| Administrative History | The early history of Weston-under-Lizard and its manor while in the possession of de Westons, c.1086-1400 is not reflected in any way in the papers. By the beginning of the 15th century, the manor had passed to the de Peshales, formerly established at Eccleshall in Staffordshire. The connection by marriage of the de Peshales with the Birminghams of Birmingham is the earliest surviving evidence of this family in the Bradford collection. By the mid-15th century, Weston-under-Lizard had passed to the Myttons by marriage with the Peshales. The Myttons held Weston with the manors of Bobbington and Tamhorne, and the adowson of Weston Church. In 1591, John Mytton purchased the manor of Blymhill and the nucleus of the Weston estate was formed. The marriage of Edward Mytton's daughter, Elizabeth, to Thomas Wilbraham of Woodhey, Cheshire in 1651 eventually led to the settlement of the manors of Weston-under-Lizard, Bobbington, Blymhill and Tamhorne, and the manor of Walsall, previously granted to a Richard Wilbraham in 1557, upon the daughter of the marriage, Mary Wilbraham. Lady Elizabeth Wilbraham and her husband, who seem to have lived almost entirely at Weston, rebuilt the house and stables, and Lady Wilbraham also restored the church after her husband's death.
By her marriage to Richard Newport, 2nd Earl of Bradford (1st creation) in 1681 Mary Wilbraham brought the Newports to Weston. The Newport family had long been established in Shropshire, as lords of High Ercall since the 15th century and occasionally sheriffs of Shropshire since the 16th. They were always loyal to the Crown and were active in the Royalist cause during the Civil War. Their loyalty was rewarded by being raised to the peerage as Lords Newport in 1642, as Viscounts Newport in 1674 and as Earls of Bradford in 1694. Richard Newport succeeded as 2nd Earl of Bradford in 1708 and two of his sons by his marriage with Mary Wilbraham succeeded in turn as 3rd and 4th Earls both dying without issue. Upon the death of Mary, Countess of Bradford in 1737 the Weston estate passed to her son Thomas, the 4th Earl.
In 1762 on the death of Thomas Newport, his estates at Weston and Walsall, inherited through his mother, and those in Shropshire at High Ercall, inherited through his father, devolved upon his sister Diana, Countess of Mountrath, and Henry Bridgeman, his nephew. They both joined in a deed of partition in 1763, by which the late Earl's estates were divided into two, the Walsall lot and the Weston lot. Lady Mountrath and Sir Henry Bridgeman then literally drew lots for the Newport estates, Lady Mountrath drawing Walsall and Sir Henry, Weston. The Walsall lot included the manors of Walsall, Tamhorne, Newton and Bobbington with lands in Bentley and Little Onn and the right of presentation to Walsall church. The Weston lot included the mansion house, the manor and part of Weston, the right of presentation to Weston church and half the manor of Blymhill. Thus the Bridgemans succeeded to Weston.
The present family of Bridgeman can be said to have been founded by John Bridgeman, who became Bishop of Chester in 1619, but the family originated in Greenway, Devon, and there are references to them there as early as 1324. John Bridgeman, whose father was an Exeter merchant, served as chaplain to the Bishop of Peterborough and rector of Wigan before becoming Bishop of Chester. He began to reside at the Palace of Chester, which he improved considerably, from 1623. In 1631, the Bishop sold off his paternal estate in Greenway, having bought in 1629 the estate of Great Lever, with lands at Farnworth, Bolton and Lady Hall. His eldest son, Orlando, the first to bear the name, bought the Bromborough estate in Cheshire in 1638. During the Civil War the Bishop supported the King, only to be driven from his palace during the siege of Chester in 1645. He then retired to Morton Hall in Shropshire, which belonged to his son, Orlando, by virtue of his marriage to Judith Kynaston, heiress of Roger Kynaston, and died there in 1652.
Bishop John's eldest son devoted himself to the study of the law and was eventually to become Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas in 1660, and Lord Keeper of the Great Seal between 1667-1672. He resigned the latter office ostensibly for health reasons but more especially because of the political machinations of the Earl of Shaftesbury, who wanted the Seal for himself. Sir Orlando retired to Teddington where he died in 1674. Sir Orlando married twice, firstly Judith Kynaston, heiress of Morton, and secondly Dorothy, widow of George Cradock of Caverswall. The Cradocks were a Stafford merchant family, who had bought the North Staffordshire manors of Ipstones and Caverswall, and Caverswall Castle, but they were also particularly notable in Stafford public affairs in the early 17th century, the first mayor of Stafford being Matthew, George Cradock's father.
