The real White Knight, however, was a man named John d'Earley IV. He was given the nickname after having seen much action in King Edward I's campaigns in Scotland, presumably in shining armour. The D'Earleys were minor medieval barons, some of whom became highly embroiled in national events. The most famous of the family was Sir John d'Earley II, the foster-son of the Regent of England, William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, who lived at nearby Caversham Castle. After Marshal's death, D'Earley commissioned a now-famous epic poem about his mentor's life. D'Earley had fought widely in the service of the Crown and brought the news of King Richard's death back to England. The family eventually sold their Earley lands to pay ransom demands from the Spanish King in the mid-14th century.

The Catholic Englefield family eventually took on the estate after Englefield House was confiscated from them during the religious persecutions of the 16th century. During the Siege of Reading, the Governor, Sir Arthur Aston, used to ride out to Whiteknights to dine with Anthony Englefield. When the parliamentarians discovered this, they tried to kidnap him but Aston was warned by his scouts and so was able to stayed safe. In the late 18th century, the manor was bought by the family of the flamboyant Marquess of Blandford (heir to the Duchy of Marlborough) who led a life of great revelry there. He laid out ornamental gardens that were the envy of Kings and collected paintings and rare books. Eventually the poor man went broke and was forced to retire to Blenheim Palace.

Read more history of Earley and other nearby settlements, like Maiden Erlegh & Lower Earley, in David Nash Ford's book, 'Mid-Berkshire Town and Village Histories'. Click to Order direct from the Author.

 

NEW BOOK Whether you are from Mid-Berkshire or just visiting, this book is the place to find out all about the history of some 113 different towns, suburbs, villages and hamlets in the Boroughs of Reading and of Wokingham and the eastern portion of the District of West Berkshire. From Streatley to Padworth and Ruscombe to Finchampstead, join David Nash Ford from berkshirehistory.com in his second volume examining the structures, people and events that have shaped each place. Some of these histories were first published in part here on this website, but they have all been considerably expanded and are joined by many new histories of places often missed by historians, including those which only joined Berkshire in 1911 or later. Click for full details and purchase options.