Correspondence and papers of the D'Oyly and the Thomas families

AMS6185

Correspondence and papers of the D'Oyly and the Thomas families

1711-1928

INTRODUCTION: THE FAMILIES

The D'Oyly family and the Thomas family each have connections in East and West Sussex. The two families were themselves joined by the marriage of Mary Elizabeth D'Oyly, youngest daughter of Serjeant Thomas D'Oyly (who d.1855) and Henry John Thomas, twelfth child by his second marriage of Inigo (Freeman) Thomas of Ratton in Willingdon (who d.1847)

The D'Oyly family settled in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire having come to England at the Norman Conquest from the area of Ouilly in Normandy (1). Serjeant Thomas D'Oyly's immediate descent can be traced back to Edward D'Oyly, gent. of Shottisham co. Bucks., whose son Francis (d.1706) came to Sussex as Minister of Funtington, near Chichester. The family established themselves as landowners in West Sussex and extended their influence to East Sussex in 1751 when Thomas D'Oyly, Lid. became Archdeacon of Lewes (2). The family's interest in county as well as church affairs is indicated by the fact that his son the Rev Matthias D'Oyly sat on the 1780 County Meeting for Economic and Political Reform, convened at Lewes by the Lord Lieutenant of the County, the 3rd Duke of Richmond (3). As eldest son of Archdeacon D'Oyly, the Rev. Matthias had followed his father's calling. He chose East rather than West Sussex for his career as Vicar of Pevensey (1767), Rector of Buxted (1787) and Archdeacon of Lewes (1806), all of which offices he held until his death in 1815 (4). Serjeant Thomas D'Oyly was his eldest son. The family lived at Buxted

Thomas D'Oyly described himself as a Barrister at Law and a Fellow of All Souls, Oxford c.1815 (5). By 1819 he had been promoted to the office of Serjeant at Law (6). His office was at No 4, Kings Bench Walks, Temple, but glimpses of his work on circuit and on the County Bench can be detected in these and other mss. in ESRO. He is noted as a circuit judge in 1816 (7), as a magistrate on the East Sussex Bench in 1825 (8) and as an assize judge in Lewes in 1828 (9). His family connections and properties in West Sussex ensured him a position in that County and in 1834 his work as Chairman of the Western Sessions earned him the warm appreciation of Lord Egremont at Petworth House (10). In 1836 his opinion was consulted by the Commissioners of Lewes and Laughton Levels re vandalism to the sea wall and in 1812 he acted as Enclosure Commissioner for the Manor of Warningore in Chailey (11)

D'Oyly kept houses both in London and in Sussex at Brighton and at Rottingdean. He also stayed from time to time at Buxted where his brother George had succeeded their father as Rector. His position in the upper stratum of society is indicated by the King's invitation for D'Oyly to dine with him, presumably at the Brighton Pavilion, in 1835 (12). The Earl of Chichester at Stanmer House was among his associates and was named as an executor of his will. Another executor named, but declining the duties when they came, was Sir Edward Vaughan Williams (13). [1797-1875 See DNB]. He and D'Oyly together edited Burn's "Justice of the Peace" in 1836. Unfortunately nothing of D'Oyly's work on this has survived in his correspondence, though several pieces in this collection indicate his keen interest in the historical record and in antiquarianism

Like the D'Oyly's the Thomas family also had connections in both counties of Sussex. Henry John Thomas' father was baptised Inigo Freeman, the son of Marget (nee Thomas) and Arthur Freeman of Antigua. In 1789, having inherited the Thomas family estates both at Ratton in Willingdon and at Yapton in West Sussex, he accordingly assumed the surname Thomas. The direct heir, Sir George Thomas 3rd Baronet and M.P. for Arundel, had incurred the displeasure of his father and grandfather and had been disinherited, keeping the title only, without the land (14). The estates at Yapton and Willingdon were divided between the two daughters of the first baronet, Lydia White and Margaret Freeman, but at the death of George White in 1789 without male heir they all came to Inigo Freeman

The Thomas family had had connections with the Eastbourne/Seaford area since the 17th century (15). Inigo Freeman Thomas sat as a member of Parliament for Weobley in Herefordshire from 1796 to 1800 but played a role in Sussex affairs by captaining the Eastbourne Yeomanry Cavalry from 1798. In 1807-8, now Major Inigo Thomas, he acted as a senior officer for Pevensey Rape, in charge of Volunteers (16)

Ratton, the seat of Sir Walter Parker until c1750 was purchased by Sir George Thomas c1762 (17). He used it as a "Summer house" (18). After its acquisition by Inigo Thomas it was lived in by his mother Lydia and his three sisters (19). In the early 1800s he extended and improved it and made it home for his rapidly-explanding young family (20). Henry John Thomas (b.1817) whom Mary Elizabeth D'Oyly married, was the twelfth child of his second marriage.

