Portland of Welbeck (5th Deposit): Estate and Household Accounts

The bulk of this collection consists of the estate and household accounts of several stewards or agents - Isaac Hobart, Thomas Thompson, John Hutchinson, Joseph Fletcher, and Edward Turner, between 1724 and 1816. These include detailed accounts for every aspect of the running of a great landed household and estate, including buildings, furnishings, gardens, provisions, clothing, farms, stables, and personal expenses. The lengthy run of Welbeck Improvement Accounts shed light on the repairs and alterations to the building and grounds of Welbeck Abbey between 1741 and 1771.

Amongst the 17th century material are a few accounts of the Earl of Portland, written in Dutch. Other inherited records include military accounts for Col. Sir Edward Harley's company serving during the Civil War in 1643 as well as his accounts as governor of the port and garrison of Dunkerque, France, 1660-61. The receiver's accounts for the 5th Earl of Southampton, 1660-63, include details of expenditure on Titchfield and Beaulieu Houses, Hampshire, and the construction of Southampton House, London. Some accounts and deeds of north Staffordshire estates prior to the 1660s relate to properties of the Earls of Newcastle acquired through marriage to the heiress of the Bassett family.

Content summary:

DD/5P/1/1 Welbeck steward's accounts : Isaac Hobart 1724 - 1741

DD/5P/2/1-13 Welbeck steward's accounts : Thomas Thompson : vouchers to 'ledger house book no.6' 1749 - 1752

DD/5P/3/1-5 Welbeck steward's accounts : John Hutchinson 1765 - 1766

DD/5P/4/1-11 Welbeck steward's accounts : Joseph Fletcher 1775 - 1779

DD/5P/5/1-3 Welbeck steward's accounts : Edward Turner 1811 - 1816

DD/5P/6/1-17 'Welbeck Improvements' accounts 1741 - 1752; 1757 - 1771

DD/5P/7/1 5th Earl of Southampton's receiver's accounts 1660 - 1663

DD/5P/8/1-3 Willem Bentinck, Earl of Portland : Accounts (in Dutch) 1691-1698

DD/5P/9/1-101 Manor of Yoxall, Staffordshire : copyhold deeds and extracts from court rolls, etc. 1283-1662

DD/5P/10/1-4 Col. Sir Edward Harley : accounts 1643 - 1664

DD/5P/11/1-6 John (Holles), 3rdDuke of Newcastle: accounts 1693 - 1710

DD/5P/12/1-3 Earl and Countess of Oxford : accounts 1718-1742

DD/5P/13/1 Duchess of Portland & Lady Dorothy Cavendish : accounts c.1766 - 1783

DD/5P/13/2-8 Marquess of Titchfield : accounts 1799 - 1828

DD/5P/13/9-10 Marylebone estate, Middlesex, : accounts 1812 - 1883

DD/5P/13/11 Staffordshire estates : rentals 1656 - 1657

DD/5P/13/12-15 Welbeck estate: accounts 1812 - 1832

DD/5P/14/1-12 Welbeck steward's household accounts : Thomas Thompson, Benjamin Wilcocks, John Cowen, etc. 1744 - 1771

DD/5P/14/13-24 Welbeck improvement and garden accounts : William Speechley 1767 - 1770

<span class="wrapper"><p>Related Collections also in Nottinghamshire Archives</p> <p>Portland of Welbeck : (DD/4P), and especially section DD/4P/58</p> <p>See also:</p> <p>Portland of Welbeck (DD/P)</p> <p>Portland of Welbeck (DD/2P)</p> <p>Portland of Welbeck (DD/3P)</p> <p>Portland of Welbeck (DD/6P)</p> <p>Portland of Welbeck (DD/7P)</p> <p>Portland of Welbeck (DD/P/CD)</p> <p>Related Collections elsewhere :</p> <p>Related contemporary estate and household accounts can be found in the University of Nottingham Library's Portland (London) Collection. Further records of the Dukes of Portland can be found in the University of Nottingham Library, the British Library, and other repositories listed in the National Register of Archives</p></span>

• <famname>Bentinck, Cavendish-, family, Dukes of Portland</famname>
• <famname>Cavendish-Bentinck family, Dukes of Portland</famname>

Accessible to all holders of a reader's ticket

This deposit comprises financial accounts of the stewards and other agents of the Bentincks, Dukes of Portland, and their associated families during the 17th and 18th centuries. Hans Willem Bentinck (1649-1709) came over to England in the train of William of Orange when he succeeded to the English throne as William III in 1689. In recognition of his services Bentinck was created 5th Earl of Portland, and his son William became the 1st Duke of Portland in 1716.

The 2nd Duke married the heiress of the Harley family (Earls of Oxford), who had inherited the Welbeck and other estates of the Cavendishes (Earl of Newcastle) via the Holles family (Earls of Clare).

The records were held in the Estate Office at Welbeck Abbey until their deposit in the Nottinghamshire Records Office (now Nottinghamshire Archives) in 1966 (part Accession 689) and 1969 (Accession 899).