from The Gentleman's Magazine

Oct. I. In London, aged 64, the Right Hon. Thomas Stapleton, Lord le Despencer (by writ 1264), and a Baronet (178?). The family of Stapleton were settled in Ireland until Sir William Stapleton, who was Governor of the Leeward Islands, and was created a Baronet in 1679, left his descendants considerable estates in the island of Ni-vis. His grandson Sir William, the 4lh Baronet, returning to England, acquired by marriage, the estate of Rotherfield Greys in Oxfordshire, and for some lime sat in Parliament for that county. It was from his marriage also that the family derived its claim to the barony of Despencer. The Baron now deceased was the grandson of Sir William, and was horn Not. 10, 1766, the eldest son of Sir Thomas Stapleton, the fifth Baronet, by Mary, daughter of Henry Fane, of W'nrmesley in Oxfordshire, esq. brother to Thomas eighth Karl of Westmoreland. At the age of fourteen he succeeded bis father in the Baronetcy, Nov. 1, 1781; and shortly after arriving at full age, became entitled to the Barony of le Despencer. This Very ancient title, which is only preceded in point of antiquity by that of de Ros, having passed through female heirs to the families of Nevill and Fane, had remained for a century and a half vested in the latter name, and merged in the Earldom of Westmoreland, until the death of John the seventh Earl without issue, in 1762. It then fell into abeyance between the heirs of his sisters, Mary wife of Sir Francis Dashwuod, Bart, and Catherine, who married William Paul, esq. hut in the following year, 1763, the Crown terminated the abeyance In favour of Sir Francis Dasbwood, the son of the elder sister. He died without issue in 1781, when the Barony again fell into abeyance between his sister Rarhael the widow of Sir Robert Austen, Bart, and the heir of Lady Catherine Paul before mentioned. Lady Austen's death, May Iti, 1788, terminated this abeyance; when the re-united title to the Barony devolved entire on Sir Thomas Stapleion, his grandmother having been Catherine Paul, the only daughter and heiress of the said Lady Catherine. His Lordship always led a private life, steering clear of all political divisions. Gent. Mao. November, 1831. He married Elizabeth, second daughter of Samuel Eliot, of Antigua, esq., and had four sons and six daughters: I. the Hon. Thomas Stapleton, who died June I, 1829 (see our vol. xcix. i. 572), leaving by Maria, daughter of Henry Bankes, esq. (who died in 1823) an only surviving child, the Right Hon. Mary-FrancesElizabeth, now Baroness le Despencer, born in 1822; 2. the Hon. ElizabethMary, who died Dec. 20, 1823, aged 30; 3. the Right Hon. Maria-Frances-Catberine, Countess of Roden; she was married in 1813 to Robert the third and present Earl of Roden, K.P., and has several children ; 4. the Hon. Emma, married in 1825 to Charles Brodrick, esq., eldest son of the late Archbishop of Cashel, and nephew to Viscount Midleton, and has issue; 5. the Hon. William Stapleton, who died at Barrackpore in India, where be was aid-de-camp to Lord Combermere, the commander-inchief, Sept. 20, 1826, aged 28; 6. the Hon. Emily, married in 1817 to Col. the Hon. Hercules-Robert Pakenbam, C. B., brother to the Earl of Longford, K. P., and has several children; 7. the Hon.and Rev. Miles-John Stapleton, Rector of Mereworth, Kent, who died June 11, 1830 (see our last volume, part i. p. 650), leaving four daughters; 8. the Hon. Frances j 9. the Hon. Anna-Theresa-Esther, married May 17, 1828, to Henry Maxwell, esq. nephew to Lord Farnham; and 10. the Hon. Sir Francis-Jervis Stapleton, who (provided his elder brother the clergyman died without male issue, which we believe was the case,) has succeeded to the title of Baronet: he was born in 1*107, and married, May 17, 1830, Margaret,eldest dad. of Lieut.-Geu. Sir George Airey, K.G.H.

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National Trust, Greys Court

National Trust, Greys Court

Greys Court is a partial survivor of one of the great houses of the Middle Ages and the Elizabethan era. It is named after Lord de Grey who was given permission to crenellate in 1347, whence the Great Tower still survives. In 1514, Henry VIII granted it to a court official, Robert Knollys (d.1521).

The property exchanged ownership regularly and therefore few paintings have survived. It passed down through the Knollys family until 1642, when it was sold. It was sold again in 1686 to William Paul of Braynick, Berkshire. In 1724 his daughter, Catherine, married the West Indian nabob, Sir William Stapleton (1698–1739), 4th Bt, which bought Greys Court into that family, where it remained for the next two centuries. In 1935 Sir Miles Stapleton (1893–1995), 9th Bt, sold it to Evelyn Fleming.