Old Hampshire Mapped
Cox's Hampshire
Transcription (61)Basing
St John Family
Poyning Family
Pawlet Family
Basing, Lord
Wiltshire, Earl of
Winchester, Marquess of
Basing House
Civil War
Love Loyalty
Bolton, Duke of
Hawkwood Park
Basing, a Place made famous by its Lords, who did take their Surnames from it, viz. St. Johns, Poynings and Pawlets; for Adam de Portu, Lord of Basing, having married the Daughter of the Heiress of the St. Johns, William, his Son by her, took on him the honorary Title of the St. Johns of Basing, and his Successors, in a right Line, retained it for several Generations; but Issue male failing, John de Philibert, marrying the Eldest of the Coheirs of Edmund de St. John in King Edward III.'s Reign, became Lord of Basing; but he having no Heirs, the Honour fell to the youngest Sister Isabel, who was married to Sir Luke Poynings, by whom she had Thomas Lord Poynings of Basing, Father of Hugh, who succeeded him in that Title; but after him it departed from the Poynings to the Pawlets; for Hugh, the last Lord of Basing, of that Family, having only one Daughter, Constantia who was Heir to this Part of his Estate, and married into the Family of the Pawlets, was Grandmother of that William Pawlet, who was made Lord St. John of Basing by King Henry VIII. and afterward Earl of Wiltshire and Marquess of Winchester, by King Edward VI.
This Lord was descended of a younger Family of the Pawlets of Hinton St. George in Somersetshire: He having spent his Fortune, came to Court upon Trust and got into such Favour, that he served Henry VII. Henry VIII. King Edward VI. Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, in the highest Offices of Controller and Treasurer of the Household, Lord Chancellor, &c. in which last he continued all his Time, and died in a very old Age, viz. ninety seven Years old.
'Twas by his Counsels in a great Measure, that the Duke of Northumberland's Design in settling the Lady Jane Grey on the Throne was prevented, for which the Queens, Mary and Elizabeth, continued him in the Treasurer's Office, which he enjoyed thirty Years, being (as he said of himself, when he was asked, how he preserved himself in the Place thro' so many changes of Government?) not an Oak, but an Osier.
He built a Seat here, both for Largeness and Beauty, wonderfully magnificent, which being left to his Successors, John and two Williams, was by the second John, Marquess of Winchester, made a Garrison for King Charles I. in the Beginning of his Wars with the Parliament, and much distressed the Rebel Party by the Command it had of the Western Roads; insomuch that Basing House was several Times besieged by their Forces under Colonel Norton, Colonel Morley, and Sir William Waller, who greatly distressed but could not take it.
When the King's Cause declined every where, Cromwell came with his victorious Troops out of the West, and attacked Basing House, and so vigorously pushed on the Siege, that the Defendants saw it impossible for them to hold out as they had formerly done, and thereupon desired a Parly; but that General was resolved to chast[iz]e then for their obstinate Loyalty, and would hearken to no Proposals, intending to take it by Storm; having therefore posted his Army about the House, the Attack was began, and Sir Hardresse Waller's and Colonel Montague's Regiments having forced the Works of the Besieged, mounted the Walls, and got into the House before the Defendants perceived their Danger; many of them were put to the Sword, Major Cuffle was killed by Major General Harrison, and four hundred Prisoners were taken; among whom was the brave Marquess himself, and Sir Robert Peake, who commanded the Garrison under him. 'Twas taken Octob. 14, 1645.
Hugh Peters was at the taking of this House, and being come to London to make a Report of it to the Parliament, said, 'Twas an House fit for an Emperor to dwell in, it was so spacious and beautiful. The Marquess from this Action called the House, Love Loyalty, which name he had caused to be written with a Diamond in every Window, as if he would have it a perpetual Monument of his Loyalty to his Prince; but this Name so provoked the Enemy, that they burnt it to the Ground. Here was a Bed, 'tis said, valued at 1400 l. and the Plunder was so great, that a private Soldier got 300 l. in Money.
This Marquess's Loyalty was the more extraordinary, because it came from a Catholick Subject to a Protestant Prince.
The late Duke of Bolton hath rebuilt some convenient Lodgings out of the Ruins of Basing House, but his chief Seat is at Hawkwood Park, about a Mile distant from it, where he has raised himself a stately Palace; so that now the present Duke of Bolton has three noble Seats, viz. Abbotstone, Basing and Hawkwood, all of them almost in sight of each other. At a little Distance from hence, to the South East ward stands
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