Chancery: Master Harvey's Exhibits: Duchess of Norfolk's Deeds

C 115

1085-1842

This series consists largely of the deeds, books, papers and writings of the Scudamore family of Holme Lacy and Ballingham, Herefordshire. These were inherited by the widowed, childless and lunatic Frances Scudamore, duchess of Norfolk, in 1815, whose estate then became subject to Chancery supervision. In 1816, a schedule of the deeds, books, papers and writings was commissioned from Thomas Bird, a Hereford solicitor, and this remains the basis of the current list and the running numeration.

The papers were transferred from Chancery custody in 1881, and remained intact until 1899, when deeds relating to the Holme Lacy estate and pedigree material were claimed by the Earl of Chesterfield as heir under the Chancery settlement of 1827. Descriptions of these claimed items are included in the catalogue, however the current location of these records is unknown. They are believed to have been destroyed by enemy action between 1939 and 1945.

The surviving contents of the Scudamore archive include:

• property deeds relating to the Scudamore estate in Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Monmouthshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, and Southwark in Surrey;
• correspondence of John Scudamore (c1490-1571), a crown receiver to the Court of Augmentations, much of which relates to the dissolution of the monasteries;
• correspondence of John, 1st Viscount Scudamore (1601-1671), ambassador to France, friend of Archbishop Laud, and supporter of Charles I, which pertains to both his private and public business in England, and illustrates the vicissitudes of the Thirty Years War on the continent;
• the Llanthony by Gloucester cartularies and registers;
• a collection of treatises intended for canon law students at Oxford in the late fourteenth century;
• Queen Elizabeth's wardrobe book, 1561-1585, which recorded deliveries of materials to ladies-in-waiting to make items for the queen, deliveries to tailors of stuffs to be made up for the queen, gifts of clothing to courtiers, and jewels lost;
• manorial court rolls from Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Essex and Norfolk;
• personal and estate accounts, election accounts, rentals, and material relating to charities founded by the family;
• papers generated by the transfer of the archive to Chancery;
• property deeds of the 11th duke of Norfolk, which have no Scudamore interest;
• a few maps, drawings and architectural plans, particularly of Holme Lacy;
• and a collection of wills, receipts, bonds, pardons and marriage settlements.

Catalogue entries for items in pieces C 115/1-110 have been enhanced as part of a project supported by volunteers

Other Scudamore muniments may be found in the British Library under the following references: Add MSS 11041-11059, 11407, 11689, 11816, 35097, 35207 and 45140-45148; Add Charters 1308-1372 and 1815-1973. Some Scudamore records also remain in Herefordshire, in the Cathedral Library, Hereford, and in the City Library, Hereford.

For the schedule commissioned from Thomas Bird see IND 1/23396

Several deeds relating to the local core of the Holme Lacy estate and some pedigree material which were transferred to the Earl of Chesterfield in 1899. These have not since been located and may have been destroyed by enemy action during the Second World War.

The cartulary of the abbey of St Peter, Gloucester, was transferred to

C 150

Public Record(s)

English, French and Latin

132 boxes, bundles and volumes

Open

Topics

Clothing

Government finances

Manors

Marriage and divorce

Religions

Europe and Russia

Democracy

Maps and plans

Operations, battles and campaigns

Personal and family papers

The exhibits in this series entered the office of John Springett Harvey, master in Chancery, after the lord chancellor had, on 7 August 1816, instructed Thomas Braithwaite, steward of the duchess of Norfolk, to commission Thomas Bird, a Hereford solicitor, to compile an inventory of them. Frances Scudamore, widow of Charles Howard, 11th duke of Norfolk, being childless and deemed lunatic, was provided for until her death on 22 October 1820. Her archive entered Chancery as exhibits in connection with her maintenance.