One of the claims that has been made about Middleton Hall is that it was the longest continually inhabited domesticated building in Warwickshire. It was a continual residence from about 1220 to 1966. This can be claimed because, from the time of the initial construction of the Hall, there was a continual seamless inheritance or purchase of ownership. Furthermore, due to a period of shared ownership, even when one owner had their share confiscated, another still retained resid

This post contains two entries from the 1525 accounts that were simply dated as April. The first entry was a reward to Henry Pilkington, who was described as Sir Henry Willoughby’s godson. The amount was 4 pence, which was the equivalent of about £7.35 today. Henry Pilkington’s name appears once more in the Middleton Manuscripts but it was after Sir Henry had died and his son, Sir John Willoughby, had inherited. In an accounts entry, dated 24th March 1542, a number of Sir Joh

The next entry in the Middleton household accounts of Sir Henry Willoughby in 1525 was described as Sir Henry Willoughby’s offering at the Clifton wedding on 14th May. The amount was 4 pence, which was the equivalent of about £7.35 today. The Middleton Manuscripts state that this wedding was for William Clifton, but it is unknown who he married. Wedding at Middleton Hall, Victorian Parlour Room, 2025. For enquiries about booking Middleton Hall for your special day, click here

Philip de Marmion, 5th Baron Marmion of Tamworth, inherited Middleton in the middle of the 13th century and owned it along with many other manors until his death in 1291. Throughout his life, Philip was no stranger to court proceedings. There are numerous court documents recording when he was summoned and these were often to answer charges. June 2025 marks the 750th anniversary of one of these proceedings. In 1275, Richard de Wyvelesley, a precentor from the church at Leighli

The next entry in the Middleton household accounts of Sir Henry Willoughby in 1525 was described as payment for the costs of Sir Henry Willoughby’s servants and for Sir Henry Willoughby dining at Lord Cardinal Thomas Wolsey’s residence on 6th July. The amount was 18 pence, which was the equivalent of about £33.10 today. This was at the time when Cardinal Wolsey was Lord Chancellor of England and Archbishop of York and was at the height of his power. There is another document

This post contains two entries from the Middleton accounts of Sir Henry Willoughby in 1525. The first of these concerned Sir Henry Willoughby’s activity in relation to his commission from King Henry VIII to quell the Lammas Day Rebellion in Coventry. This entry also correlates with the request in the letter by Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset, for them to meet in response to receiving their commissions. However, the entry also provides information as to where and when they

John Peel, a merchant and MP, was tenant of Middleton Hall from 1854 until his death in 1872. The 18th August 2025 marks the 150th anniversary of the death of his daughter Anne, who died on that date in 1875 in an accident that was reported extensively in all the newspapers of the time. Two memorial items were created for Anne and both of these are located at Middleton. John’s eldest daughter, Louisa, had married Edward Stanley Heywood. In August 1875, they, along with two of

The third entry in December in the Middleton household accounts of Sir Henry Willoughby for 1525 was also undated except for the month. It was described as a payment for Chingleton’s costs to go to Leicester Forest to fetch a doe and staying there for three days at the manor of Thomas Grey, 2nd Lord Marquess of Dorset. The amount was 21 pence, which was the equivalent of about £38.61 today. This is the only known record that mentions the servant Chingleton in the Middleton Ma

The next entry in the Middleton household accounts of Sir Henry Willoughby in 1525 was dated the 12 th  October. It was a payment to cover the costs incurred by Mr Swinfen who had, on the commandment of Sir Henry, taken the hawks from Middleton to King Henry VIII in London. The amount was 10 shillings, which was the equivalent of about £220.64 today. In comparative terms, this was the equivalent of about 16 days wages for a skilled tradesman at that time. It is believed that

The next entry in the Middleton household accounts of Sir Henry Willoughby in 1525 was dated as the 16 th  October. It was a payment for fur to use on Sir Henry's gown. The entry added that the fur was purchased at Birmingham and the costs also included John Lewissay’s expenses for undertaking this task on behalf of his master. The amount was 10 shillings and thruppence, which was the equivalent of about £226.15 today or, at that time, at least one stone of wool.   By the 152

The next entry in the Middleton household accounts of Sir Henry Willoughby for 1525 was dated as the 26th October. It was described as a payment to Lewis ap John for his costs to go to Wales. The amount was 3 shillings and 4 pence, which was the equivalent of about £73.55 today and comparative at that time to 5 days wages for a skilled tradesman. This is the only entry that can be clearly attached to Lewis. Lewis ap John is a Welsh name, however, because John Lewissay, who wa

The Middleton Manuscripts contains a letter that bears the date the 28th October and, due to its contents, must have been written between 1575 and 1583 although its precise year is unknown. It was written by a man called Marmion to Sir Francis I Willoughby. Marmion, who at that time was the servant of Elizabeth (Bess of Hardwick), Countess of Shrewsbury, was writing of his desire to enter the service of Sir Francis. In this letter Marmion told Sir Francis of events in the Cou

The next two entries in the Middleton household accounts of 1525 were dated as the 26 th  November. They were described as Sir Henry Willoughby’s offering at William Slade’s wedding and Sir Henry’s reward to William Slade when William was married. The amount for the first was 4 pence, which was the equivalent of about £7.35 today, and the amount for the second was two shillings, which was the equivalent of about £44.13 today.   There are others with the surname of Slade that