Catalogue description POULETT FAMILY PAPERS, HINTON ST. GEORGE

Family and estate papers for Somerset, Devon, Dorset and Wiltshire.

General Comments. The second Supplement represents the examination of a further 1,343 documents, consisting mainly of deeds relating to Crewkerne, Cudworth, Dinnington, Hinton St. George, Halberton, Hewish [juxta Yatton], Kenn, Knowle St. Giles, Lopen, and Marshwood, in the counties of Somerset, Devon, and Dorset. A considerable proportion consists of leases in consideration of a fine for a term of years determinable on lives, documents of a form which is apparently peculiar to the West Country. Apart from the topographical detail which such leases give, they have a value in economic studies, as the fine levied with the renewal of each lease bears a relation to the value of property.

Although the brief MSS. schedule (compiled in the late 19th century) dismisses most of these documents as deeds, other documents do occur. As examples, there are several relating to the highways of Cudworth in the late 18th century, and a survey of the Poulett South Somerset and Dorset manors compiled circa 1700. The inaccuracy of the MSS. schedule is again demonstrated by the confusion of Kingstone with Kingston Seymour. Of special interest are the deeds of conveyance, 1731 and 1744 (Box 27) of the province of Pennsylvania to the use of the descendants of Wm. Penn (died 1718). They found their way into the Poulett MSS. because the Earl Poulett was a trustee. Two Assignments of Leases, 1766 (Box 29) refer to the intention of Vere, Earl Poulett, to extend the park at Hinton and to make a new road.

This third and final Supplement represents the examination of a further 697 documents, bringing the total to nearly 4,000. During the examination there has been a certain amount of reconstruction of original bundles which at some time must have lost their labels and string, but the schedule shows that more has to be done. The term "original" means that the bundles were found tied and labelled by a hand other than that of the Archivist, and, in this instance, that the documents within them correspond with the list in the 19th century MS. schedule previously mentioned. One case of reconstruction is the bundle "Hinton St George C" for which the label and most of the documents have been found. The other documents deal with Marshwood, Pensford, Sampford and Shipham, Tatworth, Uplowman, Walton, Week, and Yatton, and consist mainly of leases for 99 years determinable on lives. There is also an unlabelled bundle which appears to be largely composed of documents from another bundle "Miscellaneous Documents F". There is need, therefore, for a complete re-checking of the "Miscellaneous" section of the MSS. list in order that further original bundles can be reconstructed, but nevertheless an indication of the importance of all the documents now exists in these schedules.

The railway activity of the mid-nineteenth century is well exemplified in the Poulett MSS. (Box 37). No fewer than nine schemes affecting Somerset are listed in this schedule.

S\1515

The deposit comprises 46 boxes, 6 bundles of maps and 2 maps stored separately. Boxes 4-46 consist of Estate correspondence, letter books and vouchers, c.1860 - c.1980 with some family genealogy, etc., and folded estate plans (20th century) in boxes 45, 46. Boxes 1-3 comprise manorial and estate records 16th - 19th century which are described more fully below, together with the maps and plans.

See also DD\SS.

Poulett family of Hinton St George, Somerset

H/452, C/605a, C/1756, C/1757, S/1515, S/1742.

• Hinton St George, Somerset

• View Record
• View Record
• View Record
• View Record
• View Record
• View Record
• View Record