In common with Serjeant D'Oyly, Inigo Thomas was in the Earl of Chichester's circle. Indeed, by his second marriage he had wedded into it. In 1828 he acted as trustee for the marriage settlement of Henry Thomas Pelham, the 3rd Earl (21). The continuing friendliness between the Chichesters, the Thomass and the D'Oylys is witnessed by letters in this collection (22)

There is little documentation concerning the early life of Henry John Thomas and his sisters and brothers at Ratton among the original documents in this collection. Photocopied item 273 below is therefore a valuable survival. After marriage in 1857 Henry and Mary Thomas made their home in Woodstock co. Oxon. Mary and her sister Jane D'Oyly enjoyed an income from their late aunt and their father's estates but these were not in Sussex (23). Thomas D'Oyly's brother George left Buxted Rectory in 1820 to pursue a career at Lambeth (See DNB). Serjeant D'Oyly's death in 1855 therefore spelt the end of that family's connection with county affairs

THE DOCUMENTS

These papers are a contrived collection in that they are not the ongoing documentation of two families but rather they are selections of items, mainly correspondence, that seemed to be of interest or importance out of series which, in the main, have not survived

The selections relate firstly to Thomas D'Oyly Serjeant at Law, (1772-1855) son of the Rev. Matthias D'Oyly, rector of Buxted, and his antecedents. They relate secondly to D'Oyly's youngest child, Mary Elizabeth, and her husband Henry John Thomas, twelfth child of Inigo Freeman Thomas of Ratton in Willingdon. Either she, or one of her descendants made the selections which comprise the D'Oyly/Thomas family papers in the second part of this catalogue

Further D'Oyly and Thomas family items, including a large collection of watercolours of local interest to Sussex and the neighbourhood of Willingdon were offered for sale at the same time as these mss. but were not purchased by East Sussex Record Office. Some of these items were photocopied before sale, however, and the photocopies form the final part of this catalogue (24)

Though the chief interest of this collection lies in the correspondence, nevertheless, some stray items of memorabilia are not without value. Of particular note is an 18th century Latin poem on the subject of cricket, one of only a handful dating from that era (25). A satire on the characters of those who build houses by the sea may possibly relate to the early rush to Brighton (26). A poem penned on the "Manchester riots" 1862 will be of interest to social historians (27). The letters from Jane D'Oyly holidaying in Europe in the 1880s, while not of particular relevance to Sussex nevertheless provide an insight into the minds and manners of the English gentry abroad and are of interest for their setting in the Hotel du Lac, now of screen fame (28). In all, therefore, though this is a contrived collection whose survival has largely depended upon the fame or rank of the author of the letters, its overall interest is diverse and it contributes usefully to many aspects of local and national history

Footnotes to introduction

1. AMS6185/63-75

2. J. Le Neve Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541 - 1847: Chichester Diocese, 19. (1971)

3. LCX/1/EW 1,2. But note that Matthias D'Oyly was not yet Archdeacon of Lewes in 1780 as stated by N Caplin, SAC 103, 54-55

4. Rev. G. Hennessy Chichester Diocese Clergy Lists, 4, 44, 119 (1900)

5. AMS6185/85-86

6. AMS6185/18

7. AMS6185/47

8. LAN 199

9. LAN 292

10. AMS6185/34

11. SRA6/14/20; QDD/6/E21

12. AMS6185/35

13. AMS6185/188

14. AMS6185/244-248

15. SAC 7, 109

16. SAC 122, 173; AMS6185/249

17. SAC 14, 122

18. AMS6185/246

19. ibidem. Deeds and references to Ratton can be found elsewhere in ESRO/AMS & CHR collections

20. ibid. and AMS6185/250-251

21. CHR/13/63-68

22. AMS6185/189, 191, 193, 204

23. AMS6185/147-150

24. AMS6185/261-273

25. AMS6185/134, and ex info T. McCann Assistant Archivist West Sussex Record Office

26. AMS6185/132

27. AMS6185/255

28. AMS6185/209-236

CONTENTS

Thomas D'Oyly, Serjeant at Law (1772-1885): Correspondence and papers (1711)-1845

AMS6185/1-5 Correspondence: property, 1811-1817

AMS6185/6-13 Correspondence and papers: family, 1815-1816, 1824

AMS6185/14-43 Correspondence: business and personal 1815-1845

AMS6185/44-62 Correspondence: family history 1813-c1850

AMS6185/63-146 D'Oyly family history: notes and memorabilia 1711-1839

Mary Elizabeth Thomas (nee D'Oyly ?1830-1916): Correspondence and papers 1796 (-1928)

AMS6185/147-157 Property: settlements and accounts 1853-1928

AMS6185/158-170 Correspondence: property 1869-1880

AMS6185/171-184 Correspondence: Inigo Thomas of Ratton 1805-1846

AMS6185/185-187 Correspondence: miscellaneous 1814-1861

AMS6185/188-208 Correspondence: Mary Elizabeth Thomas and Jane D'Oyly 1855-1871

AMS6185/209-236 Correspondence: Jane D'Oyly to Mary Elizabeth Thomas 1882-1886

AMS6185/237-241 Correspondence: miscellaneous c1870-1928

AMS6185/242-260 Thomas family history: misc. data 1796-1899

Photocopies of D'Oyly and Thomas papers

AMS6185/261-272 Letters and papers 1694-1 51

AMS6185/273 Travel Journal 1835-1837

English

• <famname>D'Oyly family of East Sussex</famname>
• <famname>Thomas family of East Sussex</famname>

3 Series

Records are open for consultations otherwise indicated

Purchased from D. White, Nov 1990 (A5648, Mar 1991)