The Wilberforce Archives

WILBERFORCE

The Wilberforce Archives

1602-1961

The early title-deeds of Dr. Wilberforce's home, Backsettown in Henfield, are included in this Catalogue together with records concerning the Becket(t) alias Backett family. These latter were collected by or for Miss Elizabeth Robins, the authoress, who lived at Backsettown and, with Dr. Wilberforce, made it a place of rest and recuperation where, under medical direction, many women have been enabled to regain their health.

The Catalogue includes a number of items which would normally be regarded as ephemeral, but they are none the less valuable and ought to be preserved for such things get more difficult to find as time goes on. In the same way, there are a number of printed books and pamphlets listed in the Catalogue because they were associated with the Sargent and Wilberforce families and reflect the interests and affairs of their members.

A small group of documents, 1937-1940, relating to the Lavington Estate are listed in Appendix I. Although they have no connection with the Wilberforce family, it seemed appropriate to add these papers to this catalogue so that the archives of the property would be as complete as possible.

<p>To some extent, the documents catalogued here fill gaps in the Lavington records and, so far as seems necessary, the appropriate cross-references have been made. There are papers, especially correspondence, of considerable interest relating to the Sargent, Wilberforce and Denman families and to Henry Edward Manning. Only such correspondence of Samuel Wilberforce as relates to Sussex people or affairs has been retained because it was felt that the very extensive official (and certain private) correspondence of that eminent Churchman should join that already acquired by the Bodleian Library, Oxford (see p. 26). The bulk of the correspondence of the Bishop's celebrated father, William Wilberforce, has also gone to the Bodleian Library.</p>

English

• <famname>Wilberforce family of Sussex</famname>
• <famname>Sargent family of Sussex</famname>

21 series

Documents and books were presented to the West Sussex Record Office by the executors of the late Dr. Octavia Wilberforce. Further documents, listed in Appendix 1, were received from Messrs. Wallis, Prance and Dalgety, solicitors, of Basingstoke in Nov 1965.