Originally deposited as a DVD-ROM.
Contains audiovisual presentation of research by various authors about a gothic window, the country estate where it was located at Tixall in Staffordshire and the Aston, Clifford and Constable families who lived there. Includes still images and narration relating to the building of the Tudor Mansion, heraldic shields, building of the Georgian Hall, building of the Georgian Chapel and stories of the families living there from 1555 to the 20th century. Two copies.
A history of the Tixall Estate in Staffordshire, traced through the story of a Gothic window over 500 years
Film and Sound Archive access copy available onsite in the Audio-Visual Room
Duration: 1 hour 2 mins 23 sec
Timing: Action on film
(00:00) The film opens with a series of paintings and drawings of several country houses; Bellamour, Wolseley, Beaudesert, Ingestre and Shugborough: an illustration of the way in which the history of country houses is characterised by periods of rise and fall. Houses built in times of prosperity often fall into disrepair with changes in finances, fashion or the family line
(00:53) Tixall in Staffordshire, the home of the Aston, Clifford and Constable family, is typical of this development of country estates; ending with a move to Burton Constable in East Yorkshire. The story of a Gothic window at Tixall is traced as it passes through 500 years of history. A model of the window shown on screen is followed by family portraits and images of the lives of those connected to the window. A history covering Tudors, Jacobeans and into the Georgian era, showing how the family and its fortunes are affected
(01:44) An image of Henry VIII. The year is 1555, 20 years after the break with the Church of Rome and Mary, Henry’s daughter pictured, is on the throne and has restored allegiance to the Pope. Within three years Elizabeth is queen and the pendulum has moved back to Protestantism. Portrait of Elizabeth
(02:11) All these changes seemed to have little effect on Sir Edward Aston in Tixall. He and his father, Sir John Aston always remained loyal to the monarch. A number of drawings of the family crest
(02:45) Edward Aston’s family tree. He married Joan Bowles and they had 8 children. A pencil drawing of the family house, showing the Gothic bay window, followed by a coloured image of the window. The window was to inspire the Cliffords to write an account of the family’s fortunes, 300 years later. In 1523 John Aston dies, when his son Edward is 27 years old. In 1525, Edward’s first wife Mary dies, probably in child birth. He then marries Joan Bowles in 1529. She was 24 and from Penhow Castle in South Wales. A painting of Penhow, the ancient seat of the Seymours. Their family symbol was added to the Tixall family shield as shown in the drawing
(04:36) Over the next 25 years they produced 8 children; 3 boys and 3 girls surviving. Tixall Hall was completed in 1555, illustrated in a pencil drawing. One of its most significant features was a Gothic bay window off the Great Drawing Room. The window was richly decorated on the outside with roses, lozenges and other gothic ornaments: a close up of the window showing the fine detail. A drawing of the interior showing the ceiling ornamented with the coats of arms of the principal family alliances with the Astons. In the centre is the family crest
(06:13) Joan died in 1526 at the age of 57, about seven years after the hall was completed. She is entombed under an alabaster monument in St Mary’s Church Stafford. Six years later Edward died and joined Joan in the tomb; a picture of the church followed by a close up of the tomb with a dedication in Latin poetry. Over 250 years later the verses were translated into English by their descendant Arthur Clifford.
(08:58) Walter, Elizabeth and their son Edward Walter Aston was born in 1530 and was married to Elizabeth Cresswell Leveson in 1545, when he was fifteen and she was thirteen. Elizabeth’s father James had recently bought Lillishall? Abbey and was turning it into a family residence: photos of the ruins of the Abbey. Their first child Edward was born in 1551 followed by 11 more children: their names are listed on screen. By the time Walter’s father died in 1568 they had provided 12 grandchildren
(10:17) Walter’s inheritance from his father is shown in Thomas Clifford’s transcript of the original holdings. It lists 30 locations in Staffordshire plus 13 in other areas. The income from these is £20-£30 thousand, about £2-£3 million pounds today
(11:00) Portrait of Walter, a military man. He was knighted at 30 by Elizabeth I, for bravery in battle. By the age of 50 he had built a gatehouse in front of the hall and a wall forming an enclosed courtyard: drawings showing the gatehouse and the walled courtyard
(11:40) A portrait of Mary Queen of Scots. She was detained at Tixall for two weeks in 1586, while her rooms at Chartley were searched as a result of the Babington Plot.. A drawing of Chartley Hall.
