieval manor house surviving in England. According to J.H. Parker, in an address to the Royal Archeological Institute in 1861, "it still contains some of the richest Decorated work of the time of Edward III that we have anywhere remainin in a domestic building." The early complex of manor hall and gatehouse is the most complete and unaltered of its period in England and the dovecote nicely rounds off the medieval scene. The manor was probably built by Roger de Norburgh, Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry from 1322 to 1360. (De Norburgh merely indicating that he came from that place and not as a surname.) The wall around the Bishop's manor house was joined to wall around the village around 1330. A portion of this wall survives including the medieval gatehouse. The creation of this wall caused the main road to be diverted from the straight line it had followed.

Bishop Roger was appointed King's Clerk in 1310 and Keeper of the Great Seal from 1312 to 1316. He was a favorite of Edward II, took part in his expedition against the Scots and was captured, along with the Great Seal, by Bruce at Bannockburn in 1314. In 1320 he was appointed Chancellor of Cambridge University until 1326. When Roger was appointed Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, he replaced a very popular man. That plus his position with Edward II, a VERY unpopular king, made him a very unpopular man with his people. Archeological evidence suggests that the manor was built about 1333-34 and that, for some reason, work suddenly stopped during the course of the original building. The house was completed by relatively unskilled people. The original architect was William de Eyton, Master Mason and Architect for the Chapter of Lichfield. The stone the house is built from came from Barnack quarries. This means that the Barnack masons would have to have assisted de Eyton. During the winter of 1336-37, de Eyton died. It is possible that this is the reason for the work stoppage. Because of the Bishop's unpopularity with the Chapter, they may have prevented him from getting another mason forcing him to finish the work with local artisons. In 1340 the Bishop was appointed Lord High Treasurer of England by Edward III, which would have taken him away from Northborough. Edward went away to France expecting his Treasurer to send him further monies, but there was none available. Edward's wars had bled the nation dry. Roger escaped arrest but he was ruined. Roger was unable to visit the Manor due to ill health and gave it into the keeping of his protege, Michael de Norburgh, Bishop of London. In 1349, Michael applied for a "license to enlarge his mansion at Norburgh by 12 feet towards the King's Highway. " When Roger died in about 1359/60, his estates passed to Hugh de Norburgh. Michael's possession of the Manor was probably a life deed and the Manor passed to Hugh when Michael died fo the plague in 1361. There are few records for the Manor in the 15th century. Little is known of its occupants or their participation, if any, in the Wars of the Roses. It does not seem to have been the main residence for the de Norburghs.

In 1502, Northborough came into the hands of Sir William Fitzwilliam. The price for all the lands bought was 1200 marks (about 1000 pounds).

In 1572, a deed records a sale of the Manor to James Claypole (Cleypole) of King's Cliffe. He paid 500 pounds for the manor, a rather large sum, but he was a wealthy man, contributing towards the defense of the country against the Spanish Invasion. There are records of him buying more land in 1572 and 1598 and his son John bought more land in 1600. It is believed that James Claypole had the dovecote built. He may also have built a new gatehouse. He was knighted in 1583. His motto was Nils Desperandum. He died 14 Oct 1599. His son John was knighted by James I in 1605 and died without heirs. The estate passed to his brother Adam who married Lady Dorothy Winglfield, daughter of Sir Robert Wingfield and Elizabeth Cecil, sister of William Cecil, Lord Burghley. When the Claypoles first came to the Manor, the main part of the building was the Great Hall, a large room that reached 2 stories to the beamed ceiling. It was built without a center beam, held together by a precise balance of the cross beams. Probably about 1614 to 1618, a floor was put in halfway up, making it a two-floored structure. Since the original hall windows only came up to about knee height on the new floor, they were blocked and two dormers were inserted to provide light.

Adam Claypole died in 1630. His three eldest sons, James, Edward and Wingfield died before him so his fourth son John inherited. He married Mary Angell in 1622. He was a lawyer of Gray's Inn and a friend of Oliver Cromwell. In 1642, the Civil War broke out. The Claypoles were staunch supporters of the Parliamentary cause. In 1643, the Royalists were at Crowland, only 7 miles from Northborough. It is probable that this is when the wall of the stable block was pierced for muskets. There is no account there was actually any fighting in the vicinity however. John's son John was by all accounts rather wild and is said to have quarrelled with many at Northborough. He joined the Parliamentary Army and appeared in arms at the Siege of Newark during the winter of 1645-46. He married Cromwell's favorite daughter Elizabeth, who was only 16 to his 21. Cromwell is believed to have been displeased with this wartime romance, but he gave in to his daughter's desires. When the war ended on 24 Jun 1646, John and Elizabeth went to live with his parents at Northborough. Cromwell is said to have visited them there frequently, sometimes spending Christmas with them. At the Ceremony to inaugurate the Protectorate in 1653, John, the younger, led Cromwell's horse, a signal honor. He was elected to Parliament from Carmarthen in 1654 and for Northampton in 1656. In 1654, he moved with his family to Whitehall. Cromwell gaved him the titles of Lord of the Bedchamber, master of the Horse and Ranger of Whittlewood Forest. In 1657, when a new upper house was created, John was called to serve. On the only occasion that Oliver Cromwell's son Richard opened Parliament, John Claypole carried the mace. Elizabeth Claypole died just before her father in 1658. She was buried in the Henry VII Chapel at Westminster Abbey, where she remains. At the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, John Claypole was permitted to return to Northborough Manor. He took with him his mother-in-law Elizabeth Cromwell. She died on 19 Nov 1665 supposedly in the small room above the porch. She was buried in the Parish Church of St Andrew in Northborough. After the Restoration, John married again, this time Blanche, widow of Lancelot Staveley, a merchant of London. This wife bore him three more children. However, he left her and took up with Anne Ottee to whom he left his estate. He only left his wife and surviving daughter Bridget 10 shillings to buy mourning rings. Blanche brought an action in Chancery, but did not recover much. The Deed of Sale of the Manor to Lord Fitzwilliam in 1681 records that of the 5600 pounds which the estate brought, John Claypole only received 835 pounds which he had to share with Thomas Percival. The estate was heavily mortgaged and he had given up possession to his creditors. He is described as being "of the City of London."

Taken from Northborough Manor: an historical and archaeological account by Andrew Woodger.