CHARLTON ESTATE

When the records were transferred from the Charlton Estate Office to the London County Record Office in 1956 they were found to be a state of considerable disorder and confusion. A schedule of deeds and papers drawn up in c.1902 was discovered amongst the records (ref. E/MW/C/1956). The Charlton records were sorted into the order in which they were listed in this schedule and have been catalogued in this order. Only three itmes were found to be missing - a rental of Charlton dated 1625, the grant of the advowson of Charlton to Sir William Ducie on 11 July 1679, and a copy deed of gift by Sir Thomas Maryon Wilson of a site for new schools in Charlton dated 25 July 1861. The titles in the first part of the summary of contents are those used in the schedule and the numbers correspond to the numbers in the schedule. Sections 1-12 follow the same order and use the same headings as a much earlier schedule drawn up in 1658/9 (ref. E/MW/C/1953) though this includes some documents which no longer form part of the collection.

The final section of the list (E/MW/C/1744-1956) details records not included in the schedule. Amongst these are papers relating to the administration of the Charlton estate 1902 - 1937, plans of Charlton and Woolwich property and miscellaneous items.

<p>For further information on the history of Charlton and the Maryon-Wilson family see Charlton House, Kent: An Historical and Architectural Guide by A.R.Martin 1929 (GLHL 80.7 CHA) and Charlton: a compilation of the Parish and its People by John G. Smith vol 1. 1970 (GLHL 80.11 CHA).</p>

(Ac.56.11, Ac.56.21).

Counterpart leases have not been retained when the original lease has survived. Many of the draft leases and agreements listed in Section 25 of the schedule have been removed if either another copy of the draft exists or if the original lease has survived.

The manor of Charlton was granted to the abbey of Bermondsey in the late 11th century. On the suppression of Bermondsey abbey, the manor came into the possession of the Crown. In 1603 James I granted the manor of Charlton to John Erskine, earl of Mar. He sold the property in 1606 to his son, Sir James Erskine, who resold it in 1607 to Adam Newton and his wife, Catherine.

Adam Newton, who was tutor to Henry, Prince of Wales, built Charlton House between 1607 and 1612. The house and manor were inherited by his only son, Sir Henry Newton. After inheriting the Puckering estates in Warwickshire from his mother's family, he adopted the name of Puckering and sold Charlton in 1658 to Sir William Ducie, son of Sir Robert Ducie, Lord Mayor of London. Sir William died childless in 1679. The following year the administrators of his estate sold his Charlton property to Sir William Langhorn, an East India Merchant.

Sir William Langhorn came to reside at Charlton House. He purchased additional land in Charlton, Woolwich and Plumstead, including Gun Wharf and land near Tower Place. In 1707 he also bought the manor of Hampstead. On his death, childless, in 1715, he bequeathed his Charlton estate to his nephew, Sir John Conyers and his male heirs. When the male Une failed on the death of Sir John's son, Sir Baldwyn Conyers in 1731, the estate passed to another nephew of Sir William's, William Langhorn Games. He died unmarried in 1732. The inheritance then passed to a distant relative, Mrs Margaret Maryon of White Roding, Essex. Her only son, the Reverend John Maryon, Rector of White Roding, succeeded to the property in 1746. Both his sons predeceased him, so on his death in 1760, he left his estates to his widowed niece, Mrs Margaretta Maria Weller, and then to her only child, Jane Weller. Mrs Weller was remarried in 1761 to John Jones of Ballinburg, co West Meath, Ireland. Jane Weller married in 1767 Sir Thomas Spencer Wilson thereby bringing Charlton, Hampstead and the Maryon estates in Essex to the Wilson family. Sir Thomas and Lady Wilson made Charlton House their home, becoming the first resident owners since the death of Sir William Langhorn.

Charlton House remained the home of the Maryon-Wilson family until 1916, when Sir Spencer Maryon-Wilson moved out of the house which was being used as an auxiliary hospital during the 1st World War. In 1925 Charlton House and Park were sold to Greenwich Borough Council. On the death of Sir Spencer Maryon-Wilson in 1944, the Charlton Estate was inherited by his only daughter, Viscountess Gough. The baronetcy and the Hampstead property passed to his nephew, Sir Percy Maryon-Wilson.