Filmer Manuscripts

Manorial documents, deeds and estate papers of the Filmer family of East Sutton Place

All sections of the catalogue contain much of interest and value, as well as information on most members of the family; of especial note are the number of estate maps [some by the future 3rd Baronet], the fine armorial seals, letters from the Prince of Wales (King Edward VII), and the portion of the Leeds Cartulary.

Main accession:

Purchased from Arthur Wilson-Filmer of Hull, 1945

M1-M48; M58; T1-T203; F1-F27; C1-C84; E1-E16; A1-A10; L1-L6; O1-O20; Q1-Q13; Z1-Z26; P1-P54.

Accession 154

Q13; This is referred to in the brief report on the Filmer MSS in the Historical Manuscripts Commission Appendix to the Third Report, p.246.

Accession 183:

Received from W. H. Whitehead, Esq. May 1948

M54-M57

Accession 251:

Received from W. H. Whitehead Esq. May 1950

M49-M53

Accession 442:

Received as part of the Gordon Ward Collection

P55 and P56

Accession 484:

Deposited by A. J. Burrows of Kennington, Ashford, Kent. March 1955

M59-M60; F28; E17-E25; O21-O22; Q14-Q15; A11-A30; Z27

Accession 615:

Deposited by A. J. Burrows of Kennington, Ashford, Kent. August 1957

E26

Accession 644:

E27 and E28

Accession 651:

F29; E29; Z28-Z29

The Filmer family originally lived at Otterden and references to various members of the family living in that neighbourhood can be found in T124 and T200. Robert Filmer was the first member to move to East Sutton, living at Little Charlton. He was one of the Prothonotaries of the Court of Common Pleas in the reign of Elizabeth I and appears to have been the founder of the family fortunes. As an indication of his improved status he obtained a grant of arms in 1570 [F1/1].

His son, Sir Edward, married Elizabeth, sister of John Argall, lord of the manor of East Sutton, and the latter, soon becoming indebted to his brother in law, was compelled to sell him the manor. An interesting group of letters about these negotiations will be found in C1.

His son, Sir Robert, author of Patriarcha, was imprisoned in Leeds Castle for his support of Charles I and East Sutton Place was searched by Parliamentary forces on several occasions in 1643 [C4].

The latter's brother, Henry, emigrated to Virginia in 1653; some of his letters home have survived [C8]. Perhaps the most interesting document, however, in this group is a deed of discharge which illustrates how English practices and forms of local government were continued by the early settlers [C9].

Robert's second son, Robert, was created a Baronet in 1674, and thereafter the family fortunes advanced steadily.

Ample illustration of the life of the family in the 18th century can be found in the mass of correspondence surviving of the 3rd and 4th Baronets [C24-70].

Sir Robert: See Cambridge Historical Journal (1948), The Gentry of Kent in 1640, by Peter Laslett; Laslett also edited Patriarcha, and the other political writings of Sir Robert Filmer and contributed an article to The William and Mary College Quarterly (Virginia), c.1950, on the life and times of Sir Robert Filmer