Sir John Bridgeman eldest son of Sir Orlando, inherited his father's chief estates including Great Lever in Lancashire and Morton in Shropshire through his mother. In 1657 he purchased the manors of Hodghill and Castle Bromwich from Leicester Devereux; these were to become the nucleus of the Warwickshire estate. Park Hall, adjacent to Castle Bromwich was bought from the Ardens in 1704 and Clifton-upon-Dunsmore had been purchased earlier in 1672. Sir John resided at Castle Bromwich with this wife, Lady Mary, and these two were responsible for much restoration work on the Hall using William Winde the Dutch architect.
Sir John Bridgeman I died in 1726, leaving his eldest son, also John to succeed him. John Bridgeman II had married Ursula Matthews, the heiress of Roger Matthews of Blodwel, Shropshire, through whom the Blodwel estate came into the family. He lived at Blodwel during his early married life, and after his father's death, moved to Castle Bromwich, but continued to make further additions to his Shropshire estates. Sir John's eldest son, later Sir Orlando, married Lady Anne Newport, the daughter of Richard, Earl of Bradford, in 1719 and it was through this marriage that the manor of Weston and other Staffordshire estates passed eventually to the Bridgemans in 1762.
Sir John Bridgeman II died in 1747 but his son, Sir Orlando had already added to the Staffordshire estates by purchasing the manor of Orslow in 1742. In 1747 he succeeded to his father's property in Lancashire and Warwickshire and his mother's property at Blodwel and Knockin. His wife Lady Anne Bridgeman died in 1752 and was outlived by her brother Thomas Newport, the 4th Earl of Bradford, who at that time still held the Weston Estate. He was declared to be of unsound mind and his estates were managed by his youngest sister Diana, Lady Mountrath and his brother-in-law, Sir Orlando Bridgeman, until his death in 1762.
Sir Henry Bridgeman succeeded his father in 1764 and the partition of the Newport estates in 1763, to which he was co-heir, is described under the Bridgeman section. He made further purchases of parts of Blymhill and lands at Brockhurst. Sir Henry sat as MP for Wenlock and Ludlow between 1748 and 1794 and was created Baron Bradford of Bradford in 1794. His third son, Orlando, succeeded him in 1800 and his fourth son, John, succeeded to the Simpson estates at Babworth, Nottinghamshire, through his uncle, taking the name and arms of Simpson only, under the terms of his uncle's will. John Simpson also eventually succeeded to his mother's estates at Stoke, Derbyshire.
In 1802, the last Lord Mountrath died and his estates at Walsall, the other half of the 1763 partition, and Weeting, co. Norfolk passed to Orlando, 2nd Baron Bradford, while Lord Mountrath's Irish estates passed to members of the Coote family. This Lord Bradford was particularly interested in innovations in agriculture and made considerable improvements at Weston, based on the Norfolk system of agriculture. He was created Viscount Newport and Earl of Bradford in 1815.
His successors continued to make purchases to add to the estates at Weston, Castle Bromwich and Knockin throughout the 19th century. The Tong Castle estate for example was purchased in 1850. This was also a period of considerable industrial development on the Walsall and Lancashire estates. The third Earl of Bradford made further improvements at Weston by building a new wing and a large orangery, and he also enlarged the gardens. His additions to the estate at Weston included Lizard Hill. The Hon. Selina Forrester, whom he married, is probably most famous for the voluminous correspondence to her and to her sister, Anne, Lady Chesterfield from Disraeli.
The twentieth century has seen consolidation of the Bradford estates, although responses to modern pressures have led to parts of the estates being sold off at various times. Weston Park was gifted by Richard, the 7th Earl of Bradford to the Trustees of The Weston Park Foundation. |
| Description | The great bulk of the surviving records within the collection relate to the Bridgemans, the second creation Earls of Bradford and their activities and very little survives by comparison for the Bridgeman predecessors to the estates, namely the Newports, first creation Earls of Bradford, the Wilbrahams, the Myttons or the Peshales. The nature of the collection has been developed and defined by the history and activities of the Bridgemans and their predecessors (see administrative history below). The outline given here provides an indication of the scope and content of the collection. Please be aware that the cataloguing of this very large collection is not yet complete. If you require access to records in this collection, please contact Staffordshire Record Office by email or letter outlining the information you are seeking.
