Collection GB 0074 ACC/1720 - DUNSFORD MANOR

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0074 ACC/1720

Title

DUNSFORD MANOR

Date(s)

  • 1680-1889 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

0.76 linear metres.

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

The Manor of Dunsford developed out of lands held at Dunsford in the parish of Wandsworth by Merton Priory. According to the Victoria County History of Surrey, "by 1535 the possessions of the house {i.e. the Priory} in Wandsworth and Dunsford formed an estate of considerable value".

At the dissolution of the monasteries in 1538 the Manor passed to Charles Duke of Suffolk, who sold it in 1539 to Thomas Cromwell. When Thomas Cromwell was attainted, the Manor passed, in 1540, to the Crown, which held it until 1563 when it was granted to Lord Robert Dudley. Dudley sold it in the same year to Sir William Cecil, who in turn sold it in 1564 to John Swift (see E/BER/S/T/II/B/1/2). John Swift sold it to Thomas Smith in 1569 (see E/BER/S/T/II/B/1/3), and it stayed in the possession of his descendants until 1664 when it was sold to Sir Alan Brodrick. It passed in 1730 to his great nephew, Alan 2nd Viscount Middleton, and remained in the Middleton family until it was apparently sold to James Clark in 1851 (see ACC/1720/011 and ACC/1720/023).

As the title deeds in this collection show, a process of enfranchisement (that is, the process whereby copyhold tenants of the Manor bought the freehold to their property) had got under way by 1800 and continued throughout the century (see ACC/1720/023), leading to the disintegration of the Manor. This process is also indicated by the cessation of Courts Baron and Leet soon after James Clark bought the Manor.

Archival history

GB 0074 ACC/1720 1680-1889 Collection 0.76 linear metres. Manor of Dunsford , Wandsworth

The Manor of Dunsford developed out of lands held at Dunsford in the parish of Wandsworth by Merton Priory. According to the Victoria County History of Surrey, "by 1535 the possessions of the house {i.e. the Priory} in Wandsworth and Dunsford formed an estate of considerable value".

At the dissolution of the monasteries in 1538 the Manor passed to Charles Duke of Suffolk, who sold it in 1539 to Thomas Cromwell. When Thomas Cromwell was attainted, the Manor passed, in 1540, to the Crown, which held it until 1563 when it was granted to Lord Robert Dudley. Dudley sold it in the same year to Sir William Cecil, who in turn sold it in 1564 to John Swift (see E/BER/S/T/II/B/1/2). John Swift sold it to Thomas Smith in 1569 (see E/BER/S/T/II/B/1/3), and it stayed in the possession of his descendants until 1664 when it was sold to Sir Alan Brodrick. It passed in 1730 to his great nephew, Alan 2nd Viscount Middleton, and remained in the Middleton family until it was apparently sold to James Clark in 1851 (see ACC/1720/011 and ACC/1720/023).

As the title deeds in this collection show, a process of enfranchisement (that is, the process whereby copyhold tenants of the Manor bought the freehold to their property) had got under way by 1800 and continued throughout the century (see ACC/1720/023), leading to the disintegration of the Manor. This process is also indicated by the cessation of Courts Baron and Leet soon after James Clark bought the Manor.

Records deposited in December 1981, with the exception of ACC/1720/025 which was purchased in July 1991 with the aid of the V&A Purchase Grant Fund, see http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/p/puchase-grant-fund/.

Records of the Manor of Dunsford, Wandsworth, including court books, conveyances, declarations, mortgages, enfranchisements, maps and plans.

ACC/1720/001 to 025.

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

Records of the Manor of Dunsford, Wandsworth, held at Lambeth Archives Department: court rolls and rentals 1559-1761. Records of the Manor of Dunsford, Wandsworth, held at the Surrey Record Office: 1579-c.1850.

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. Manor of Dunsford , Wandsworth Administration of justice Courts Manorial courts Information sources Documents Manorial records Enfranchisements Wandsworth (district) Wandsworth London England UK Western Europe Europe Primary documents

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Records deposited in December 1981, with the exception of ACC/1720/025 which was purchased in July 1991 with the aid of the V&A Purchase Grant Fund, see http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/p/puchase-grant-fund/.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Records of the Manor of Dunsford, Wandsworth, including court books, conveyances, declarations, mortgages, enfranchisements, maps and plans.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

ACC/1720/001 to 025.

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

Records of the Manor of Dunsford, Wandsworth, held at Lambeth Archives Department: court rolls and rentals 1559-1761. Records of the Manor of Dunsford, Wandsworth, held at the Surrey Record Office: 1579-c.1850.

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