Rickards Papers: The Barretts of Hope End

Papers, late eighteenth and early nineteenth century for the affairs of the Barretts of Hope End, Colwall, including those for the shrievalty of Herefordshire of E. M. Barrett, 1813 - 1814.

These records fall into two groups. The first consists of a few items relating to an estate at Martley, Worcestershire, in the ownership of the Browning family. The connection with the second group is obscure, but both are probably the surviving papers of a Mr. Rickards of Ledbury who presumably acted for the Madley properties as well as for the Barretts of Hope End, Colwall. The papers of these last are a happy survival, for they record something of the landed interests of Edward Moulton Barrett, father of Elizabeth Barrett Browning the poet who spent part of her childhood in east Herefordshire. The family is referred to in the diaries of John Biddulph of Ledbury [Ref. G2/IV/]. The papers are entirely of a legal and business nature, as we might expect from their origin as the papers of the Barrett's man of business. Those from E. M. Barrett's term as sheriff provide great documentation for this office, and the estate material gives some information on the effect of inclosure on land-ownership and distribution in Wellington Heath.

Papers of Armell Browning of Martley, Worcs. F84/1-18

Papers of John Barrett (Hope End estate). F84/19-21

Papers of E. M. Barrett

a. Shrievalty Records. F84/22-38

b. Business Records (Wellington Heath and personal). F84/39-118

• <persname>Rickards, Samuel, of Ledbury, Herefordshire</persname><famname>Barrett family of Colwall, Herefordshire</famname>
• <famname>Browning family of Colwall, Herefordshire</famname>

F84/19-118 Also available on Microfilm