Wake (Courteenhall) 1294-1939, 439 docs & 137 boxes, ref. W(C) & ML 43, 79-84, 1230-1243, 1397- 1404
Most 19th century personal and family papers are in the Joan Wake collection.
Samuel Jones (d.1672), a London merchant like his father Isaac, bought Courteenhall from Richard Ouseley in 1647. He was knighted in 1660. Sir Samuel's estates were inherited by his great nephew Samuel Wake, a younger son of Sir William Wake, 3rd Baronet of Piddington (d.1698). The Wake baronetcy had been created in 1621 for Baldwin Wake of Piddington and Clevedon (Somerset). Samuel Wake, a boy, had to take the name Jones and eventually settled at Abbey House, Waltham Abbey (Essex). His great uncle's executors bought the Waltham Abbey estate from the lat Countess of Carlisle in 1676. At his death in 1713 Courteenhall and Waltham went to a nephew Charles (d.1739), the second son of Sir Baldwin Wake, 5th Baronet, who also took the surname Jones. In 1739 the estates again went to a nephew Charles who again took the surname Jones. Charles Wake Jones became 6th Baronet on the death of his grandfather in 1747 and Courteenhall finally became the main estate of the Wake baronetcy which it remains today. A new mansion was built by the 9th Baronet in 1792. Sir William, 11th Baronet (d.1865) was imprisoned for debt but escaped in a piano case and thereafter lived much of his life in France. Sir Hereward, 13th Baronet (d.1963) had a distinguished and courageous military career, seeing active service in both the Boer and First World Wars. He served as an A.D.C. to Field Marshall Lord Roberts and on the staff of the Supreme war council 1917-19, becoming a leading strategist. Most of his papers remain in private custody.
Baronets with estates in Courteenhall, Wootton, Quinton, Collingtree, Riddlesworth (Norfolk), Knettishall (Suffolk) and extensively in Waltham Abbey and Nazeing (Essex).
18th and 19th century Essex estate and manor court papers, late 18th/early 19th century leases, mid 19th century estate correspondence. Waltham Holy Cross manor court rolls 1638, 1669-1938, and Nazeing manor court rolls 1650, 1669-1939. Essex estate survey of 1792 and 18th century plans of farms. Essex estate accounts and rentals 1785-1836 (ML refs). Annotated copy of Thomas Fuller's History of Waltham.
Courteenhall estate accounts and rentals 1740s, 1785-1838, 1845, 1847 (ML refs & boxes 4 & 10).
Household and stables account books 1795-1825 (ML refs.) Ledgers 1897 - 1916 (in X9040-9052) and files of late 19th/early 20th century estate papers. Courteenhall inventory 1673 and contract for new mansion 1792. Papers on alterations to Hardingstone House 1835.
Financial and legal papers of Isaac Jones. Guardians accounts and papers for Sir William Wake 1785-1791. Letters to Sir William and Sir Charles Wake 1830-1847.
Papers of Major General Sir Hereward Wake 13th Baronet (d.1963) (catalogued separately - not open to research without advance notice.)
(Further deeds are in the Becke Phipps solicitors' collection)
(Charlotte Lady Wake's (d.1888) Reminiscences were edited by Lucy Wake in 1909.)
Ward Hunt (Wadenhoe) 1590-1985, 372 docs. & 4 boxes, ref. WH
Gentry family with estates in Wadenhoe, Oundle, Aldwinckle, Pilton, Higham Ferrers, Twywell, Cranford, Polebrooke, the Addingtons, Stoke Doyle and Bythorne (Huntingdonshire). Letter books and correspondence of George Ward Hunt, Chancellor of the Exchequer 1866-1868
Watson (Rockingham) 1431-1967, 96 boxes, ref. WR
Archives of the Earls of Rockingham and the Lords Sondes with estates in Rockingham, Stoke Albany, Wilbarston, Cottingham, Kettering, Little Weldon, Sutton Bassett, Benefield Lawn, Gretton and Broughton, Great Gidding (Huntingdonshire), Great Easton, Bringhurst and Drayton (Leicestershire), Caldecott and Glaston (Rutland), Sussex, Ireland and extensively in Kent. Mainly deeds and 19th/20thC. estate papers, 18thC. household accounts. Kettering court rolls 1670-1921, Rockingham parish records. Faversham Abbey register Henry Pelham's accounts as Treasurer of the Chamber 1722, fine Pelham estate atlas for Sussex 1728-1733. Some 19thC. Watson family correspondence and photographs
(Personal records generally remain in the family. Further Huntingdonshire papers in a solicitors' archive)
Watts (Kislingbury) 1474-1960, 444 docs., ref. WK
Mainly deeds for Kislingbury, Harpole, Northampton and Buckinghamshire
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Westmorland (Apethorpe) c.1150-1915, 60 vols., 30 boxes, ref. W(A)
Sir Thomas Fane of Tudeley (Kent) married Mary Nevill, the heiress of Lord Abergavenny of Mereworth Castle, Kent, and Lady Le Despenser in her own right. Their son Sir Francis (d. 1624) made another impressive marriage, with Mary, the daughter and heiress of Sir Anthony Mildmay and he inherited the Mildmay estates and their great mansion at Apethorpe. Sir Francis was made Earl of Westmoreland in 1624 and entertained James I at Apethorpe. Mildmay, the 2nd Earl, (d. 1666) was a poet. The 6th Earl (d. 1736) inherited an estate in Yorkshire through his wife Catherine Stringer. The senior line died out with John the 7th Earl (d. 1762), High Steward and later chancellor of Oxford 1754 – 1762. He was an important patron of architecture and rebuilt Mereworth castle in a ground breaking Palladian style. Mereworth was inherited by the 7th Earl's sisters but the earldom and Apethorpe estate went to a distant cousin with estates in Somerset. The family controlled the parliamentary seat of Lyme Regis (Dorset). John, the 10th Earl (d.1841) was notorious for his elopement with the heiress of the banker Robert Child in 1782. He was a friend of William Pitt the younger and held several government posts including the Lord Lieutenancy of Ireland 1789 – 1795. His son John, the 11th Earl (d.1859), was a composer but made a career first as a soldier: he was A.D.C. to the Duke of Wellington in Spain. Later he was a notable diplomat serving in Florence 1814–1830, Berlin 1841 – 1851 and Vienna 1851 – 1855. Francis William, the 12th earl (d. 1891) was also a soldier and was Lord Raglan's A.D.C. in the Crimea. The 13th Earl sold Apethorpe in 1892.
