Summary – The Vaux Barons – Lords of Cheyneys Manor of Longstanton
General Introduction
In the 16th century the Vaux Barons of Northamptonshire were the Lords of Cheyneys manor in Longstanton, gaining this by marriage of Elizabeth Cheyney, daughter of Sir Thomas Cheyney of Irthlingborough in Northamptonshire, to Sir Thomas Vaux in 1523. Sir Thomas later became the 2nd Baron and his descendants held the manor for almost one hundred years, before selling it in 1617 to the Hatton family.
Catholic Faith
The Vaux family lived at Harrowden Hall in Northamptonshire. They were a high profile family of Catholic recusants who, refusing to accept the Protestant faith, were frequently punished by fines, confiscation of property, and imprisonment. They were friendly with the Huddlestons of Cambridgeshire who were also Catholic recusants, and their house at Harrowden was riddled with hiding places. They sheltered Campion and his Jesuit successors, Gerard and Garnett, and were implicated in the Gunpowder Plot.
Vaux Family Tree – Summary
Cheyneys manor was first held by Sir Thomas Vaux 2nd Baron, then by his second son, Nicolas Vaux. Next William, the 3rd Baron and elder brother of Nicolas, gained the manor which was bequeathed to his younger son, Ambrose. After Ambrose the manor passed to George, his elder brother. In 1593 the manor was confiscated by the Crown because of William’s failure to pay fines for recusancy. However Cheyneys manor in Longstanton were restored to Edward Vaux, the 4th Baron and George’s son, in 1612. Edward sold his Longstanton property to Sir Christopher Hatton, the brother of John Hatton who came to live in Longstanton.
The Vaux in Longstanton – Cheyneys Manor House and Tunnel
The Vaux did not live in Longstanton and so Cheyneys manor house (probably the house known as ‘The Manor’, Woodside, today) would have functioned as a farm house, occupied by tenant farmers. Nothing is known about these tenants apart from a Robert Thorogood who was noted by the Reverend Atkins of Longstanton St Michael as living in the ‘Lord Vaux’ (house) near All Saints’ church in 1582.
However, the Vaux could have had a special use for Cheyneys manor house. Local folklore relates that there was a tunnel between All Saints’ Church and the house known as ‘The Manor’ today. It can be speculated that the Vaux could have been responsible for the construction of this tunnel, which may have entered the church in the vault below the south facing Cheyneys (now Hattons) chapel. Possibly the Vaux used Cheyneys manor house as a hideaway for Catholic priests, working in conjunction with their Cambridgeshire Catholic friends, the Huddlestons of Sawston and Great Wilbraham. However, limited investigations have not located a tunnel to date, so more evidence is needed to prove this theory.
References
* Victoria County Histories – A History of Cambridgeshire, Vol IX, section on Longstanton, Cambridgeshire Public Libraries
* Cheyneys Manor House Unmasked by H A E Stroude and J Lane, Cambridgeshire County Record Office
* Vaux of Harrowden, A Recusant Family, by Godfrey Anstruther, pub R H Johns Ltd, Newport, Mon.
