The most significant papers are those relating to Sir Thomas Cawarden (before 1514-1559) of Bletchingley and Blackfriars, Master of the Tents and Revels from 1544, to whom William More acted as executor.
The groups are arranged chronologically by date of executorship or trusteeship and are as follows: records relating to John Twisilton, alderman of London (d.1527); William Westbrooke of Godalming, (d. c.1537); lands of Richard Weston held in trust for his grandson Henry during Sir Francis Weston's attainder (1536-1549); Sir Thomas Cawarden (d.1559); Richard Worsley of the Isle of Wight (d.1565); Anthony Browne, 1st Viscount Montague (d.1592); Thomas Key, rector of St Nicholas, Guildford (d.1611); manor of Witley, 1701; Emma Catherall of Somerset (d.1743). Following the principal executorships are papers relating to the administration of small personal estates, and then papers for which provenance in the Loseley Mss is uncertain or not yet determined, principally legal case papers and records relating to title or probate.
Records relating to William More's executorship of the estate of William Swerder [Sworder], Master of Eastbridge Hospital, Canterbury (d.1575), do not appear in this section: they are all listed in section G.9.8. For the will of Henry Polsted, 1556, for whom William More acted as executor, see MS Lb.83 (Z/407 sec.2.2.5).
The following is a detailed summary of the contents:
LM/SECTIONE/1 SECTION E.1: ESTATES OF JOHN TWISILTON IN LONDON AND ELSEWHERE, INCLUDING MANOR OF FREEMANTLES, WINDLESHAM 1509-1547
Christopher More was one of the executors of John Twisilton, citizen and alderman of London (d.1527). There are several variant spellings of the name; Twisilton appears to be the most common. See also LM/345/89, section G.9.1, for deed concerning profits of the manor of Freemantles, 1538.
LM/SECTIONE/2 SECTION E.2: ESTATES OF WILLIAM WESTBROOKE OF GODALMING 1537-1539
Christopher More acted as one of William Westbrooke's executors. For other records of the Westbrooke family's estate, see title to the manor of Loseley, section A.3.1.3; see also section G.9.2, LM/COR/1/7 and 6729/7/2a.
LM/SECTIONE/3 SECTION E.3: ATTAINTED ESTATES OF SIR FRANCIS WESTON, INCLUDING MANORS OF SUTTON AND OCKHAM 1521-c.1548
On the execution of his son Sir Francis Weston for alleged involvement with the faction of Queen Anne Boleyn in 1536, Sir Richard Weston conveyed his estates to Sir Christopher More and others, to protect the descent to his grandson Henry in case of an attainder on Francis Weston's estate. Henry Weston came into his inheritance by Act of Parliament in 1549 (History of Parliament: The House of Commons, 1509-1558, ed ST Bindoff, 1982). See also section G.9.3 for deeds relating to the Weston estates and LM/1501 and LM/1503/1-2, section B.1.12, for memorandum concerning delivery of bequest by the executors of Richard Weston's will, 1540, and subsidy assessment for Lady Ann Weston, 1542.
LM/SECTIONE/4 SECTION E.4: PAPERS RELATING TO THE OFFICES AND ESTATES OF SIR THOMAS CAWARDEN 1377-1602
Cawarden's early years are obscure although he was bound an apprentice to a London mercer in 1528 (see MS Lb.476 in Z/407 sec.8.2.1) and appears to have served with Sir Anthony Browne in the suppression of the Pilgrimage of Grace in 1536 (see MS Lb.336 in the same). In 1540 he was appointed a gentleman of the privy chamber and in 1544 was appointed keeper of the royal palace of Nonsuch. In the same year he was granted the two offices through which he acquired fame: the masterships of the royal Revels and Tents. He held both offices until his death. Cawarden succeeded in remaining influential despite suspicion of treason and brief imprisonment during Mary's reign (see inter alia 6729/1/84 and Z/407 sec.8.1.1, for papers concerning the seizure of weapons at Bletchingley, and LM/425/17, section A.5.15). He held other stewardships of royal manors and within Surrey was appointed to many commissions, for example serving as a benevolence commissioner, 1544/5, a commissioner for chantries, 1547-8, a justice of the peace, 1547, 1558/9. He served as sheriff for Surrey and Sussex, 1547/8 and sat as MP for Bletchingley, 1542 and 1547, and for Surrey, 1547, 1553, 1554 and 1559. His papers, as represented here, chiefly relate to the two offices of the Tents (preceding the National Archives series of Tents accounts which does not begin until 1555) and the Revels and to stewardships and keeperships of royal palaces and manors, including Nonsuch and Hampton Court and several manors in Berkshire. Intermixed with the tents papers are muster and pay lists relating to the retinue Cawarden raised and commanded in Henry VIII's expedition to France in 1544, in which he appears to have 'lost' a leg (see section E.4.1 and LM/425/17 in section A.5.15). Also included are a small quantity of personal accounts and papers and some records relating to Cawarden's own estates, including Bletchingley manor which he was occupying from 1547, the site of the College at Lingfield, for which survives a good series of inventories of the possessions of the College after its dissolution, and the precinct of the dissolved Blackfriars, which had previously been used as a store for tents. Deeds relating to Cawarden's estates in Lingfield, Blackfriars and in the counties of Kent, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Warwickshire and Middlesex, c.1166-1559, can be found in sections G.9.5 and A.5.15. Further correspondence relating to Cawarden is held as LM/COR/2/1-11 and 6729/- [database available]. Further papers, particularly relating to the Revels, Tents and the Blackfriars site, the arrest of Cawarden and removal of armour from his house during Wyatt's rebellion, are now held by the Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington DC, USA. Microfilm copies are held as Z/407 section 8. For brief accounts of Cawarden's career see: S T Bindoff, History of Parliament: The House of Commons, 1509-1559 (London, 1982); and The Dictionary of National Biography: Missing Persons (Oxford, 1993); and the works cited there. See also W R Streitberger, 'Records of Royal Banquetting Houses and Henry VIII's Timber Lodgings, 1543-59', Journal of the Society of Archivists, vol 15, no.2 (1994) and G Anstruther, 'The Last Days of the London Blackfriars', Archivum Fratrum Praedicatorum, XLV (1975).