Archives of the Earls of Westmorland and the Mildmay family with estates in Apethorpe, Wadenhoe, Wood Newton, Tansor, Nassington, Yarwell, Cotterstock, Glapthorn and Oundle, Woodstone, Stanground and Farcet (Huntingdonshire),Cambridge, Medmenham (Buckinghamshire), Tudeley, Hale and Hadlow, (Kent), Bicknacre (Essex), Woodrow and Seend (Wiltshire), Sparsholt (Hampshire) and Sharlston (Yorkshire).
Oundle manorial accounts 1471-1511. Yarwell inclosure agreement 1577. Orders for regulating Farcet fen 1623. Estate rentals and accounts from 16thC. Fine late 16th/early 17thC. household accounts, commonplace books and sermons. 19thC. Household accounts, vouchers and rentals. Inventories of 1629 (1st Earl), 1626 Mereworth (Kent), 1691 (3rd Earl), 1705, 1774 and 1842 Largely uncatalogued estate papers, early 18thC. and 1760s. including papers on Rockingham Forest, the Nene Navigation, coal mining, 18thC. Papers on the Lyine Regis election 1781. Papers of 6th Earl as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, early 18thC., and of the 11th Earl at Florence 1830s, 19thC. Family correspondence including letters from the Crimea 1854-1855 and from Grenville Murray, 19thC. Journalist. Scrapbook by the Rev. H.K. Bonney on the history of Apethorpe Hall..
Papers of Sir Walter Mildmay as Under Treasurer of England, late 16thC. Lady Mildmay's 'Advice to her children'. Papers on claims to the Barony of Abergavenny, late 16thC – 18thC. 17th/18thC papers on Emanuel College, Cambridge. Papers on the Lyme Regis (Dorset) election 1781.
Papers of John Scrope as Secretary to the Treasury, early 18thC. Household accounts of Edward, Duke of York 1409-1410, Thorney Abbey (Cambridgeshire) accounts 1441-1442, and charters for Woodstone (Huntingdonshire), Fotheringhay College accounts, early 16thC. And accounts of Thomas Wingfield of Kimbolton (Huntingdonshire) 1560 – 1582. Armorial grant to John Layke 1564.
(Further Westmorland papers, mainly relating to Lady Georgiana Fane's claim on the estate, 1782-1862, exist in a British Record Society deposit, ref. Ah.)
(Papers of the 10th Earl in Ireland are in the National Archives of Ireland. Further archives of the family down to the 7th Earl's death and of the 11th Earl are in the Kent Record Office. Military and diplomatic papers of the 11th Earl are also in the Bodleian Library.)
This catalogue is available on the National Access to Archives website, see related links below.
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Whitworth (Northampton ) - Deeds and 19thC. estate papers are in the Becke Phipps solicitors' collection
Wickham (Cotterstock) 1825-1961, 52 boxes
Family papers and diaries of Lady Ethel Wickham and her family. Hunting journals and papers, papers on gardening, music festivals and the Northants. Nursing Association. Diaries of Mary Pegus, Lady Huntley 1832-1844, Lady Grace Gordon, Lady Lonsdale 1866-1897 and the 10th Marquess of Huntley 1843-1848
Wingfield (Tickencote) c.1500-1850, 434 docs. & 24 boxes, ref. W(T)
Mainly Rutland deeds, Tickencote, Market Overton and Glatton
Wodhull (Thenford) 11 boxes, ref. W(TH) (uncatalogued)
Thenford, Middleton Cheney and Appletree deeds
(Michael Wodhull's account book 1763-1801 is in the Middleton Cheney parish records)
Wood (Brixworth ) c.1500-1958, 59 boxes
Brixworth deeds and good 20thC. estate papers. 20thC. business records (tea) and records of Brixworth Nursing Association
(Further Wood records under Sharman and in Brixworth parish archives)
Wykes (Haselbech ) c.1300-1839, 573 docs., ref. WY
From the archives of Sir Thomas Apreece (d.1842)
The Wykes were originally butchers who moved from Cold Ashby to Haselbech at the turn of the l6thC. and gradually built up an estate. The family had died out by the mid l8thC.
Mainly Haselbech deeds, 1599 inclosure agreement, inventories 1670, 1688, 1706.
This catalogue is available on the National Access to Archives website, see related links below.
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