A Short History of Maxstoke Castle

CHAPTER 3:    THE COMPTONS

After the execution of Edward, Duke of Buckingham, King Henry VIII, by Letters Patent (II) dated 20th October, 1521, granted the Manor of Maxstoke, together with the Castle and park, to Sir William Compton in return for military service.

Sir William Compton (1482 - 1528) was, when still very young, appointed a Page to the future King Henry VIII and they were close friends. On ascending the throne in 1509, the King conferred numerous honours and privileges upon him. He was appointed bailiff, steward or keeper of many manors in the southern half of the country, awarded custody of seven castles and made ranger a score of parks with their sporting perquisites. He was thus extremely powerful, immensely rich and a very busy man. He found time, however, to build Compton Wynyates, which remains the home of his descendant, the Marquess of Northampton.

It may be that Sir William was, understandably, more attracted to the great house he had recently built than to Maxstoke and it seems that neither he nor his descendants used the Castle very much. Whilst there is no evidence that they deliberately neglected Maxstoke, nothing was spent on repairs between 1525 and 1547 and it is apparent from a survey (6) carried out in 1582 for his grandson, William, Lord Compton, that its condition had badly deteriorated.

In February, 1597, the said William, Lord Compton, conveyed Maxstoke to Sir Thomas Egerton for a consideration of £4,000 (12). It seems likely that the latter's duties required him to spend much of his time in London and it may be that he purchased the estate mainly as a speculation. Whatever his motive in acquiring it, he decided eighteen months later to sell it for £5,500 to Thomas (later Sir Thomas) Dilke of Coleshill.