by marriage into
the Stafford family. They held it for another six generations, until the
third Duke of Buckingham, Lord High Constable under Henry VIII, ended
the splendours of the Staffords on the scaffold.

Sir Nicholas Carew had the manor next, and followed Buckingham to Tower
Hill. Then Anne of Cleves, too plain for Tower Hill, lived there, and
Sir Thomas Cawarden managed it for her and succeeded her. He is the
fascinating figure. He moves in a royal light of Courts and Kings, of
hunting and hawking in the sunshine, and plotting in dark chambers, and
guessing the value of a queen's smile. He was Henry VIII's Master of the
Revels, and Keeper of the King's tents, hales, and toyles (which were
wooden stables and traps for game), and at Bletchingley he entertained
Henry and perhaps more than one of his queens. You picture the Master of
the Revels riding in velvet by Catherine Howard, and wondering whether
her eyes would take her by the same stairway as Anne Boleyn.

When Queen Mary was proclaimed after Edward, and there were risings and
rumours of risings in support of Queen Jane, Sir Thomas Cawarden had his
difficulties. He had been getting his orders from Jane one day and Mary
the next, and suddenly there was an end; he was arrested, and all his
arms were ordered to be seized. Bletchingley Castle was searched, and
was found to contain a good deal more than the armour of a few retainers
and the artillery of a deer park. The inventory showed twenty-four
demi-lances, eighty-six horsemen's staves, one hundred pikes, one
hundred morris-pikes, one hundred bows, two handguns, and other weapons,
besides sixteen heavy pieces of cannon--enough to arm a hundred horse
and more than three hundred foot. All were seized and taken to the
Tower. Sir Thomas complained bitterly. Might not an English gentleman
keep armour in his country house if he pleased to do so? Mary could
prove nothing against him, and was obliged to let him go. But she
thought his weapons best kept in the Tower; and so, despite his
protests, did Elizabeth after her. Sir Thomas's petition for their
return and for redress is amongst the Loseley manuscripts. Here is part
of his statement:--

"That on xxv. Jan. I. Mary he was lawfully possessed at Bletchingley
of and in certein horses with furnyture armure artillarie and
munitions for the warres and divers other goodes to the value of
L2000 and that upon certein mooste untrue surmises brutes and Rume