Address: Staffordshire Record Office, Eastgate Street, Stafford, ST16 2LZ
Email address: staffordshire.record.office@staffordshire.gov.uk
Title deeds and related papers
The groups of title deeds and family settlements reflect how the estates have been built up by purchase, marriage and legacy. Few deeds survive for the pre-Bridgeman era, but outstanding among those that do are a group of 14th and 15th century medieval deeds relating to Birmingham. These are for lands held by the Birmingham family of Birmingham who married into the Peshales during the early 14th century. There is a similar but smaller group of deeds relating to Cradock properties in Stafford, surviving here owing to Cradock-Bridgeman marriages in the mid-17th century. In addition there are deeds for Wilbraham properties in Cheshire and Walsall, Matthews properties in Blodwel, Cradock properties in Ipstones and Mountrath properties in Walsall. However the bulk of the title deeds and abstracts of title and related papers concern the Bridgeman purchases from the 17th century onwards in Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Shropshire and Lancashire. Related to these are leases and tenancy agreements of these lands and properties and considerable quantities of these survive for all the estates, increasing in bulk as they become more recent in date, and as urban estates like Bolton and Walsall become more developed. In summary the collection includes deeds for the following estates:
Staffordshire
- Weston estate, 14th-19th cent, includes Blymhill, Brineton, Brocton, Orslow, Lapley and Weston under Lizard.
- Walsall estate, 14th-19th cent
- Cradock estate, Stafford, 14th-16th cent
Warwickshire
- Castle Bromwich estate, late 12th-19th cent, includes Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, Bordesley, Clifton upon Dunsmore, Curdworth, Minworth, Park Hall, Saltley, Sutton Coldfield and Water Orton
Lancashire
- Bolton estate, 18th-20th cent, includes Farnworth, Great Lever, Haulgh and Tonge
Shropshire, Montgomeryshire and Denbighshire
- Knockin estate, Shropshire, Montgomeryshire and Denbighshire, 15th-19th cent, includes Blodwel, Bryn, Duddeston, Hopton, Kinton, Knockin, Llyntidman, Maesbrook, Morton, Ness, Newport and Oswestry
- Hughley estate, Shropshire, 17th-18th cent, includes Bersham, Carreglova, Ruabon, and Sydart
Cheshire
- Newport estates, 17th-18th cent
Worcestershire
- Worcestershire estates, 13th-17th cent, includes Pedmore, Repwell, Severn Stoke and Yardley
Settlements and wills
Lands and properties devolved upon the family by will and marriage and the collection therefore also contains family settlements and wills of the Bridgeman, Cradock, Matthews, Mountrath, Simpson, Wilbraham, Mytton, Arden (lords of the manor of Park Hall before 1704) and Newport families, 15th-20th cent The extent of relationships and family connections revealed by these wills and settlements is considerable. Wills are also found in the collection where the Bridgemans have been appointed as trustees or executors. The papers relating to the Mountrath executorship for example are relatively bulky.
Manorial
By virtue of their role as lords of the manor, some manorial records survive for manors owned by the Bridgeman family. In particular the court rolls for Walsall have survived from 1672, and the records of the manors of Knockin, Great Ness and Ness Strange from the 15th to the 19th centuries. In summary the collection includes the following manorial records:
Staffordshire
- Walsall: court rolls, 1672-1742; court books, 1758-1923; surveys, 1576, 1617, 1805
Shropshire
- Knockin Villa and Patria, Great Ness and Ness Strange: court rolls, 1434-35, 1564-82, 1623-28, 1661-1708; court books, 1597-1603, 1660-1709, 1722-23, 1780-1894; court papers, 1667-1709, 1845-83; estreat rolls, 1535-1616; rentals, 1703-04, 1784-1870
Warwickshire
- Castle Bromwich cum membris: court rolls, 1517, 1572, 1599-1606, 1635, 1697; surveys, 1576, 1656
- Bordesley: estreats, 1540, 1673-1700
Hertfordshire
- Widdial alias Wyddial Bury: court rolls, 1571-1791; court books, 1809-1899
Estate papers
The way in which the estates were administered is obviously of considerable importance to the structure of the collection. In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, it was usual to employ a steward to deal with the day to day running of the estates but although the Bridgemans did this, they still took a very active role in the administration of their properties. Sir John Bridgeman I and II both kept extensive accounts for the Castle Bromwich and Shropshire estates from about 1697, employing a steward to manage the estate at which they were not resident. Estate accounts also survive for the Matthews estate in Blodwel in the later 17th century, the Newport estates based on High Ercall, 1687-99 and for the Newport manors of Minshull Vernon and Mottram in Cheshire, 1707-1722. Rentals survive from this period for the Matthews and Bridgeman estates, and earlier 17th century rentals are present for the Cradock estates in Ipstones. There are a few rent accounts for the Newport estates in Shropshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire from 1739 at the time when the estates were in the hands of a receiver owing to the lunacy of Thomas, 4th Earl of Bradford. The Earl of Mountrath's Irish and Walsall rentals survive at intervals for the later 18th century, and found their way into the papers as a result of the 1st Earl of Bradford's executorship of the Mountrath estates.
