ROBERT WASHINGTON, the eldest son of Lawrence the builder and Amy nee Pargiter, born in 1544, died 1620 aged 76. Inherited Sulgrave Manor when his father died in 1584 with about 1250 acres at Sulgrave, Stuchbury, Woodford, Cotton, Hardingstone, Blakesley, Patishall, Ascote, Eastcote, Lower Boddington, Radway, Horley and Hornton in Oxon.
Married twice, firstly, in 1565 to Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of Walter Light (Lyte) of Radway Grange, Warwickshire, and a descendant of the Villiers family. The marriage is recorded in the original glass panel dating from about 1580 in the Great Chamber window where the W arms are impaled with the Lyte arms:As part of the marriage settlement Lawrence created an estate from two messuages (holdings) in Pattishill for his own, (L’s) use while Robert lived and after his death for the use of Elizabeth for life as her jointure. Use in this context usually means taking the revenue from rather than living in.
From Elizabeth acquired Radway Grange and title to the manors of Horley and Hornton Oxon.
Six sons and three daughters by Elizabeth. Eldest son Lawrence II born in 1565. Daughter Amye married Alban Wakelyn of Eydon, N’hants. 3rd son Walter granted Radway Grange by deed Nov 30th 1592 for peppercorn rent for 40 years after the death of Walter Light ; his marriage to Alice daughter of John Murden of Ratley is arranged in the following year and secondly, sometime before 1599, to Anne Fisher of Hanslope Bucks Clifford Smith says 3 more sons and 3 more daughters by her.

Together with Sir John Spencer was appointed a royal commissioner in Northants in 1598. Robert is usually called “esquire” in contemporary documents, a higher rank that that accorded to his father (gentleman).

In 1600, Robert bought the manor of Nether Boddington from his son-in-law, Albert Wakelyn. There was no house on the Nether Boddington manor.

Stuchbury was exploited for sheep – Robert apparently pulled down the parish church, parsonage along with “all or the most part of the said town and parish houses” before 1606.

In 1606 Robert Washington figured in an interesting exchequer case1. Robert Washington, -the patron of the rectory of Stuchbury, together with his two cousins, Robert Pargiter and George Mole (who also had an interest in the advowson), had instituted no clergyman to the living “by the space of three score years or thereabouts.” On the contrary, – they had pulled down “not only the parsonage house . . . and all or the most part of the said town and parish houses of Stuttesbury aforesaid, but also the parish church itself,” and had used the lands “for pasture for kine and sheep, to the great depopulation of the commonwealth and country thereabout.”2

Although he continued to live at Sulgrave, he made a settlement upon his eldest son Lawrence in May 1601, possibly as a result of his second marriage – to protect the interests of his first family – of the entailed portion of the estate i.e. manor of Sulgrave and manor and rectory of Stuchbury. Lawrence sold the Sulgrave manor demesne lands to Thomas Atkins, of Over Winchcombe, Buckinghamshire, on 20 August, 1605, retaining only the house and seven acres of land. With the consent of his father. Lawrence sold the reversion of the remainder on 1 March, 1610 to his cousin Lawrence Makepeace, son of Robert’s sister Mary and Abel Makepeace. Robert (and his heirs) retained the manor and rectory of Stuchbury until 1646, Nether Boddington to 1636 and Radway to 1654.

Robert died in 1619 and his will requests burial in Sulgrave Church. His second wife, Anne Fisher, continued to live at Sulgrave Manor house until 1625. She was buried at East Haddon, Northamptonshire, on 16 March. 1652. Robert was succeeded by his grandson, John, his son Lawrence having predeceased him in 1616.

Lawrence, Robert’s brother, born probably 1546, (possibly 56), became Registrar of the Court of Chancery and married firstly, in 1593 Mary Argall (nee Scott), widow of Richard Argall, who had died in 1588, leaving five sons and six daughters living. One of the sons was Sir Samuel Argall, who emigrated and was Deputy-Governor of Virginia in 1617-19. On Mary’s death in 1605, Lawrence married Martha Nuse. He died in 1619 aged either 63 or 73 (Ixxiii on his memorial) and is buried at Maidstone. Their son, another Lawrence, was knighted and, like his father, became Registrar of the Court of Chancery. He was the owner of Stonehenge. died in 1643 aged 64, and is buried at Garsdon. Wiltshire. Their daughter Mary married William Horspoole, a cousin of Sir Thomas Smythe, Treasurer Virginia Company (VMHB 90, 1982, Samuel Argall’s family, James D Alsop) and is buried at Maldon, near Cliveden.
Elizabeth
Anne married Edmond Foster of Hanslop co Bucks
Frances married John Tompson of Sulgrave
Magdalyn
BarbaraMary married Abel Makepeace of Chipping Wardon N’hants, parents of Lawrence Makepeace who purchased rights to Sulgrave from his uncle Lawrence II in 1610
Margaret married to Gerrard Hawtayne Esq second son of Edward Hawtayne of co Oxon
1.
Abstract printed by Mr. Ernest G. Atkinson in The Times 22 September, 1894,
2.
William Barcocke, clerk, versus Robert Washington and two others: Bills and Answers, Northants., Easter, 4 James I.