People

Middleton has many historic connections and some of the personages involved are  discussed on the following pages.  There are several firsts that Middleton can claim.  The first attempt to navigate a route to the Orient via the north coast of Russia was led, tragically, by a son of the Manor.  He was Hugh Willoughby.  There were other Hugh Willoughbys who lived at Risley Hall in Derbyshire, who were distantly related but were not adventurers.  Hugh was a great uncle uncle of the first Francis Willoughby, who has a number of claims to fame.  It was on his accounts that the first ever use of double entry book keeping was employed.  His older brother, who died very young was married to a daughter of the first ironmaster in the Midlands, Lord Paget, who brought the blast furnace to Cannock Chase in support of the growing demand for iron in Birmingham.  Francis emulated Lord Paget to become the second iron master in the Midlands.  The remains of the operation can stlll be seen today. Three generations later the foundations for the Natural Sciences were laid by two men working together at Middleton.

The first recorded holder of the Manor of Middleton, after the Norman Conquest was Hugh de Grandsmesnil.  It was one of a hundred manors given to Hugh, who was a member of the six man council of William the Conqueror.  Two hundred years later after a reallocation of land following the baron's revolt it passed to Philip de Marmion, descendent of Robert de Marmion, builder of Tamworth Castle.  Philip de Marmion had no sons, resulting in the property passing to the de Frevilles.  It continued in the de Freville family until themale line again an out and Margaret de Freville married into the Willoughby family, who held it for about 500 years, untl it was sold to pay death duties in 1925.

At the top of the page from left to right, the pictures are of Hugh the Explorer, Francis Willoughby, who built Wollaton Hall, his daughter Bridget, who married Percival Willoughy.  Their son another Francis Willoughby and his wife Cassandra, followed by their son Francis, who spelled his name Willughby and was the noted naturalist and collaborator with John Ray.  Finally the son of Francis Willughby, Thomas, the first Lord Middleton.