Crewe (Cowper) Collection

DCC/1. "Brief notes of the Antiquity ... of Chester". Anon. 18th Cent

DCC/2 - 6. Chester Collections, by William Cowper. 5 Vols. 18th Cent

DCC/7. Broxton Hundred, by William Cowper. 1760

DCC/8. "Historical Verses", by Richard Bostock (d. 1663), with notes by William Cowper. 18th Cent

DCC/9 - 10. "Historical Papers", mainly relating to the Isle of Man. 2 Vols. 18th Cent

DCC/11 - 13. "Manuscripts", by or collected by William Cowper. 3 Vols. 17th & 18th Cents

DCC/14. Folder: papers of Thomas Cowper, mayor of Chester. 1641 - 2

DCC/15. Folder: "Antiquities of Cheshire", containing original deeds and papers, and notes on Cheshire history by William Cowper and others. 16th to 18th Cents

DCC/16. Folder: letters, random verse etc: of William Cowper. 18th Cent

DCC/17. Visitation of Cheshire. Flower and Glover. 1580

DCC/18. Inquisitions post mortem (abstracts), Cheshire. 1509 - 1614

DCC/19. Collections relating to Chester, by Rev, R. Rogers. c. 1671

DCC/20. "Villare Cestriense", by Dr. Edward Williamson. 1701

DCC/21. "Dr. Williamson's collections of Cheshire Evidences". c. 1720

DCC/22 - 23. "Notitiae quedam antiquit. Comitat. et Civ. Cestrie ...", by Dr. Williamson and John Stones. 18th Cent

DCC/24. "Statuta ecclesia Cathedralis Cestriensis" (4. June, 1544). 18th Cent

DCC/25. Cheshire Pedigrees after Glover. 18th Cent

DCC/26. An account of the Siege of the city of Chester, by or after William Cowper. 1764

DCC/27. The same, in another hand. 18th Cent

DCC/28 - 29. Books of Precedents, compiled by Stephen & James Mundy. 2 Vols. 18th Cent

DCC/30. An Account of Vale Royal Abbey. 1807

DCC/31. Folder: papers relating to the Mainwaring family, papers by William Cowper, original deeds and papers (1673 - 1728) and offprints of Archaeologia. 18th Cent

DCC/32. Plea Roll relating to Peckforton etc: 1574, with letters to Rev. Hugh Cholmondeley. 1805 - 10

DCC/33. "A Manuscript of Heraldrye", probably by Thomas Chaloner. c. 1590

DCC/34. Rental for Hatherton, Walgherton etc: 1605

DCC/35. Pedigree of the Warrells of Cheshire. 1632

DCC/36. Account Book Crewe (Nantwich) charity. 1656 - 1732

DCC/37. Nixon's Predictus. 3 items. c. 1700 - 90

DCC/38. Receipt Book of Dr. George Ogden. 1731 - 40

DCC/39. Notes for a history of Cheshire. 18th Cent. Probably by William Falconer

DCC/40. "A summary of the Life of St. Werburgh", by (William Cowper), with other works. Printed. 1748 - 55

DCC/41. "General View of the Agriculture ... " of Cheshire, by Thomas Wedge. Printed. 1794

DCC/42. "Chester Mysteries..." Ed. J.H. Markland. Printed. 1818

DCC/43. Little Moreton Hall - a series of original water colours etc: by J. West. 1849

DCC/44. "Old Moreton Hall ..." by Robert Head. Printed. 1908

DCC/45. "Chester as it was", by Very Rev. J.S. Howson and Alfred Rimmer. Printed. 1872

DCC/46. "Cheshire at the opening of the Twentieth Century, by Robert Head. Printed. 1904

DCC/47. Folder: further papers of Thomas Cowper, mayor of Chester, with 4 earlier items. 1569 - 1642

Open

Acc. 71

This collection was purchased by the Cheshire County Council from the Executors of Lady Annabel Crewe, deceased, in August 1950

It comprises the greater part of the Cowper Collection, as listed in the Appendix to the 5th Report of the Historical Manuscripts Commission (to which references are given in the calendar), and a few other items relating to the history of Cheshire, evidently collected by the Crewe family

The Cowper Collection, accumulated by Dr. William Cowper of Overlegh (1701 - 67), Antiquarian and Mayor of Chester, remained at Overlegh until about 1816, when Charles Cholmondeley, who inherited Overlegh from his maternal uncle Thomas Cowper, nephew of the Antiquarian, removed the MSS to Condover. They were sold, with the remainder of the Condover Collection, c. 1898