Correspondence and Accounts from the Pickworth (Lincolnshire) and Bestwood (Nottinghamshire) Estates of the Dukes of St Albans, 1785-1839

The collection includes a few items concerning Bestwood Park and its letting, from 1785 to 1837, but the majority of papers relate to the accounts of John Parkinson as agent to the Duke from 1831 to 1839.

The leasehold of Bestwood Park estate was granted by King Charles II to his mistress, Nell Gwynne, in 1681. The freehold was later conveyed to her by his brother James II and passed into the hands of her son Charles Beauclerk, Duke of St Albans, on her death in 1687. The estate passed down through successive generations of the Beauclerk family, Dukes of St Albans, and was held by them throughout the period covered by this collection.

The Pickworth estate formed part of the Beauclerk property at Redbourne, Lincolnshire, acquired by William Beauclerk, 8th Duke (1766-1822) through marriage to Charlotte, heiress to Sir John Nelthorpe, 5th Baronet.

The estates were managed by John Parkinson, agent from 1831 to 1839 to William Aubrey de Vere Beauclerk, 9th Duke of St Albans. The bulk of the collection comprises his administrative papers.

The collection is divided into four sections comprising accounts, vouchers, correspondence and miscellaneous papers. Material is arranged chronologically within each section.

ACCESS: Accessible to all registered readers.

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

NOTE: Copyright on all Finding Aids belongs to the University of Nottingham.

• In the Reading Room, University of Nottingham Library: Typescript Catalogue, 9 pp
• At the National Register of Archives, London: Typescript Catalogue, 9 pp

• Title deeds, estate papers, family and household papers, for Redbourne, Lincolnshire, 1649-1918 at Lincolnshire Archives Ref. Redbourne, 2 Redbourne

COPYRIGHT: Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult.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 the Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections (email mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk ). The Department will try to assist in identifying copyright owners but the responsibility for copyright clearance before publication ultimately rests with the reader.

LANGUAGE: English.

The collection was given to the Library in 1935.