During the late 15th and early 16th centuries, the Hussey family owned the manor of Old Sleaford.
John Hussey, 1st Baron Hussey of Sleaford was executed for treason for his part in the Lincolnshire Rising.
The manor and his residence at Old Place reverted to the Crown and were later sold to Robert Carre.
George Carre or Carr from Northumberland had settled in Sleaford by 1522 when he was described as a wool merchant.
His son Robert bought Hussey's land and the castle and manor of New Sleaford from Edward Clinton, 1st Earl of Lincoln.
His eldest surviving son Robert, founded Carre's Grammar School in 1604, and his youngest son Edward was created a baronet; his son founded Sleaford Hospital in 1636.
The last male descendant died in 1683 and the heiress, Isabella Carre, married John Hervey, Earl of Bristol, in whose family the estates remained until the 1970s.
The Carres and Herveys had a strong influence: in addition to extracting dues from their tenants, they took leading tradesmen to the Exchequer Court to gain legal force behind their monopoly on charging tolls on market and cattle traders and for driving animals through the town.

Industry was slow to take hold, and by the second half of the 18th century, Cogglesford Mill was the only working corn mill in the town.
An old mill at the junction of Westgate and Castle Causeway supplied hemp to the growing rope-making business of the Foster and Hill families.
As local historian Simon Pawley wrote, "in many respects, things had changed little [by 1783] since the survey of 1692", with few of the buildings or infrastructure being improved.
Major changes to agriculture and industry took place in the last decade of that century.
From the Middle Ages, Sleaford was surrounded by three open fields: North, West and Sleaford Fields.
At the enclosure of the open fields in 1794 more than 90% of the 1,096 acres (444 hectares) of open land was owned by Lord Bristol.
Despite the costs of fencing and re-organising the fields, the system was easier to farm, and cottages were built closer to fields, while the landowner could charge more rent owing to the increased profitability of the land; those who lost out were the cottagers, who could no longer keep a few animals grazing on the common land at no cost.
The process allowed the land boundaries and pathways to be tidied up; Drove Lane, which ran to Rauceby, was shifted north and straightened.
During the late 15th and early 16th centuries, the Hussey family owned the manor of Old Sleaford. John Hussey, 1st Baron Hussey of Sleaford was executed for treason for his part in the Lincolnshire Rising. The manor and his residence at Old Place reverted to the Crown and were later sold to Robert Carre. George Carre or Carr from Northumberland had settled in Sleaford by 1522 when he was described as a wool merchant. His son Robert bought Hussey's land and the castle and manor of New Sleaford from Edward Clinton, 1st Earl of Lincoln. His eldest surviving son Robert, founded Carre's Grammar School in 1604, and his youngest son Edward was created a baronet; his son founded Sleaford Hospital in 1636. The last male descendant died in 1683 and the heiress, Isabella Carre, married John Hervey, Earl of Bristol, in whose family the estates remained until the 1970s. The Carres and Herveys had a strong influence: in addition to extracting dues from their tenants, they took leading tradesmen to the Exchequer Court to gain legal force behind their monopoly on charging tolls on market and cattle traders and for driving animals through the town.
Industry was slow to take hold, and by the second half of the 18th century, Cogglesford Mill was the only working corn mill in the town. An old mill at the junction of Westgate and Castle Causeway supplied hemp to the growing rope-making business of the Foster and Hill families. As local historian Simon Pawley wrote, "in many respects, things had changed little [by 1783] since the survey of 1692", with few of the buildings or infrastructure being improved. Major changes to agriculture and industry took place in the last decade of that century. From the Middle Ages, Sleaford was surrounded by three open fields: North, West and Sleaford Fields. At the enclosure of the open fields in 1794 more than 90% of the 1,096 acres (444 hectares) of open land was owned by Lord Bristol. Despite the costs of fencing and re-organising the fields, the system was easier to farm, and cottages were built closer to fields, while the landowner could charge more rent owing to the increased profitability of the land; those who lost out were the cottagers, who could no longer keep a few animals grazing on the common land at no cost. The process allowed the land boundaries and pathways to be tidied up; Drove Lane, which ran to Rauceby, was shifted north and straightened.
Sleaford