Twisden Manuscripts

Archives of the Twisden family of Bradbourne Park, East Malling

<p>John Ramskill Twisden was a keen antiquary and family historian and acquired many documents of the Roydon Hall branch of the family so that the collection listed below contains much which is supplementary to the archives listed in U48.</p>

Bequeathed by the late Sir John Ramskill Twisden to the Kent Archaeological Society and by them deposited in the Kent Archives Office in April, 1940.

These papers actually formed three separate Kent Archaeological Society accessions and were originally noted by them as 1938/2 (Sir John Twisden's bequest), and 1938/13, 14 (received from Mrs. Dudley Ward), any original arrangement as between these groups had been quite lost before their transfer to the Record Office.

Formerly AG47/54

The records of the Twysden and Twisden family fall naturally into two parts (a) those concerning the family of Royden Hall, East Peckham and (b) those concerning Bradbourne, East Malling. In fact this simple division is complicated by the dispersal of the former group after the sale of Roydon Hall in 1830. The result is that many of the former documents were sold some coming into the hands of the Rev. Lambert Larking. Later Sir John Ramskill Twisden of Bradbourne attempted to reconstitute as much as possible of his family's archives, and on his death these papers passed to the Kent Archaeological Society. The various elements of the Twysden and Twisden papers held in the Kent Archives Office at the end of 1976 are as follows:-

Cat. Mark: U48 Provenance: Twysden MSS. presented by H. Rivers Pollock, esq., of Erchfont Manor, Wilts.

Cat. Mark: U49 Provenance: Twisden MSS. deposited by the Kent Archaeological Society received by them on the death of Sir John Ramskill Twisden.

Cat. Mark: U47-47 Provenance: Twysden MSS. forming part of the 'Brain Bequest' received from the Kent Archaeological Society per Maidstone Museum in 1957.

Cat. Mark: U655 Provenance: Twysden MSS. concerning London received from Dr. W. Urry, 1958.

Cat. Mark: U1655 Provenance: Twysden MSS. deposited by the Lady Twysden of Knightsbridge, S.W.1., 1972.

Cat. Mark: U1823-2 Provenance: Twysden and Twisden MSS. received from the Maidstone Museum, 1974 and comprising mainly items acquired at the Lambert Larking sale.

Sir Thomas Twysden, brother of Sir Roger of Roydon Hall, founded the Bradbourne line in the mid-17th century and the family remained successful until the time of the fifth baronet, Sir Roger, 1705-1772. The second son of Sir Roger, however, by a clandestine marriage alienated the affection of his family and was repudiated by his father. The result was the taking over of the estate in 1779 by John Papillon Twisden the youngest brother and his wrongful assumption of the title. The rejected son, William, had died in 1771 and left one son John who became a naval officer. In 1841 on the death of John son of John Papillon Twisden the estate was claimed by Capt. John (son of William) and by Thomas Law Hodges, husband of Rebecca Twisden, daughter of Sir Roger the 6th baronet. Capt. John, de jure 7th baronet, never claimed his title, and acted towards his own second son, William, as his own father had been treated. As in the previous generation the inheritance passed to the children of this second son and in 1909 John Francis Twisden, grandson of Capt. John, regained the title. His son, John Ramskill Twisden, dying childless, the title finally lapsed.