West Drayton, United Kingdom

While he was leasing the manor William Paget used the existing building of St Pauls which was situated near St Martin's Parish church. Paget described the building as his "cotage at Drayton". Once owning the manor he built a new manor house, completed by 1549, which occupied the western end of the churchyard. The Manor grounds contained the Church, ornamental gardens, stables, a dovecote and other outbuildings and was enclosed by a high brick wall and two gatehouses. The wall and one of the gatehouses can still be seen today. The construction of the manor house and grounds resulted in the demolition of villagers' homes on Church Road and building on the graves of generations of West Drayton people in the churchyard. In addition to this, Paget enclosed 150 acres of common land to add to his demesne. In 1550 Paget legalised his position by obtaining a royal pardon for his actions. The loss of the Parish churchyard was compensated for by the granting of an alternative burial site which was situated on the eastern side of where Drayton Hall is today. The burial site was used until 1888.

After serving as Lord Privy Seal under Mary I, poor health meant William Paget played little part in public life after the accession of Queen Elizabeth I in 1558, although as a Privy Councillor his advice was often sought. He died in West Drayton on 9 June 1563. He was succeeded by his son Henry, who died five years later without male issue. Henry's brother Thomas became the 3rd Baron Paget in 1568.

Thomas Paget (1544–1590) and his brother Charles were both devout Roman Catholics, and would not conform to the Protestant religion of Queen Elizabeth I.

Aided by Henry Percy, Paget fled to Paris on the uncovering of the Throckmorton Plot in November 1583, joining Charles who had been in exile there since 1581. The failed conspiracy's plan was for an invasion of England by French forces under the command of Henry, Duke of Guise, financed by Philip II of Spain. English Catholics would then rise up and depose Elizabeth, placing Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots on the English throne.

After his flight to France Elizabeth issued a proclamation commanding Thomas Paget to return to England. In June 1584 a formal demand for the surrender of Paget was made to Henry III, King of France through the English ambassador, which was not carried out.

In 1584 or 1585 Philip II made the decision for Spain to invade England and depose Queen Elizabeth. The ground invasion would be led by Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma with the majority of troops coming from the Spanish Netherlands. Parma commanded the Army of Flanders which was engaged in fighting England's Protestant Dutch allies.

Paget travelled to Spain and was given a pension of 180 crowns per month by Philip II. He then moved to the Spanish Netherlands where he was consulted by Parma in the planning of the invasion. The endeavour of July–August 1588 to stop England's rise as a maritime power and to force the English and Welsh back to Roman Catholicism failed when the Spanish Armada required to support Parma's passage from the Spanish Netherlands to England was scattered after engagements with the English Navy off the coast of Calais and Gravelines. Thomas Paget would die in Brussels in 1590.

In 1587 Thomas Paget had been attainted of treason by act of parliament. His lands including West Drayton were confiscated by the Crown. Elizabeth granted the manor to her Lord Chancellor, Sir Christopher Hatton for life. Hatton died in 1591 and from 1592 the manor was leased to her Lord Chamberlain, George Carey. Carey became 2nd Baron Hunsdon in 1596 and entertained Elizabeth at the West Drayton Manor House in October 1602.

In the next year 1603, both Elizabeth and George Carey died. With Elizabeth's death, James I, son of Mary Queen of Scots acceded to the English throne. In 1604 James restored the Paget family lands and honours to Thomas Paget's son William. William like James I was a Protestant and had taken part in the successful Anglo-Dutch capture of Cádiz (Gades) in 1596 with Admiral Charles Howard, Sir Walter Raleigh and Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex. It is believed William Paget received possession of West Drayton Manor in 1610. In 1612 William Paget became an 'Adventurer' (shareholder) and member of the Council of the Virginia Company (London Company) and the Somers Isles Company. The Paget Parish and Paget Island in Bermuda are named after him. He died on 29 August 1629 and is buried in the vault of St Martin's church.