The Methuen family came originally from Scotland and there name for many centuries was spelt Methven. They later moved to Somerset where a Paul Methven married Anne Rogers of an ancient family of that name. Their son was Anthony Methuen (1574-1640) rose to be Prebendary for Wells and Vicar of Frome from 1609 -1640. He married Jean daughter and sole heiress of Thomas Taylor, Esq., of Bristol and with her obtained a large fortune. During the early Seventeenth century there was a severe slump in the broadcloth trade. It was particularly acute in the area around Frome and in August 1622 Anthony petitioned the county magistrates about the desperate situation.
Paul their eldest son settled in Bradford about the year 1620-1630 and married one of John Ashe's daughters named Grace. After John's death in 1659 the important woollen industry was inherited by Paul and the factory was moved to Bradford-on -A von. Here he built the business up and succeeded his father in law in the trade. In 1657 he moved into "Priory House" in Bradford, and descendants lived in this house for over a hundred years. The Methuens eldest son John( 1650-1706) went on to become M.P .for Devizes, Privy Councillor, Envoy to the King of Portugal, and eventually Queen Anne's Ambassador. In 1703 he concluded the famous "Methuen Treaty" with Portugal. His son Paul was also to become Ambassador of Portugal in 1706. He was M.P. for Devizes and held office in Government until 1730. He ~ died unmarried and was buried with his father in Westminster Abbey.. He left £250,000 of which £50,000 was in Gold and silver found in sealed bags in his house. His cousin and godchild Paul Methuen ( 1723- 1795) inherited his London house and its treasures.
The earlier Paul and Grace Methuen had a younger son-Anthony (1650-1717) who marries Gertrude Moore, daughter of Thomas Moore, the builder of Spargrove Manor in Batcombe. It is Anthony who carries on his Fathers Woollen Trade from his base in Bradford .In 1712 he buys most of the village of Freshford to add to his many properties and on the death of Joseph Davison 3 years later, obtains the remainder. Though he now owns Pitts Place (Freshford Manor) he does not live there and decides to sell it on with its garden to Robert Hayward who had previously rented Freshford Mill from the Methuens. By 1715 the income from Anthony's properties in Bradford, Beckington, Freshford, Cheddon and Withy is shown as £1077 a year. Freshford accounts for £242 of the total, with most of the Villagers paying rent to him. He dies soon after in 1717 and his son Thomas Methuen (1684-1737) continues running the family clothing business and marries the rich heiress -Anne Selfe. The properties in Freshford are passed from them to their son Paul Methuen ( 1723-1795).
Paul Methuen decides in 1745 to pay £11,000 for an Elizabethan Mansion with an estate in nearby Corsham .and with the help of Capability Brown transforms it ready to house his Uncle John's Collection of Paintings. Finally he sells their old house the "Priory" to another rich clothier Humphrey Tugwell In 1763 whose son William is to live with his wife Betty at Freshford Manor. Paul continues receiving his rents from Freshford until he decides to sell some of his properties to the Coopers in 1773. but it is not until 1807 when his son Paul Cobb Methuen finally sells the remainder to the wealthy clothier- Thomas Joyce for a total of £12,000. Paul had spent a fortune on his alterations by the famous architect John Nash on Corsham Court and no doubt needed to pay his bills when the work was finished in 1806.