Conington Collection

This is a large collection of deeds, manorial records, family and estate papers centered on the records of the Heathcote family of Conington Castle from 1752. The 19th century Heathcotes spent all their lives on their estate, "bestowing on it all the personal care and outlay which a love of country life and a sense of duty would prompt. Without yielding to fads and whims, all that modern science and practice in agriculture sanctioned has been respected and made use of here" (Reminiscences of Albert Pell, 1908).

The collection also including records of the Cotton family estates 1490-1760, the Mower/Moyer estates in Essex 1400-1651, and the manorial records of Conington, Leighton Bromswold, Upton, Great Stukeley and Little Stukeley manors. The records have been listed in great detail with CON reference numbers

Conington Collection: Arrangement

The Collection is split into the following sections:

I Manorial

Con 1/1-10 - Manor of Conington

Con 1/11 - Manor of Leighton Bromswold

Con 1/12 - Manor of Upton

Con 1/13 - Manor of Gt. Stukeley

Con 1/14 - Manor of Lt. Stukeley

Con 1/15 - Bucks. Manors

Con 1/16-17 - Manor of Hawkesberry (Essex)

II - Family Wills and Settlements

Con 2/1 - Wills: Cotton Family

Con 2/2 - Wills: Heathcote Family

Con 2/3 - Wills: Miscellaneous

Con 2/4 - Settlements: Cotton Family

Con 2/4/1-5 - Cotton Family Settlements

Con 2/4/6-15 - Deeds re. debts of John Cotton of Steeple Gidding, and Settlement thereof

Con 2/5 - Settlements: Heathcote Family

Con 2/5/1-3 - Heathcote Family Settlements

Con 2/5/4 - Deeds re. Settlement of Robert Boothby's Estate

Con 2/6 - Miscellaneous Family Settlements

III Deeds

Con 3/1 Conington

Con 3/1/1-3 - Manor and lands at Conington

Con 3/1/4 - Sale of Conington Estate by Cotton to Heathcote

Con 3/1/5 - Deeds re. Adventurers land in Conington Fen

Con 3/1/6 - Grant of Constables' Close, Conington for the poor of Holme

Con 3/1/7-8 - Deeds of Conington Rectory

Con 3/2 - Steeple Gidding

Con 3/2/1-7 - Deeds re manor and lands at Steeple Gidding

Con 3/2/8 - Deeds re. Sale of Steeple Gidding Estate from Cotton to Heathcote

Con 3/2/9-10 - Steeple Gidding Rectory

Con 3/3 - Deeds re lands in Gt. and Lt Stukeley

Con 3/3/1-3 - Camoys Manor in Gt Stukeley etc.

Con 3/3/4-5 - Sale of Gt Stukeley lands from Berke to Heathcote

Con 3/3/6 - Deeds re. Gt Stukeley Rectory

Con 3/3/7-8 - Deeds re. Little Stukeley

Con 3/4 - Deeds re. Manor and lands at Upton

Con 3/4/1 - Deeds re. Hull's Farm and Land at Upton

Con 3/4/2 - Descent of the Upton Estate to the Cotton Family

Con 3/4/3-4 - Sale from Cotton to Heathcote Family

Con 3/4/5 - Oddments re. Upton

Con 3/5 - Deeds re properties in Essex

Con 3/5/1 - Deeds re. Manor and lands at Pitsca

Con 3/5/2 - Deeds re. Pitsea Hall

Con 3/5/3-4 - Manor of Pitsea

Con 3/5/5 - Deeds re. Manor of Chingford

Con 3/5/6 - Deeds re. Messuage called Burwills and lands in Chingford

Con 3/5/7 - Deeds re. lands in Tobbing.(Essex)

