Papers of the Allen family of Cresselly, including the Hensleigh and Bartlett families

Deeds relating mainly to the Cresselly estate in Pembrokeshire, 1695-1942; Carmarthenshire, 1706-1913, Glamorgan, 1698-1869, and Brecknockshire, 1761-1812, and documents relating to the marriage of John Allen and Joan Bartlett, 1651-1759, John Hensleigh Allen and Gertrude Seymour, 1574-1822, and John Bartlett Allen and Elizabeth Hensleigh, comprising the papers of the Allen family, 1651-1880, and the Hensleigh family, 1701-1859.

The Allen family settled at Cresselly, Pembrokeshire, when John Allen (d. 1752), of Goodhooke, married Joan, daughter and heiress of John Bartlett of Cresselly in 1728. The Bartlett family had lived at Cresselly since 1564. John and Joan Bartlett's son and heir was John Bartlett Allen (b. 1733) who acquired Panteg (Panteague), Llanddewi Velfrey, Pembrokeshire, following his marriage to Elizabeth, only daughter and heiress of John Hensleigh of Panteg. The Hensleigh family had purchased Panteg from Sir John Stepney in 1619. Five generations of the Hensleighs remained at Panteg until the marriage of Elizabeth and John. John and Elizabeth were succeeded by their eldest son, John Hensleigh Allen (1769-1843), a barrister and MP for Pembroke Boroughs 1819-1826, who married Gertrude Seymour. He is also noted as owning Cefn y coed, Llanegwad, Carmarthenshire, by 1839. The Cresselly estate descended directly in the male line until Henry Seymour Allen (1847-1928), who died unmarried. The estate then passed to his nephew, Hugh Evelyn Allen (1880-1933). His heir was his only daughter, Auriol Joan Bartlett Harrison-Allen, later Evans. According to the 1873 return of owners of land, the estate measured 4,655 acres in Pembrokeshire, Glamorganshire and Carmarthenshire, and carried an annual rent of £4,091.

Arranged into two groups: the first group, (D/ALLEN/1-4) contains records of the marriage of John Allen of Goodhooke to Joan Bartlett of Cresselly 1728, the marriage of John Hensleigh of Penttege to Catherine Phillips, the marriage of John Bartlett Allen of Cresselly and Elizabeth Hensleigh of Panttege; Pembrokeshire deeds; non-Pembrokeshire deeds; and miscellaneous documents; the second group (D/ALLEN/5) contains Pembrokeshire documents and deeds; Carmarthenshire deeds and documents; Glamorganshire deeds and documents; Brecknock deeds and documents; and Herefordshire deeds and documents.

No restrictions

Deposited by Gregory Rowcliffe and Company, solicitors, per the British Records Association in August 1985 and November 1986, and by Mr Lloyd, Freestone Hall, Cresselly, Kilgetty in September 1990, October 1990, and August 1995.

Compiled by Mair James for the HMC/NLW Family and Estates project. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: Burke's Landed Gentry (London, 3 vols, 1965-92); Jones, Francis, Historic Houses of Pembrokeshire and their Families, (Newport, 1996); Jones, Francis, Historic Houses of Carmarthenshire and their families, (Newport, 1997); James, Brian, 'The Great Landowners of Wales', National Library of Wales Journal, XIV (1965-66).

Hard copies of the catalogue are available at Pembrokeshire Record Office and the National Register of Archives.

Usual copyright regulations apply.

All records deposited at the Pembrokeshire Record Office have been retained.

The papers came into the possession of Gregory Rowcliffe and Company, of Bedford Row, London, solicitors, and Mr Lloyd, Freestone Hall, Cresselly, Kilgetty, Pembrokeshire.

Accruals are not expected

Further papers relating to the Allen family are Pembrokeshire Record Office, HDX/99, and ledgers containing estate rental accounts, 1802-1837 (NLW MS 17744D), and colliery accounts, 1803-1807 are National Library of Wales MSS 17744-5D.

Inglis-Jones, Elizabeth, 'A Pembrokeshire county family', National Library of Wales Journal, xvii, (1971-72), pp. 136-60, 217-37, 321-42.