358 LONDON PARKS & GARDENS 



appointed tutor to Prince Henry, and was in attendance 

 on him as secretary when the Prince grew up. In 1607 

 he commenced to build Charlton for him, Inigo Jones 

 being the architect, and after the Prince's death in 161 2, 

 the King granted Sir Adam the manor, in lieu of pay- 

 ment for the expenses he had incurred in building the 

 house. The owner of Charlton continued to enjoy royal 

 favour, became Treasurer of the Household to Prince 

 Charles, was created a baronet in 1620, and married a 

 daughter of Sir John Puckering, who had been Keeper of 

 the Great Seal to Queen Elizabeth. His second son, Sir 

 Henry Newton, who succeeded him at Charlton, and took 

 the name of Puckering from estates inherited from his 

 uncle, was an ardent supporter of Charles I. He sold 

 the property to Sir William Ducie, Viscount Downe, at 

 whose death it was again sold. The purchaser, Sir 

 William Langhorne, was a wealthy East India merchant, 

 who was, from 1670 to 1677, Governor of Madras. On 

 his death it passed by entail to his cousin Mrs. Maryon, 

 and eventually to her great-granddaughter, the wife of 

 Sir Thomas Spencer Wilson, in whose family Charlton 

 still remains. 



The gardens show traces of all the many owners, and 

 in spite of the growth of London and its attendant draw- 

 backs, they are still charming. The house stands in 

 about 150 acres of undulating deer park, with some fine 

 old trees, an avenue of English elms on the east, and one 

 of horse-chestnuts, forming the approach on the west. 

 Perhaps the planting of the tulip tree near the present 

 lodge was due to John Evelyn, the friend of Sir Henry 

 Puckering. Evelyn's liking for tulip trees is well known, 

 and this specimen looks old enough to claim his acquaint- 

 ance. The two shattered but grand old mulberry trees 