Con 3/5/8 - Deeds re. Manor and lands of Hawksbury

Con 3/5/9 - Manor of Hawkesbury: Admissions and Surrenders

Con 3/5/10 - Deeds re. lands in the Manor of Leigh

Con 3/5/11 - Deeds re. lands in the Manor of Prittlewelle

Con 3/5/12 - Deeds re. lands in the Manor of Mylton Hall

Con 3/5/13 - Manor of Earles Hall, Admissions and Surrenders

Con 3/5/14 - Deeds re. various properties in Essex

Con 3/6 - Deeds re. properties in London

Con 3/7 - Deeds re. lands at Alconbury

Con 3/8 - Deeds re. lands at Somersham

Con 3/9 - Deeds re. Hunts. Closes in Molesworth

Con 3/10 - Deeds re. lands at Sawtry

Con 3/11 - Deeds re. Manor of Hartford

Con 3/12 - Deeds re. lands in Derbyshire and Statfordshire

Con 3/13 - Deeds re. lands in Buckinghamshire

Con 3/14 - Deeds re. lands in Agden, Cheshire

Con 3/15 - Miscellaneous Deeds

IV Estate Administration

Con 4/1 - Conington Castle Estates

Con 4/1/1 - Rentals

Con 4/1/2 - Account Books

Con 4/1/3 - Miscellaneous

Con 4/2 - Conington and other Estates

Con 4/2/1 - Small Books and Documents

Con 4/2/2 - Rentals Lands in Huntingdonshire

Con 4/2/3 - Rent Audit Sheets. Conington Estates

Con 4/2/4 - Rentals miscellaneous

Con 4/2/5 - Estate Surveys Steeple Gidding

Con 4/2/6 - Estate Surreys, Stukeley and Upton

Con 4/2/6/7 Estate Surrey. Miscellaneous

Con 4/2/6/8 Accounts: Hunts. estates in general

Con 4/2/6/9 Accounts: Conington Estates

Con 4/2/6/10 Accounts: Conington, Upton and Stukeley

Con 4/2/6/11 Accounts: Steeple Gidding

Con 4/2/6/12 Accounts: Essex and London

Con 4/2/6/13 Accounts: Private: Cotton Family

Con 4/2/6/14 Accounts: Private: Heathcote Family

Con 4/2/6/15 Accounts: Private: Miscellaneous

Con 4/2/6/16 Taxes

Con 4/2/6/17 Estimates for repairs, expenses etc.

Con 4/2/6/18 Data re purchase of estates

Con 4/2/6/19 Sales Catalogues

Con 4/2/6/20 Documents re. Inclosure

Con 4/2/6/21 Maps and Plans

Con 4/2/6/22 Game Books

Con 4/2/6/23 Estate Administration: Miscellaneous.

V Legal Cases

CON 5/1 Rights

CON 5/2 Papers in cases

CON 5/3 Chancery Bills and Complaints

CON 5/4 Montagne v. Heathcote: re. Ownership of Upton Manor

CON 5/5 Morton v. Douglas

CON 5/6 Case re. Will of John White (d.1769)

CON 5/7 Re the will of Sir Gilbert Gilbert

CON 5/8 Re the Estates of Sir Robert and Lady Anne Hamilton

CON 5/9 Re the Will of Miss Catherine Moyer

CON 5/10 Smith v. Bull, Upton v. Buckworth

CON 5/11 Lord Gwydir's land at Alconbury

CON 5/12 Legal cases: Miscellaneous

VI Trusteeships

CON 6/1 Various Trusts

CON 6/2 The Skinner Trusts

CON 6/3 Trusts of Marriage Settlement of Viscount and Viscountess Downe

VII Letters

CON 7/1 Sir Robert Wilmot's Estate at Weston

CON 7/2 Purchase of Conington and Steeple Gidding Estates

CON 7/3 Conington Tithes

CON 7/4 Lands at Alconbury

CON 7/5 Purchase of Stukeley Estate

CON 7/6 Tithes on Duke of Manchester's Land at Great Stukeley

CON 7/7 London Properties

CON 7/8 Miss Moyer's Land at Corringham, Essex

CON 7/9 Constable's Close, at Holme

CON 7/10 Miscellaneous

VIII Miscellaneous Family Papers

CON 8/1-5 Miscellaneous