From the 1780s, the Bridgemans began to establish a regular system of agencies working under the direction of a chief agent, who was always based in the Midlands, eventually at Walsall when Peter Potter became chief agent as well as Walsall agent in 1820. By this time, a series of rent accounts had begun for all the Bridgeman estates which contain not only details of rents paid but also details of how money was disbursed on each estate. For example, much can be gleaned from the Walsall accounts of the development of industry in the area, particularly limestone working, and there are also details of how the town itself developed, since the Earls of Bradford were involved in building new streets and houses. The rent accounts continue for all the estates until the end of the 19th century and are a very fine series of their type. For Bolton, there are separate accounts for the collieries which date from the late 18th century, providing much information about the development of coal industry.
There is business correspondence of the chief agent, largely letters to the Lords Bradford and to the family solicitors. However for the individual agencies only the records of the Bolton agency have been deposited virtually intact, providing vast quantities of agents' memoranda, correspondence and accounts from the late 18th century to the 20th century for this estate. This material is not only useful for the history of the Bolton estate but it also sheds light on the relationship between the Earls of Bradford's chief agent and his other agents.
Surveys and valuations for the estates form another important part of the collection, the earliest surveys being those of Castle Bromwich in 1575 and Walsall in 1562. There are also a number of estate maps and plans of different parts of the estates. The best series is for Bolton and the Lancashire estates, 19th-20th centuries, but in addition there is a good series of maps of Sir Henry Bridgeman's estates in Shropshire in 1766. Other notable maps are one of Weston-under-Lizard in 1656, Lancelot Brown's plan for Weston Park and a large-scale map of Castle Bromwich dated 1802. In addition there are a number of building plans for Weston Hall, the Park, the Home Farm and other park buildings all 19th and 20th century in date, together with building plans of some of the farmhouses and other buildings on the estate. Outside the main family estate themselves, the Mountrath Irish estate maps for the 1790s provide a small but interesting series.
The following is a summary of the estate papers in the collection:
Legal papers
- Legal papers re the family and the estate, 15th-20th cent
- Solicitors' correspondence, all estates, 18th-20th cent
Estate surveys
- Weston, 17th-18th
- Walsall, 16th-18th cent
- Knockin and Hughley, 18th-19th cent
- Castle Bromwich, 16th-17th cent
- Torrington estates, Kent, 1793
Maps and Plans
- Weston estate, 18th-20th, and Weston Park, including a Lancelot Brown plan, 18th-20th cent
- Walsall estate, 18th-20th cent
- Knockin and Hughley estate, 18th-19th cent;
- Tong estate, 18th-19th cent;
- Castle Bromwich estate, 19th cent;
- Bolton estate, 19th-20th cent;
- building plans for the Weston, 19th-20th cent, and the Knockin, Tong and Bolton estates, 19th cent
Leases
- All estates, 19th-20th cent
Estate memoranda, administrative papers and estate correspondence
- Weston, Walsall, Castle Bromwich, Knockin, and Bolton estates, 18th-20th cent
- Mountrath Irish estate, 18th cent
- Chief Agent's correspondence, 19th cent
- Mountrath agent's correspondence, Walsall and Ireland, late 18th cent
Estate rent accounts
- Weston estate, 18th-19th cent and some 20th cent
- Walsall estate, including Mountrath rentals, mid 18th-19th cent
- Castle Bromwich estate, late 18th-19th cent
- Knockin estate, late 17th-19th cent
- Bolton estate, late 18th-19th cent
- Wilbraham estate, Cheshire, 1693
- Newport estates, Staffordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire, 1739-1754
- Mountrath estate, Roscommon, Connaught and Leinster, 18th cent
Solicitors' correspondence and papers
In the records deposited from the London solicitors, Baileys, Shaw and Gillett, there are huge quantities of business correspondence and papers relating to all the estates. Were it not for this material, it would be necessary to rely on a few sporadic survivals of agents memoranda and letters to the Earls of Bradford for Knockin, Castle Bromwich, Walsall and Weston. Thus the solicitors' correspondence is most important in supplementing the gaps in the agency records themselves. This section also includes material rel;ating to family settlements, probate and personal finances.
