The Guilsborough church connection to Watford
George Clerke, the last Lord of Watford, died in 1689 and left a detailed will. One of the few bequests not of Watford was: ‘And I give unto my Goddaughter Barbara Clarke … the perpetual right of Patronage of the church of Gildsborough in the aforesaid county of Northampton towards her person for wch I paid her father £200’. Barbara Clarke was a sister of Sir Robert Clerke, who was bequeathed the large part of the Clerke estates in Watford parish, including the manor. Both
The Last Lord of Watford
George Clerke, son of Sir George Clerke, died in Watford in May 1689, the last to hold all of Watford parish, Northamptonshire. (Well, almost all - certainly the Earl Spencer of the day would have had something to say about that!) Sir George, before he was knighted, had married well and with his father-in-law's help, embarked upon a 20 year buying spree of manors and lands in Watford parish. His son, George, was granted Sir George's Watford lands as his marriage settlement