(12:30) Walter is nearing the end of his life and dies in 1590. In 1587, Sir Edward Aston, Walter’s son, heads the Royal Commission examining and securing Mary’s papers at Chartley on the orders of Queen Elizabeth. A portrait of Sir Edward. Elizabeth made him a him a Knight Bannerette? and he was knighted again in 1588, a year after his work on the Babington Plot. Portrait of Elizabeth I
(13:20) He married twice and both very well. Edward was 23 when Mary Spencer of Althorpe became his wife; she died without children. When he was 28 he married Anne Lucy of Chalcott near Stratford upon Avon; paintings of both wives. They had 3 sons and 5 daughters. Edward died at Chalcott aged 47
(14:00) Walter (1st Lord Aston) and Gertrude Portrait of Walter; he was only 14 when his father died. He was made a ward of court by Queen Elizabeth, but she died five years later. James I succeeded her; portrait in royal robes and crown. James knighted 19 year old Walter at his coronation. Walter was twice sent to Spain as Ambassador and was made 1st Lord Aston of Forfar. On his final return from Spain in 1638 he announced his conversion to Roman Catholicism. As a recusant he and his family were barred from office and routinely fined for not attending church. He had spent most of his fortune as Ambassador, expecting to be rewarded by the King, but this was now impossible. He died in 1639. Portrait of Charles I by G. van Honthorst
(16:15) Three more Walters and a James Walters, 2nd Lord Aston, 3rd Lord Aston and 4th Lord Aston then James, 5th Lord Aston lived under 8 regimes over 100 years
(16:40) Walter, 2nd Lord Aston under Charles I, inherited Tixall at 30 and Standon Manor in Hertfordshire from Sir Ralph Sadler; drawing of Standon. He soon found himself involved in the Civil War; paintings of Roundheads and Cavaliers. Like his father, he was a recusant catholic and had no money. As he could hold no office and was saddled with his father’s debts he lived in the King’s garrison throughout the war, until the final surrender at Lichfield; picture of Lichfield Cathedral. Walter died in 1678 half way through the reign of Charles II, leaving Tixall and the window neglected; model of the window
(18:10) Walter, 3rd Lord Aston was loyal to Charles II, but he was accused by a servant, Dugdale, of involvement in the fictitious Popish Plot, invented by Titus Oates. An etching of Dugdale reading letters relating to the plot. A portrait of Oates. Dugdale claimed to hear Walter plotting treason with William Howard Viscount Stafford. Walter spent several years in the Tower, narrowly escaping execution. His friend William was beheaded
(18:57) 5 years after his release Walter was made Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire in 1687 and died in 1714 aged 81. He died in the same year as Queen Anne, having lived through the reign of 5 monarchs and the Commonwealth
(19:15) Walter 4th Lord Aston of Forfar.He inherited the title and Tixall at the age of 53; his wife was Mary Howard. His family lived in privacy and retirement at Standon due to the penal laws against Catholics. When he died aged 83 in the reign of George II, his youngest son James inherited; family portrait. The hall and the window were in a sad state of repair, although Walter had started some remedial work
(20:19) James 5th Lord Aston and Barbara Talbot James inherited when he was 21, with his young wife Barbara Talbot. He determined to build a new mansion in the ruins of the old one. Tragically he died of small pox at the age of 28, so he lived only long enough to erect a quadrangle containing new offices and some good bed chambers. Drawings of the new buildings and a painting of Tixall. No further action took place for 17 years until James’ young daughters Barbara and Mary were old enough to share out their father’s inheritance: portrait of the two young women
(22:12) Enter the Cliffords Shot of the Arms of the Clifford family. Tixall Hall was empty for about 15 years after James’s death. Ivy covered the Gothic bay window. When Barbara Austin came of age she inherited Tixall with her husband Thomas Clifford. They built a new house attached to the quadrangle; a plan of the house showing the new building work. They raised a family of thirteen with eleven surviving; the family tree. Arthur one of their children recalled their idyllic childhood in his poem ‘Set in the ruins of Tixall’. Thomas and Barbara continued their Catholic tradition even though it was banned for most of their lives. They incorporated a new chapel into the new house, probably one of the rooms labelled as dining room on the house plans. Barbara died in 1786 and her husband less than a year later. Barbara was 39, Thomas 54. A picture of their memorial in St Mary’s Stafford
