Estate Papers of the Pierrepont Family, Earls Manvers, of Thoresby Hall, Nottinghamshire, and their successors, 1830-1989, in the Manvers Collection

These papers form part of the larger Manvers Collection, and were generated in the course of the management of the family's estate business. For details about the Pierrepont family and their estates, see the collection-level description for Manvers. In subject matter and date, they complement other groups of papers in the Manvers Collection. There are many areas of overlap between these groups, which are catalogued separately because of the date and manner of their transfer to the University.

The 6th Earl Manvers died in 1955. The Trustees of his will took legal responsibility for the estate on behalf of his widow, Countess Manvers (d 1984) and daughter Lady Rozelle Ridgway Pierrepont (1925-2015). The bulk of the estates were transferred to Lady Rozelle at the time of her marriage to Major Alexander Beattie in 1953-1954 and administered under the terms of her marriage settlement trust. Lady Rozelle divorced in 1961 and married Richard Hollings Raynes in 1965.

In 1967/1968 the Thoresby Estate was formally divided between Lady Rozelle Raynes and the Trustees of the Thoresby Settlement. Lady Rozelle's estate in Kneesall was known as 'Lady Rozelle Raynes' Pierrepont Estate'. In the early 1970s, Lady Rozelle, lacking direct heirs, decided to leave her property to Nottinghamshire-based cousins who would be able to take on the running of the estates. She gave the Kneesall estate to I.D.P. Thorne, a descendant of the 3rd Earl Manvers, while Lady Rozelle and her husband lived in Newham near London, and in Devon b/efore their retirement back to Thoresby in the early 2000s. The Thoresby Park estate was inherited by Hugh Matheson, another descendant of the 3rd Earl Manvers. Thoresby Hall itself was sold to the National Coal Board in 1980, and has been a luxury hotel since 2000, but Thoresby Park remains open to the public. Visitor attractions include an art gallery featuring the paintings of the late Countess Manvers.

The papers have been arranged by type. The estate papers have been kept in the groupings in which they originally came to the University. Within that, they have been arranged by date if possible.

The bulk of the collection is accessible to all readers. However, access to some items is restricted under current Data Protection legislation. Please see our Access Policy or contact us for further advice.

Copyright in all Finding Aids belongs to the University of Nottingham.

In the Reading Room, King's Meadow Campus: Typescript Catalogue (No. 10), 133 pp

Online: Available on the Manuscripts Online Catalogue, accessible from the website of Manuscripts and Special Collections.

Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Keeper of Manuscripts and Special Collections (email mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk).

Photocopies and photographic copies can be supplied for educational use and private study purposes only, depending on the condition of the documents.

These papers form a sub-fonds of the Manvers Collection (Ma). The bulk of the material came to the University library from the Thoresby Estate Office at various times between 1988 and 1999. The plans in series Ma 9 P were deposited by the trustees of the will of the late Earl Manvers in 1985.