Twysden Manuscripts

Archives of the family of Twysden of Roydon Hall in East Peckham

Because of the special circumstances and for general convenience these two groups of related papers have been physically merged and are here listed as a single entity. These documents which were received in 1948, however, all bear the accession mark 332 so that their identity shall be preserved. For additional archives see U49.

Presented by H. Rivers Pollock, Esq., Devizes, Wilts., per Gloucester County Council, April 1940 (Acc. 48), and also additions purchased from W. E. Tyler, Esq., of Canterbury, December 1948. (Acc. 332)

Formerly AG48, AP17

The records of the Twysden and Twisden family fall naturally into two parts (a) those concerning the family of Royden Hall, East Peckham and (b) those concerning Bradbourne, East Malling. In fact this simple division is complicated by the dispersal of the former group after the sale of Roydon Hall in 1830. The result is that many of the former documents were sold some coming into the hands of the Rev. Lambert Larking. Later Sir John Ramskill Twisden of Bradbourne attempted to reconstitute as much as possible of his family's archives, and on his death these papers passed to the Kent Archaeological Society. The various elements of the Twysden and Twisden papers held in the Kent Archives Office at the end of 1976 are as follows:-

Cat. Mark: U48, Provenance: Twysden MSS. presented by H. Rivers Pollock, esq., of Erchfont Manor, Wilts.

Cat. Mark: U49, Provenance: Twisden MSS. deposited by the Kent Archaeological Society received by them on the death of Sir John Ramskill Twisden.

Cat. Mark: U47-47, Provenance: Twysden MSS. forming part of the 'Brain Bequest' received from the Kent Archaeological Society per Maidstone Museum in 1957.

Cat. Mark: U655, Provenance: Twysden MSS. concerning London received from Dr. W. Urry, 1958.

Cat. Mark: U1655, Provenance: Twysden MSS. deposited by the Lady Twysden of Knightsbridge, S.W.1., 1972.

Cat. Mark: U1823-2, Provenance: Twysden and Twisden MSS. received from the Maidstone Museum, 1974 and comprising mainly items acquired at the Lambert Larking sale.

The family of Twysden were settled at 'Twysenden' in Goudhurst by the 13th century. In the early 16th century William Twysden married the heiress of the Roydon family of Roydon Hall and his descendants became associated with East Peckham and district. His grandson Sir William was knighted by James I and subsequently created a baronet, 1611, he also married into the Finch family. The title then descended to Sir Roger, scholar and antiquary, whose brother Thomas founded the Bradbourne estate and was also created a baronet in 1666 and changed his name from Twysden to Twisden. Subsequently the Roydon branch of the family 'became more notorious than prosperous' and in 1834 the estate was sold, though the title remained and ultimately passed to a branch living in Devon. When the archives were dispersed by sale many reached the British Museum, but other small groups passed into private hands, two of which groups are represented here.