HAM HOUSE 179 



of Petersham, but the land on which the House 

 stands has generally gone with the Manor of Ham, 

 an old Saxon word meaning "house." 



It appears that this Manor (of Ham) belonged 

 for many years to the Crown, till Henry II. 

 granted it to his favourite, Maurice de Creoun. 

 Anne of Cleves was the next person of interest 

 who possessed the Manor of Ham. Divorced by 

 Henry VI II., barely six months after her marriage, 

 he granted her "divers manors and estates, amongst 

 which was this Manor of Ham," the latter being 

 kept by her till the second year of Edward VI.'s 

 reign. 



Coveted, perhaps on account of its delightful 

 situation, many people desired to possess the estate, 

 but it remained Crown property for many years. 

 At length, however, King James granted it to 

 his son Henry, Prince of Wales, and on his death 

 it was held in trust for his brother Charles, during 

 which time Ham House was erected. It is a very 

 interesting specimen of Jacobean architecture, and 

 was built by Sir Thomas Vavasor, and appears to 

 have been finished in 1610, that date being carved 

 over the principal doorway. How Sir Thomas 

 Vavasor became possessed of this property has 

 not been ascertained, but it did not remain his 

 property long, though with him lies the honour 

 of building the original House. Ostensibly simple 

 in treatment, it has one particularly happy feature 



