Nocton Hall - Revelations of an Imp - Chapter 7

The Earl of Craven

Let me restore the ego of the boys and girls who were born between 1947-1983 at R.A.F. Hospital, Nocton Hall, and who were old enough to share with their parents the bitter disappointment that this historical House was to close. Your mother not only brought you into this world in a Royal Hospital, but a Royal Home. Look back with me to 1661 and there, high above the old Nocton Hall, flew the Royal Standard of Charles II. In the years to come, you will be able to tell your children and grandchildren, with your head held high, that your life began in a King's Palace.

Fortune decreed that my grandmother was a Craven. It was her inspiration that eventually persuaded Canon Footman, Vicar of Nocton, to write a book called 'Notes on the History of Nocton' at the turn of the 20th century. Great credit must be given to his patience in creating this record. Kate Norgate, the renowned historian, assisted his research, which discloses that Richard Towneley sold the Hall and estate, which had been in his family for 600 years, to the King. During the Civil War, as it became clear that the King's forces would succumb to the increasing strength of the army under Parliament, many of the nobility, who had supported their Monarch, fled to other countries.

The Earl of Craven, a staunch supporter of Charles I, had already seen military action in Europe. Before Cromwell's revolt against the King, the Marquis of Hamilton levied troops in England to support Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden. The creation of the Duke's army under the leadership of the Earl of Craven, was to assist a European army raised against the Emporer Ferdinand II of Spain, break his hold on a cluster of small states known as the Palatinate, and recover Bohemia for the ex King and Queen, now refugees at the Hague.

The Duke's interest was centred on Elizabeth, the Queen who was the daughter of James VI of Scotland and first of England. This classic beauty in her youth was renowned for her wondrous looks. In Europe, she was acclaimed as 'The Snow Queen', a fitting title for her personal attraction and charm to enhance her image against a wintery backcloth of her mountainous kingdom, when carpeted with snow.

Craven's first meeting with the exiled Royal couple made a deep impression. He was more resolved than ever to restore Bohemia to Frederick and Elizabeth. It was also his first introduction to their two sons, Charles and Rupert. The latter, such a courageous but irresponsible cavalry horseman in the Civil War, supporting the Royal cause.

Craven's two expeditions into Europe were unsuccessful but the second attempt landed him and Rupert in real trouble. This conflict between the conqueror of the north, Gustavus Adolphus and Ferdinand II of Spain, was no place for a young 26 years old English Earl. Prince Rupert and Craven were taken prisoner at a battle in the lower Rhine, but in 1639, Lord Craven was able to ransom himself and Rupert for £20,000 to regain their freedom.

A few years after this call on Craven's purse he was able and still prepared, to supplement Elizabeth's English pension of £10,000 a year when Parliament withheld her money. This illustrates the extent of the Earl's wealth.

In 1642, the Civil War opened in England with the Battle of Edgehill, but Craven, although a firm supporter of the Crown, was now a permanent member of the exiled Queen of Bohemia's Court at the Hague.

In the year 1632, Gustavus Adolphus had been killed at the Battle of Lutzen. His death terminated all hope of Frederick and Elizabeth ever regaining their lost kingdoms, but Craven persisted, whenever possible, in abortive military attempts to challenge Spain's authority. It was to France this honour must be awarded. At the Battle off Rocroc in 1643, Spain's reputation for invincibility was finally destroyed.

About 1650, Charles II made his first visit to the Hague from France and complimented Princess Sophia, Elizabeth's daughter on her good looks.

A year later came the final battle of the Civil War at Worcester when Cromwell became the undisputed Master of Great Britain. A continual flow of Royalists were gathering in Holland. Marston Moor, a Royalist debacle in 1644, signalled very clearly the way of things to come and it was from this time onwards that so many landowners who supported the Crown, filled their purses with what gold they possessed and fled the country in the hope that a fairer wind would blow in the years ahead.

Breda became another town in Holland where these English exiles gathered and it was no coincidence that Charles II felt a visit to the Hague and Breda would be politically and financially worthwhile. Craven had repeatedly aided Charles I with money before his execution and it is said that by the time of the restoration of Charles II, the Earl had supported the Crown with a substantial gift amounting to £50,000.

The movement of such an enormous amount of money could not remain hidden. A Nathaniel Hobart, member of the Commonwealth Parliament put forward a resolution to the House that all the Earl of Craven's estates should be confiscated for his financial help to support armies against the Commonwealth. What was now developing into close infighting between the Crown, supported by Craven, and Hobart was, by a strange coincidence, to be resolved in the years ahead when firstly a Royal Stuart and secondly a Hobart descendant became owners of Nocton.

Lord Stanhope with the Earl of Craven, brought about the first move to adjust a delicate political situation. It had become clear that Charles would be restored to the Crown, but whilst the future King and his advisers were in exile, the best approach was to organise a smooth return to England with political difficulties adjusted to suit this post Civil War era. Elizabeth of Bohemia had made it clear she hoped to return home but what of her son Rupert? He had passed the line of 'no return' by his aggression in the Civil War and his outright allegiance to the Crown.

The Council of English Ministers in Holland came up with an acceptable plan. On the restoration of Charles, Elizabeth, after a reasonable pause, should return to England, but not to London. Her son, Rupert, must never return. His presence would embarrass his Mother and cause an immediate reaction amongst a sensitive public which would rebound on the King. Charles was adamant that Elizabeth must keep away from London and a suitable quiet country estate must be found where she could live in seclusion. The outcome of these discussions was that Nocton was bought by Charles from the Towneleys for Elizabeth, and Craven may have financed the purchase until his estates were eventually returned by the King. If we now look back in history, we find Lord Stanhope stepped in and added Nocton to his Lincolnshire estates. Their original plan collapsed when Elizabeth decided she preferred Craven's home at Coombe Abbey to Nocton. Craven also placed at Elizabeth's disposal, Craven House in Drury Lane until the King's advisers felt public reaction to her presence in London was unacceptable.

It has been suggested that the friendship between Elizabeth and Lord Craven ran deeper than a cordial relationship. There was even speculation that the Snow Queen married the Earl before her death at Coombe Abbey. The great difference in their ages suggests this was unlikely. Her daughter, Sophia, only six years younger than Lord Craven, would have been, especially with her attractive looks, a greater temptation as a wife, but the Earl had no inclination for marriage and appeared fully occupied with his military expertise and political finesse. Sophia, married the Elector of Hanover, and their son was the first Hanoverian King of England, George I (1714-1727).

__________________________________________________________________________________