The Buildings of Sir Thomas Tresham

Those who take an interest in the architectural diversity of Northamptonshire are likely to find their curiosity aroused by one particular group of buildings which in their bold originality and the uncompromising message they spell out, proclaim themselves to be the creation of one man, Sir Thomas Tresham. Born in 1543, his family had originally come to Northamptonshire in the fourteenth century. Apart from owning large estates in the county, succeeding Treshams had played a part on the national stage: one of Sir Thomas' ancestors was three times Speaker of the House of Commons under Henry VI and his grandfather was made Grand Prior of the Order of St John of Jerusalem by Queen Mary.