LAW OF MARSTON TRUSSELL PAPERS

The Law family came from Gawcott in Buckinghamshire and a significant proportion of the collection relates to there and elsewhere in that county. William Law of Gawcott had two sons, William, who later purchased the rectory and advowson of Marston Trussell, and George, who remained in Buckinghamshire.

Many of the Buckinghamshire papers relate to the trust established under George Law's will of 1851. Law had two sons who both eventually emigrated to America and his brother William acted as a trustee. Other papers relate to the sale of an estate in Gawcott in 1838 owned jointly by George West, William Law and the late Richard Henson. There are also collections of deeds for property in Preston Bissett and Steeple Claydon. The latter property passed to William Warr, the father in law of William Law the elder, who was one of his trustees.

William Law the younger studied at Queen's College, Cambridge, before being ordained in 1838. He was appointed curate of Great Linford in Buckinghamshire but gave this up after the purchase of the rectory and advowson of Marston Trussell in 1842. Deeds for the rectory and advowson run from 1627. Law remained rector until his death in 1900 and built himself a fine rectory outside the village to the designs of (Sir) George Gilbert Scott and William Bonython Moffatt. The collection includes contracts and accounts for the work but unfortunately there are no drawings or letters by Scott or Moffatt. The Rev. Henry Isham-Longden in Northamptonshire and Rutland Clergy comments that Law was, 'a great friend of Sir Charles Isham of Lamport, with whom he had much in common in matters of horticulture.' Law was also a pioneer photographer.

Law acted as a trustee for a Rev. William John Law of Bramber in Sussex and there is a collection of papers relating to the winding up of his insolvent estate in 1889, following his death. These largely consist of bills and receipts from creditors amongst the shops and businesses of Brighton, London and elsewhere.

John Knight Law inherited the rectory on his father's death and became rector aswell having been ordained in 1873. He studied at Christ's College, Cambridge and was appointed to a variety of livings before Marston Trussell. Successively he was curate of Dudley, Worcestershire, St. John's, Cardiff, Llangowen, Monmouthshire and New Milverton, Warwickshire. Then Law went to Malta as incumbent of Holy Trinity, Slienna, 1878-1880. On his return he was curate at Glasbury, Brecknockshire, Callington, Cornwall and Brierley Hill, Birmingham, and vicar of St. Mary the Virgin, Sedgley, Bilston, Staffordshire. Like his father he also oversaw the building of a rectory at Marston Trussell, to replace the old rectory in the village. His father's house was deemed unsuitable because of it's location. Law resigned as rector in 1927 and died in 1940. His son Percival John Knight Law became rector of Marston Trussell in 1936.

Contents

THE REV. WILLIAM LAW AND HIS ESTATE

George Law of Gawcott 1

West family of Gawcott 2, 3

Sale of the Gawcott estate 4-16

Clerical papers of the Rev. William Law 17-20

Building of Marston Trussell rectory 21-33

Settlement under the will of the late George Law 34-53

Family and business papers 54-65

THE REV. JOHN KNIGHT LAW

Clerical papers of the Rev. John Knight Law 66-74

Building new rectory 75-81

Restoration of church 82, 83

William Law trustees 84, 85

THE REV. PERCIVAL JOHN KNIGHT LAW 86-88

ADVOWSON DEEDS 89-144

COMPOSITION OF THE REV. W.J. LAW'S ESTATE 145-249

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE DEEDS

Cottage in Preston Bissett 250-258

Estate in Steeple Claydon 259-265

Accession 1993/336