1598 Edmund Chamberlayne (1560-1634) bought Maugersbury Manor and the Lordship of the Manor of Stow. The Manorial Estate was some 2000 acres extending to Oddington, Icomb Hill the River Dikler, Hyde Mill and a large part of what is now Stow.
The Chamberlayne family were great supporters of Stow Church, donating several pieces of altar silver still in regular use. 1838 John Chamberlayne donated the large picture of the Crucifixion which still hangs near the church door, a large and very generous gift emphasising the close bond between Church and Maugersbury.
John Chamberlayne (1632-1691) was a staunch Royalist, the estate enabled him to support the cause in the Civil War. The Manor was visited by Charles I, Prince Rupert and other influential people from both sides of the conflict.
Several members of the family were naval officers spanning 200 years, including three Admirals. Four officers lost their lives in the Napoleonic Wars. The last heir, Rupert, died in October 1914 when his ship HMS Hawke was sunk. He was 17 years old. There is a memorial to him and another to his sister Hermione in St Edward’s, the last of 18 Chamberlayne memorials in church.
Service was a strong tradition: three Chamberlaynes were High Sheriffs, three Admirals, one head master of Rugby School and three were clergymen.
The Chamberlaynes sold Maugersbury Manor in 1900 after 300 years of continuous occupation. They built Hyde House, known for some time as Fosse Manor, on land belonging to the estate. They moved out of The Manor but remained in the parish. Hermione never married, she moved into Stow Square where she lived until her death in 1969.
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