The Old
Rectory, located next to St Nicholas, the parish church.
From
1135 to 1154 there was confusion as to who ruled England, Stephen
or Matilda (sometimes called Maud). Stephen was the son of William
the Conqueror's daughter Adela, and Matilda was the daughter of Henry,
William's son, who had been crowned King in 1100.
Upon
Henry's death in France in 1135, Matilda set out for England to claim
the throne. However, Stephen forestalled her and had himself crowned
in December of 1135, and so for 20 years the two claimants and their
followers fought each other in battles all over England.
At one
time, in 1142, Stephen and his troops besieged Oxford Castle where
Matilda was in residence, but she evaded capture and with four companions
was lowered by rope from the castle walls and escaped over the frozen
river on a snowy December night.
It is
believed that Matilda's escape route went through Britwell and that
she might well have sought temporary refuge in the castle, the stronghold
of a local Baron known to be opposed to Stephen.
In 1148
Matilda finally gave up the struggle and returned to France. Stephen,
having agreed that her son Henry Plantagenet should be next in line
for the throne, died in 1154 and Henry became King Henry II. He proceeded
at once to destroy the castle at Britwell, among others set up without
Royal consent, on his way to relieve Wallingford Castle.