(26:35) In 1791 the Roman Catholic Relief Act was introduced, which gave freedom to worship. In the same year, the eldest son Thomas Hugh (portrait) inherited, with his wife Mary McDonald Chichester (portrait). The internal chapel at Tixall was registered immediately by George Beeston, the family chaplain. A record book started in 1798 reveals the existence of a thriving Catholic community; pages in the record book. As the local Catholic population became too numerous to be accommodated in the existing chapel, Thomas Hugh had the idea of building a free standing chapel in the grounds of the Hall. In 1821 Thomas was unexpectedly made a Baronet and inherited the much larger mansion and estates of Burton Constable in East Yorkshire; painting and photograph of the estate. He adopted the Constable name and became Sir Hugh Clifford Constable Baronet
(30:45) In 1822 some of the family set off for a European tour, Mary Barbara writes to her cousin Eliza, mentioning the new chapel, the first indication that her father’s plans were underway. A portrait of Eliza Chichester
(31:20) Tixall August 14th 1822. Mary Barbara’s diary records the progress of the journey; extracts are shown; a picture of Calais Pier, followed by a photo of Ghent Cathedral. Thomas Hugh died in Ghent during February 1823 and was buried near Antwerp Gate. Mary McDonald died in September 1825
(34:00) Thomas Aston Clifford Constable Portrait, he was only 17 when his father died. His uncle was his guardian and managed the estates; a photo of Thomas Aston’s pocket book for 1823. In 1827 he became of age and he married his cousin Marianne Chichester; portrait. In 9 months he spent the equivalent of over £290,000 as part of a programme of refurbishment and refurnishing. Examples of bills held in East Riding of Yorkshire Archive. He also built a new stable block; drawing, now Tixall Mews
(37:50) The window’s refurbished bay was given a roof and the remains of the Great Hall were extended to complete the free standing chapel. The architect was Joseph Ireland; a drawing of the chapel designed in gothic style, plus copies of the bills for the building work. The date on the gallery is 1827, but it was not completed until 1829; drawing of the chapel. The total cost of the refurbishment - house, chapel and stables – was in the region of £30,000, about £3 million today. A photo of the interior of the chapel and pulpit. The original plan of the chapel and then the second plan, adding the side chapel with stained glass. Plans of the stained glass window are in the East Riding of Yorkshire Archive in Beverley. Shows the stained glass windows on screen with the bay window
(42:23) In 1833 Thomas Aston put Tixall on the market; notice of the sale with a drawing of the house. The auction was held at the George Inn in Stafford on Monday 4th November as reported in the ‘Staffordshire Advertiser’. The estate was withdrawn as it did not reach its reserve price of £350,000. It was finally sold privately to Henry John Chetwyn Talbot, Earl Talbot in 1844. An excerpt from the sale catalogue. As the family were not Catholic the chapel was excluded from the sale, along with land at Great Heywood, to which the chapel would be moved. Plan of proposed site behind the Clifford Arms. The destination was changed as the Clifford Arms was designated as a preferred rail route and by 1849 trains were running over the site; photos of Heywood and a North Stafford steam engine
(47:30) The chapel at Tixall was moved stone by stone to become the church of St John the Baptist at Great Heywood. The Gothic window was abandoned; a plan of the chapel with the changes and photos of the church. The stained glass windows were removed to Burton Constable. A series of portraits of the family going back in time followed by a quote from the Diary of Sir Charles Chichester May 13th 1845, where he recalls his visits to Tixall
(50:16) In 1926 the Christmas edition of the Staffordshire Advertiser featured a photograph of an ancient arch at Great Heywood, including masonry bearing a close resemblance to the Gothic window. The garden belonged to the White House, once owned by William Corvesor, a prominent local Catholic in charge of the wharf, with his wife Elizabeth; photos of the canal and area. It was preserved in the garden for around another 100 years. Then in 1985 it was rescued from being demolished by concerned villagers. From these pieces it was possible to work out the ground plan of the original: plan drawing. The stonework was laid out in the Presbytery garden in St John’s Church in Great Heywood. A photo of the stonework
(54:03) Pieces of stone that did not come from the arch were eventually removed and the arch was partially reconstructed. A drawing of the window is shown with the remaining stones marked in red. The rescued window is used by the resident priest; a picture showing a table and chairs inside the window space. The film ends with the poem of Arthur Clifford written amongst the ruins of Tixall. There are final pictures of the ruined window, Tixall grounds, the gatehouse, family portraits and the restored window stones. The final shot is of the stained glass windows
(01:02:23) End titles
Produced by the Heywood Society as part of an “All our stories” Heritage Lottery Fund project. (AS-12-02032) in conjunction with Digital building group, De Montfort University. (Dr Douglas Cawthorne)
Acknowledgement of the sources of images used in the film.
List of researchers and other production roles.
List of music. Lottery funded
