Edward Nicholson made is fortune in the Linoleum Manufacturing Company, and when he retired he purchased Matthews Green Estate in 1877 from Captain Elliott Morres. The property was advertised in The Times as follows:-
“The attractive Freehold Residential Estate known as Matthew’s Green, Wokingham, including a capital house with pleasure grounds, stabling, farmer, three cottages and very picturesque will timbered park size land, in all about 70 acres.”
In 1880 he rebuilt the western end of the 17th century Matthews Green House which became the family home. Around that time he also purchased Wiltshire Farm.
Edward’s son Alfred James inherited the property in 1885 and in 1901 sold the Matthews Green Estate to Colonel Raymond South Paley (c1838-1913), a retired army officer who renamed it Cantley.
Colonel Paley died in 1913 and his widow resided at Cantley House until 1920 when the property was put up for sale. The buyer was Percival Octavius Watson, a soap manufacturer who resided there until the early 1930s.
By 1955 Cantley was in the possession of James Butler, 6th Marquis of Ormonde (1893-1971), who served as High Steward of Wokingham from 1956 until his death in 1971. It is understood that he sold the Cantley Estate for a small sum after having been informed that there was no way that building permission on any part of the land would ever be granted.
Wokingham District Council then purchased Cantley Estate in 1973 and leased to Patrick Brown who intended to develop it into a country club. His ambitious plan turned into bankruptcy which left Cantley House empty until 1981 when Maurice Monk and a partner purchased the lease. Attempts were then made to resurrect Patrick Brown’s plans, while commencing to develop the house into a hotel by creating eight bedroom within the empty building.
Maurice bought out his partner in March 1983 and proceeded to enhance the Victorian building, opening a further eleven bedrooms and transforming the stables into another ten in 1987, making Cantley House Hotel a 29 bedroom hotel.
Further renovations were made and an extension was made to the west of the existing mansion in the style of almshouses. By 2010, Cantley Housel was a 36 bedroom luxury hotel.
Wokingham Town Museum Unique Identifier: WTH0336