Household
Apart from the administration of the estates, the collection also contains documents relating to the running of the Bradford houses. For Castle Bromwich, there are some household accounts as early as the 1690s, while accounts survive for Bishop Bridgeman's household at Chester in the 1620s and 1630s. For Weston, there are few accounts during Sir Henry Bridgeman's time from the 1760s onwards. Weston household accounts begin to be kept systematically and regularly from the beginning of the 19th century. In addition there are detailed accounts for the gardens, home farm and park at Weston during the first half of the 19th century.
Accounts are also included in the papers for building and repairs at Weston and Castle Bromwich. Lady Mary Bridgeman's correspondence with William Winde, the Dutch architect, in the 1680s relating to the Castle Bromwich restoration, is fairly substantial. For Weston, much of the accounts and correspondence relate to 19th century improvements but there are in addition accounts for Sir Henry Bridgeman's alterations at Weston, including James Paine's marble chimney pieces in 1766. Sir Henry's surviving accounts show that he spent a considerable amount of money in improving the house and gardens, and he was responsible for the building of the Temple in the Park. Later accounts relating to the gardens for example give details of laying out the new reservoir in 1828/29. Other houses for which there are 19th century household accounts are Newport Lodge, Melton Mowbray, St Catherine's Windermere and the London Houses, 43 Belgrave Square and 44 Lowndes Square. For example, there are many accounts for the furnishing of Belgrave Square in the 1840s and the refurbishing of Newport Lodge in the 1860s.
Other domestic records of the various households include visitors books, menu books and servants wage books, mostly for Weston and 19th century in date. General household inventories survive for a number of dates, one of the earliest being for Morton in 1649 at the time when Bishop Bridgeman was in retirement there and there is also a catalogue of his books at Chester in 1644. Specific inventories for plate, books and particularly paintings are also included in the collection, especially for Weston Hall, for which there are a number of 19th century painting inventories. In connection with this, there is correspondence about the acquisition of paintings and other works of art again mostly 19th century in date.
The following is a summary of the surviving household records:
- Accounts etc, Weston, 19th cent; Castle Bromwich, 18th cent; Morton mid-17th cent
- Inventories etc, Weston, Castle Bromwich, London houses and St Catherine's, Windermere, 17th-20th cent
- Wages books for indoor servants, 1734-1747; 1811; 1824-1844 and 1878-1895;
- Wages books for estate workers, 1960s and 1970s
Papers relating to public activities
The public activities of individual members of the family are also reflected in the papers. One of the outstanding documents in the collection is Bishop John Bridgeman's ledger or memorandum book. This was meticulously kept in the Bishop's own miniscule handwriting and contains not only lists of loans, contributions and subsidies paid by the clergy of Chester diocese between 1620 and 1639, but also has a number of pages of private memoranda between 1608 and 1641. These refer to his own annual income and expenditure with notes of family events added, and one aspect of the Bishop's aims which comes very strongly through the pages of the ledger, is his determination to maintain the rights of the benefice of Wigan against the townspeople. The Bishop was essentially a scholar and his surviving correspondence and papers reflect this as well as his desire for order, firstly within his benefice of Wigan, and secondly within his bishopric.
His son, Sir Orlando Bridgeman's office as Lord Keeper has also given rise to some official correspondence reflecting this role, as well as receipts for legal fees paid to him in this capacity. An earlier appointment of Sir Orlando as receiver for the Court of Wards and Liveries in Chester, 1642/3, produced a fine set of accounts of his disbursements for the fortification of Chester during the early years of the Civil War.
