Records of the Bosanquet family

Family and estate papers of the Bosanquet family, mainly financial records, 1592, 1750-1861 and correspondence, 1777-1857.

The Dingestow Court estate, Monmouthshire, was originally in the possession of the Jones family. Richard Jones, known as 'Happy Dick', the last member of the family to reside or own Dingestow, sold the estate to George Catchmayd, who in turn sold it to James Duberly. In 1801 the trustees of James Duberly sold Dingestow to Samuel Bosanquet. The Bosanquet family were of Huguenot origin. The family fled to England from Lunel, Montpellier, France, in 1685 following the revocation of the edict of Nantes. The first settler in England, David Bosanquet, became a banker and merchant, enabling the family to settle at Forest House, Essex. David's grandson, Samuel Bosanquet (1744-1806), Governor of the Bank of England, purchased Dingestow in 1801. Samuel's son, Samuel (1768-1843), made Dingestow his chief seat and was sheriff of Monmouthshire in 1841. His brother, Charles Bosanquet, was the founder of the Rock branch of the family in Northumberland. His third brother, John Bernard, collected valuable Welsh manuscripts including an early version of Geoffrey of Monmouth, which was edited by Professor Henry Lewis in 1942 under the title 'Brut Dingestow'. Samuel was succeeded by Samuel Richard Bosanquet (1800-1882), who purchased Gwaelod-y-Wlad, Trealy and Church-farm, all in Monmouthshire, in 1865 from John Shapland Edmonds Stock. These properties had been the possession of the Edmonds family since at least the early 16th century. Samuel Richard's successor was Samuel Courthorpe Bosanquet (1832-1925), sheriff of Monmouthshire, 1898, and chairman of the quarter sessions. Samuel Richard's fourth son was Sir Frederick Albert Bosanquet (1837-1923), judge of the central criminal court from 1917. The present descendant of the family is Samuel Anthony John Pierre Bosanquet, president of the Country Landowners Association.

Not known.

No restrictions

Deposit. It is Gwent Record Office's policy to withold information about donors or depositors in view of possible misuse.

Compiled by Mair James for the HMC/NLW Family and Estates project. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: Dictionary of Welsh Biography down to 1940 (1959); Burke's Landed Gentry (London, 18th ed., 3 vols, 1965-72), vol. 1; Bradney, Sir Joseph, A History of Monmouthshire (London, 1992 facsimile ed.), vol. 2, parts 1and 2.

A hard copy of the catalogue is available at Gwent Record Office

Usual copyright regulations apply.

All records deposited at Gwent Record Office have been retained.

The archive includes records previously deposited at Essex County Record Office.

Accruals are not expected

Further papers relating to the Bosanquet family can be found at Gwent Record Office: D2034; National Library of Wales MSS 5261-5275; Manchester University: Methodist Archives and Research Centre, MAM; Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies, D/EX38; Essex Record Office, D/DBq; Waltham Forest Archives and Local Studies Library, VI, W 35.22; and Herefordshireshire Record Office, A82.