Bletchingley

In 1715 the chief interests in Bletchingley were those of William Clayton, the lord of the manor, and George Evelyn, who owned the adjacent manor of Godstone. After Evelyn’s death, leaving no issue male, in 1724 his brother was defeated by a government candidate, H. A. Herbert, who was succeeded in 1727 by another, Sir Orlando Bridgeman, both presumably brought in on the Clayton interest. In 1734 Clayton’s son, Kenrick, hitherto under age, was returned with his father, on whose death in 1744 the vacancy was filled by Kenrick’s younger brother. In 1751 Kenrick consolidated his family’s hold on the borough by purchasing the Godstone estate.1Manning & Bray, Surr. ii. 328. About this time the 2nd Lord Egmont in his electoral survey describes Bletchingley as ‘in the Claytons entirely’.