Grants of arms, patents of nobility and family pedigrees, as well as appointments to public office are also to be found within the collection. The grants and appointments relate mostly to the Newports and the Bridgemans, while the pedigrees cover all of the Bridgemans' predecessors, but not the Bridgeman family itself. Activities of members of the Newport and Bridgeman families as Sheriffs and MPs between the late 17th and 19th centuries has also meant that the collection contains correspondence relating to the elections and parliamentary matters. Another notable document arising from public office is the memorandum or commonplace book of Matthew Cradock, the first Stafford mayor, about 1614 in date, which contains much information on town business at this time.
The role of the family in dispensing charity, is well seen in the records of the Preston Hospital Charity which are contained in the collection. These date from the early 18th century and include title deeds of lands belonging to the hospital, accounts and legal papers. The records continue in date to the 20th century. There is also material relating to Lady Mary Bridgeman's charity at Castle Bromwich, 1769-1788 and the 17th century Wilbraham Charity for binding apprentices in Weston and Blymhill.
Personal papers
There is no correspondence of the Newport family, but some for the Wilbrahams and considerable quantities of personal correspondence survive for the Bridgemans from the time of Bishop John. Sir John Bridgeman II's letters for example, show what a good father he was to his children and how much interest he took in the welfare of his family and friends. Another notable batch of family correspondence is that of George, eldest son of the 1st Earl of Bradford, in particular his letters written home while on the Grand Tour. Orlando, a younger brother, entered the army and fought at Waterloo; his Earlier letters contain a considerable amount of information on the Peninsular Campaign. Disraeli's letters to Selina, Countess of Bradford form an archive in themselves and are of considerable political as well as social importance. Disraeli confided much to Lady Bradford about the proceedings in Parliament and Cabinet for example, and his comments on his political opponents and colleagues are most revealing. He relied considerably upon Lady Bradford's friendship and his letters to Lady Bradford's sister, Lady Chesterfield also survive within the collection.
There are a few royal letters mostly 19th century in date, but also including the signs manual of Charles I and Charles II and reflecting the relationship of Bishop John Bridgeman and his son, Sir Orlando, with the Crown. Byng family correspondence, including letters and accounts relating to Lord Torrington's embassy to Brussels during the late 18th century, is found in the papers by virtue of the marriage of the first Earl of Bradford to the Hon. Lady Elizabeth Byng, the daughter of Viscount Torrington.
The social activities of the family are also represented in the papers. For example the third Earl of Bradford was a great sportsman, and before he succeeded to the title, spent his winters at Newport Lodge at Melton. His hunting journals survive for this period. He was also a keen breeder of racing horses, winning the Derby with "Sir Hugo" in 1892; as a result of this the collection contains bills for racing and breeding and messages of congratulation on winning the Derby. In addition there is material relating to official court affairs in which the family was involved.
The following is a summary of the papers relating to public office and personal papers in this collection:
- Bridgeman family correspondence, 17th-20th cent, including Disraeli's letters to the Countess of Bradford and Countess of Chesterfield, 1871-1881
- Byng family correspondence and diplomatic papers, late 18th cent
- Personal and diocesan papers and accounts of Bishop John Bridgeman of Chester, Early 17th cent;
- Letters of Sir Orlando Bridgeman as Lord Keeper, mid-17th cent
- Personal accounts, diaries, notebooks and photographs of the Bridgeman family, 18th-20th cent
- Wilbraham family correspondence and commonplace book, 17th cent
- Papers etc of Matthew Cradock as mayor of Stafford, Early 17th cent
- Shropshire election correspondence, 17th-19th cent
- Preston Hospital Charity, Shropshire, title deeds, accounts, legal papers etc, 18th-20th cent
Business papers
Beyond the family papers themselves, there is also a huge quantity of business correspondence and papers with the family solicitors and accountants, reflecting the immense degree of activity involved in the affairs of a very large landed family with several estates and houses to manage as well as their own private and financial business. The bulk of this material obviously increases the more modern it becomes and the more complex the estates themselves become. The correspondence is not simply between members of the family and their solicitors etc., but also between the agents, bailiffs and other legal advisers and the solicitors. For example any legal disputes in which the family become involved led to the production of quantities of legal cases, opinions and correspondence relating to the same. |