The Olivier Settlement

The Olivier Settlement is the name given to a series of title deeds and other documents inherited by the Olivier family and relating chiefly to estates in Clowne and Barlborough, North Derbyshire, during the 18th and 19th centuries. Other families mentioned include Routh, Farewell, Boys, Wright, Crashawe, Thornhill, Hay or Hae, Thorneley, Cressey, Taylor, Clayton and Hill. It appears that the marriage in 1857 of Mary Elizabeth Sarah Hill to Alfred Olivier established the connexion amongst several of these families.

In addition to title deeds, family settlements and wills, there are good series of estate surveys and rentals, from the mid 17th century to the early 19th century, including enclosure papers relating to Bolsover, Clowne and Barlborough in, Derbyshire and Birkin in Yorkshire. Industrial records relate to coal and lead mining activities and there are early 18th century estate maps of property in Romeley and Clowne, with a few 19th century plans of Birkin lands.

Letters to the Revd Thomas Wright in the mid 18th century chiefly concern family and estate matters, but include comments on contemporary national events such as 'frightful times' in 1745 [the Jacobite rising], the inevitability of war in 1755, news expected hourly from Admiral Byng in 1756 and Pitt as 'the hinge on whom all turns' in the same year. Army movements in 1758 and the 'terrible executions in Portugal' in 1759 are also noted, as are the departure of English sea and land forces. The shifting allegiances of politicians and the influence of grandees such as the Duke of Devonshire are reported in a number of letters.

Title deeds

D547M/T1-66 Romeley in Clowne 1599-1801

D547M/T67-194a Clowne and Barlborough 1599-1825

D547M/T195-253 Birkin, Yorkshire 1631-1790

D547M/T254-265 Little Kimber, Little Hampden, Ellesborough, Buckinghamshire 1652-1747

D547M/T266-67 Pyrton, River Cherwell, Oxfordshire 1701, 1741

D547M/T268-71 Eckington, Winster, other places in N Derbyshire 1668-1721

D547M/T272-75 Various places, South Yorkshire 1708-1718

Family deeds and papers

D547M/F1-20 Settlements, accounts and case papers 1847-79

D547M/F21-60 Wills 1657-1788

D547M/F61-137 Correspondence 1676-1819

Estate records

D547M/E1-32 Schedules of title deeds [16th-18th cent]

D547M/E33-51 Surveys and valuations 1651-1832

D547M/E52-77 Rentals 1674-1716

D547M/E78-82 Tenancy agreements 1690-1811

D547M/E83-101 Bonds 1658-1788

D547M/E102-147 Receipts, accounts, bills 1674-1822

D547M/E148-157 Enclosure: Bolsover, Clowne, Barlborough and Birkin, Yorkshire 1779-1832

D547M/E158-99 Case papers c1625-1866

Maps and Plans

D547M/P1-4 Romeley 1711-46

D547M/P5-8 Clowne 1713-c1830

D547M/P9-16 Birkin, Yorkshire C1712-1835

Miscellaneous

D547M/Z1-8 inc

D547M/Z2 Cressey family pedigree C1700

D547M/Z5 Articles of partnership in Portaway Mine 1745

These records were donated to the Record Office by a London firm in October 1955