Collection GB 0074 M/83/BAR - BARNESBURY MANOR, ISLINGTON

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0074 M/83/BAR

Title

BARNESBURY MANOR, ISLINGTON

Date(s)

  • 1621-1925 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

1.82 linear metres.

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

The Manor of Barnsbury (also called Bernersbury or Iseldon Berners) was held in 1086 by Hugh de Berners. The Berners family retained the manor until 1502 when it was sold. In 1542 the manor was purchased by Thomas Fowler, merchant, and passed to his son Edmund (d 1560) who left it to his son Sir Thomas (d 1625). The manor was left to his son Sir Thomas (d 1656) who left it to his daughter Sarah, widow of Sir Thomas Fisher. Her eldest son Sir Thomas Fisher inherited but died in 1671, leaving the estate to his brother Sir Richard Fisher (d 1707). Richard left the manor to his nephew Sir Thomas Halton (d 1726), whose son Sir William Halton (d 1754) left the land to his godson William Tufnell (who later changed his surname to Jolliffe). The manor remained in the Tufnell family until 1925. The manor house was situated to the west of what is now Barnsbury Square, near to the modern Caledonian Road and Barnsbury railway station.

The Manor of Canonbury was formed from land granted to the prior of Saint Bartholomew Smithfield by Ralph de Berners in 1253. It was also known as the Manor of Iseldon. The manor was taken at the Dissolution and was owned by Thomas Cromwell, 1529-1540, then was owned by Dudley, Lord Lisle, 1547 onwards. It passed to the Earl of Northampton in 1610 and remained in that family until sold to developers in 1954.

The Manor of Newington Barrow or Highbury was owned by the priory of Saint John of Jerusalem, Clerkenwell, from 1270 to the Dissolution. From 1548 to 1629 it was owned by various members of the royal family, then sold to Sir Allen Apsley and thence to various owners. In 1773 the owner George Colebrooke was bankrupted and sold the demense lands and the site of the manor house. The manorial rights and quitrents were sold separately, but cannot be traced after 1877. The manor house at Highbury was a substantial stone building used as a summer residence by the priors of Saint John of Jerusalem. It was destroyed in 1381 by followers of Jack Straw, who hated the then prior. It was subsequently known colloquially as 'Jack Straw's Castle'. The later house was known as Highbury Barn and was a well-known tea gardens in the eighteenth century.

From 'Islington: Manors', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 8: Islington and Stoke Newington parishes (1985), pp. 51-57 (available online).

Archival history

GB 0074 M/83/BAR 1621-1925 Collection 1.82 linear metres. Manor of Barnsbury , Islington

The Manor of Barnsbury (also called Bernersbury or Iseldon Berners) was held in 1086 by Hugh de Berners. The Berners family retained the manor until 1502 when it was sold. In 1542 the manor was purchased by Thomas Fowler, merchant, and passed to his son Edmund (d 1560) who left it to his son Sir Thomas (d 1625). The manor was left to his son Sir Thomas (d 1656) who left it to his daughter Sarah, widow of Sir Thomas Fisher. Her eldest son Sir Thomas Fisher inherited but died in 1671, leaving the estate to his brother Sir Richard Fisher (d 1707). Richard left the manor to his nephew Sir Thomas Halton (d 1726), whose son Sir William Halton (d 1754) left the land to his godson William Tufnell (who later changed his surname to Jolliffe). The manor remained in the Tufnell family until 1925. The manor house was situated to the west of what is now Barnsbury Square, near to the modern Caledonian Road and Barnsbury railway station.

The Manor of Canonbury was formed from land granted to the prior of Saint Bartholomew Smithfield by Ralph de Berners in 1253. It was also known as the Manor of Iseldon. The manor was taken at the Dissolution and was owned by Thomas Cromwell, 1529-1540, then was owned by Dudley, Lord Lisle, 1547 onwards. It passed to the Earl of Northampton in 1610 and remained in that family until sold to developers in 1954.

The Manor of Newington Barrow or Highbury was owned by the priory of Saint John of Jerusalem, Clerkenwell, from 1270 to the Dissolution. From 1548 to 1629 it was owned by various members of the royal family, then sold to Sir Allen Apsley and thence to various owners. In 1773 the owner George Colebrooke was bankrupted and sold the demense lands and the site of the manor house. The manorial rights and quitrents were sold separately, but cannot be traced after 1877. The manor house at Highbury was a substantial stone building used as a summer residence by the priors of Saint John of Jerusalem. It was destroyed in 1381 by followers of Jack Straw, who hated the then prior. It was subsequently known colloquially as 'Jack Straw's Castle'. The later house was known as Highbury Barn and was a well-known tea gardens in the eighteenth century.

From 'Islington: Manors', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 8: Islington and Stoke Newington parishes (1985), pp. 51-57 (available online).

Deposited in January 1947.

Papers relating to Barnsbury Manor, Islington, including records of the courts baron and courts leet; deeds to the copyhold estate of the manor; surrenders; warrants; deeds of conveyance of land and premises at Holloway; deeds for Tufnell family holdings in Holloway, Manor of Canonbury, and in the Manor of Newington Barrow at Highbury; and deeds for the Tufnell family estates in Ireland.

M/83/BAR/001-042: Manorial courts;
M/83/BAR/043-066: Deeds to Barnsbury Manor;
M/83/BAR/067-118: Surrenders and warrants;
M/83/BAR/119-122: Deeds (Holloway);
M/83/BAR/123-170: Records relating to the Tufnell family estates.

Available for general access.

Copyright to this collection rests with the depositor.

English

Fit

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

See also M/83/NB for records of Newington Barrow Manor.

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Records prepared May to September 2011. Right to property Civil law Property ownership Manorial courts Deeds Title deeds Property Property transfer People Courts baron People by roles Property owners Information sources Documents Manorial records Manorial land Agricultural economics Land economics Land tenure Copyhold Administration of justice Courts Courts leet Property law Manor of Newington Barrow , Islington x Manor of Highbury , Islington Manor of Canonbury , Islington Manor of Barnsbury , Islington Ireland Western Europe Europe Highbury Islington London England UK Canonbury Holloway Barnsbury Legal systems Civil and political rights Law Human rights Primary documents

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Deposited in January 1947.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers relating to Barnsbury Manor, Islington, including records of the courts baron and courts leet; deeds to the copyhold estate of the manor; surrenders; warrants; deeds of conveyance of land and premises at Holloway; deeds for Tufnell family holdings in Holloway, Manor of Canonbury, and in the Manor of Newington Barrow at Highbury; and deeds for the Tufnell family estates in Ireland.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

M/83/BAR/001-042: Manorial courts;
M/83/BAR/043-066: Deeds to Barnsbury Manor;
M/83/BAR/067-118: Surrenders and warrants;
M/83/BAR/119-122: Deeds (Holloway);
M/83/BAR/123-170: Records relating to the Tufnell family estates.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Available for general access.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright to this collection rests with the depositor.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

See also M/83/NB for records of Newington Barrow Manor.

Finding aids

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

London Metropolitan Archives

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area