Catalogue description Merchant Venturers of Bristol Estates

This collection comprises three Somerset estates, formerly belonging to the Society of Merchant Venturers of Bristol (referred to as the Society throughout this catalogue). The Society held land in trust which was devoted, according to the wills and bequests of the donors, to various charities. These three estates were acquired by Edw. Colston whose bequests for almshouses, a school and a hospital in Bristol were administered by the Society. They were all sold at different dates shortly after the end of World War I.

The original scheme of classification has been altered although it can be recreated by using the Society's own list and numeration marked on each document; all unmarked documents form a previously unlisted bundle 2A. For photographs of plans and surveys of the estates by Jacob de Wilstar, n.d., mid C18th, see T/PH/mvb.1. The originals are retained at Bristol.

The Manor of Beer in Cannington, etc.

This Manor passed to the Crown following the attainder of Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk and Marquis of Dorset, in 1553. It was granted to Wm. Honninge and Nich. Cutter in 1559 who conveyed it to Jn. Bowyer of Spettisbury [co.Dorset] in the following year. The manor remained with the Bowyer family until 1707 when it was sold by Edm. Bowyer to Edward Colston of Bristol [DD/MVB 13 below] through whom it passed to the Society of Merchant Venturers who held it until 1920. Among the deeds passed over to Edw. Colston in 1707 were also deeds of other Bowyer estates mainly in Dorset. These consisted of the manors of Crawford Magna and Spettisbury which had been assigned by royal grant for a long term to Jn. Bowyer in 1565 and later conveyed to Robt. Henley of Bristol in 1697.

Also included with these were five deeds of Dorchester, etc., 1424-1449.

An inventory in the collection [DD/MVB 48] made in 1840 listed deeds dating from 1389, although there are now no deeds of this date in the archive.

Amongst the Somerset deeds those deeds and papers relating to Idstock Chapel within the tithing of Beer and Idstock (DD/MVB 4) deal partly with a dispute between the lord of the manor of Beer and the incumbent of Chilton Trinity concerning a claim that the chapel was part of his glebe.

Where farms and lands within the manor lay in detached parts of parishes they have been listed under their original parish.

The Manors of Stogursey and Monkton Home, Stogursey, Otterhampton, Lyng

The Manor of Monkton Home along with other lands formerly belonging to the Priory of Stogursey were granted by the Crown to Eton College following the Dissolution. The Society leased the manor from Eton College until it was sold c.1923. Surviving records consist largely of admissions and leases. It appears to be separate to the manor of Stogursey.

The Manor of Locking

The manor was held by the Plomley family. Following the attainder of Wm. Plomley in 1688, accused of supporting the Monmouth Rebellion, the lands were sequestered but granted to Francis Plomley and the creditors of his father, who conveyed it to Edw. Colston in 1688-1691. The connection with the Plomley family continued as they took up leases on much of the land during the 18th century. The manor was sold post 1919.

MANOR OF BEER, etc.

1-24 Manor of Beer, Cannington, etc. and Bowyer estate, deeds

25-40, 42 Leases for years and lives or for years in Somerset, mainly Manor of Beer

41-42 Manor of Moorland, North Petherton, leases for years and lives; manor of West Luccombe, lease and admission

43-45 Manors of Crawford Magna and Spettisbury [co.Dorset] leases for years and lives

46-52 Surveys, estate papers

53-55 Bowyer family, financial and testamentary papers

THE MANORS OF MONKTON HOME AND STOGURSEY

56-58 Deeds and leases for years

59-67 Admissions, leases for years, appointments of stewards

68 Order for sale of manor

69 Petition and deed for enlarging Stogursey churchyard

THE MANOR OF LOCKING

70-80 Deeds

81-82 Estate papers

83-84 Manorial

85 Survey

86-100 Leases for years and lives and for years

Merchant Venturers of Bristol

S/850

S/2433

• Cannington, Somerset
• Stogursey, Somerset
• Locking, Somerset