After the Nethersoles
The deaths of Lady Lucy and Sir Francis Nethersole signalled the end of an important chapter in Polesworth's history. The closure of the Abbey could easily have brought an end to the village. Instead, the cultural activities of the Gooderes and the charitable works of the Nethersoles had ensured that Polesworth had continued to thrive. After the passing of Sir Francis, in 1659, the momentum that had carried the village through the last one hundred years dissipated and it was the rise of industry (principally coal mining) that gave Polesworth an impetus for growth over the next several hundred years.
Following Sir Francis's death, Polesworth Hall descended to the Biddulph family, relatives of the Nethersoles. Over the next hundred years, the Manor passed through a number of hands. First Michael Biddulph, then to his brother, George. Next it was owned by a Robert Keddington. In 1747, Polesworth was acquired by Walter Chetwynd, owner of the Hall at the village of Grendon, two miles away.
The member of that family best remembered today was the last incumbent at the Hall, Sir George Chetwynd, who inherited both Polesworth and an extensive stretch of land around it in 1869. The last Chetwynd owned a public house at the Square (a crossroads where Market Street, Bridge Street, Grendon Road and Tamworth Road meet). Called "The Chetwynd Arms", the pub was demolished in the early 1980's, but it gave its name to the site, which now houses the local fire station. His wife, Cecilia, Marchioness of Hastings, is also fondly remembered for her charitable work.
In 1912, the Chetwynd estates were broken up and sold.