LM/SECTIONE/4/1 E.4.1: PAPERS RELATING TO THE OFFICE OF THE KING'S TENTS, 1536-1559, AND THE EXPEDITION TO FRANCE IN 1544 1536-1559
Sir Thomas Cawarden was appointed to the office of Master of the Tents in 1544, combining it with the mastership of the Revels to which he was appointed in the same year. He held both offices until his death. Cawarden also led a retinue of 51 horsemen and 200 foot on Henry VIII's expedition to France in 1544 and LM/24/1-28 and LM/26 below include papers relating to this expedition, interspersed with records relating to his tents responsibilities. A further paper relating to the Newbury contingent of this force is MS Lb.477 (Z/407 sec.8.2.1). See also LM/2166 under Blackfriars below. For a re-used sheet originally used to record wages paid to a number of workmen, temp. Sir Thomas Cawarden, see LM/1807, section F.28.1; see also G85/4/14 for a warrant, 1555. Many related papers are in the Folger Library, for which see Z/407 sec.8.1.2.
LM/SECTIONE/4/2 E.4.2: PAPERS RELATING TO THE OFFICE OF MASTER OF THE REVELS 1545-c.1560
Thomas Cawarden was appointed Master of the Revels in 1544 and held the office until his death in 1559. He was responsible for the organisation of court entertainments, including plays and masques, and was an early patron of English drama. See also LM/59, under Tents above for further papers relating to the Revels. The bulk of the papers relating to the Revels office are in the Folger Library: for a detailed catalogue see Z/407 sec.8.1.2.
LM/SECTIONE/4/3 E.4.3: PAPERS RELATING TO SIR THOMAS CAWARDEN'S STEWARDSHIP OF CROWN MANORS 1377-1559
Sir Thomas Cawarden was awarded many stewardships of Crown manors from 1540, when he became keeper of Bletchingley (see LM/345/103 below), until the end of Edward VI's reign in 1553. For a list of offices at Donnington Castle and other manors in the vicinity of Newbury held by Cawarden, see MS Lb.497 (Z/407 sec.8.1.1).
LM/SECTIONE/4/3/2 E.4.3.1: Manor of Bletchingley 1540-1559 Cawarden was appointed keeper of the manor on behalf of Anne of Cleves, who had been granted the manor on the execution of Sir Nicholas Carew. He assumed patronage of the parliamentary borough, and was returned as MP in 1542 and 1547. In Dec 1546, Cawarden was granted the reversion of the manor. The manor passed to his heir Willliam Cawarden on his death in 1559. Further papers relating to Cawarden's custody of Bletchingley will be found in Z/407 secs.8.2.1 and 8.2.3 ; papers relating to the seizure of his arms and armour at Bletchingley will be found in sec.8.1.1 of the same list; for churchwardens' accounts for the parish, 1546-1552, see MS Lb.84-85 (Z/407 sec.8.2.1).
LM/SECTIONE/4/3/3 E.4.3.2: Manors of Church Speen and Benham Valence, Berkshire 1540-1553
See also MS Lb.497 (Z/407 sec.8.1.1).
LM/SECTIONE/4/3/4 E.4.3.3: Manor of Donnington, Berkshire 1545-1550
See also MS Lb.497 (Z/407 sec.8.1.1).
LM/SECTIONE/4/3/5 E.4.3.4: Manor of Enborne, Berkshire c.1545-1550
See also MS Lb.497 (Z/407 sec.8.1.1).
LM/SECTIONE/4/3/6 E.4.3.5: Manors of Hampstead Marshall and Benham Lovell, Berkshire 15th cent-1517
See also MS Lb.497 (Z/407 sec.8.1.1).
LM/SECTIONE/4/3/7 E.4.3.6: Manor of Newbury, Berkshire 1528-1550
See also MS Lb.497 (Z/407 sec.8.1.1).
LM/SECTIONE/4/3/8 E.4.3.7: Manors of Shaw cum West Bradley & Colthrop, Berkshire 1550
See also MS Lb.497 (Z/407 sec.8.1.1).
LM/SECTIONE/4/3/9 E.4.3.8: Manors of Westbrook & Benham Valence, Berkshire 1550
See also MS Lb.497 (Z/407 sec.8.1.1).
LM/SECTIONE/4/3/10 E.4.3.9: Manor of Stockwell, Lambeth 1546-c.1549
Sir Thomas Cawarden held the office of steward of the manors of Stockwell and Levehurst, Lambeth, under Henry VIII and Edward VI. See also LM/517, section E.4.3.10 below, for valuation, 1551; for patent, 1551, see MS Lb.497 (Z/407 sec.8.1.1). For account of arrears, see LM/59/33, section E.4.1 above.
LM/SECTIONE/4/3/11 E.4.3.10: Honour of Hampton Court 1532-1554
By 1537 Thomas Cawarden had been appointed keeper of Oatlands Manor and Park and of Hampton Court chase. In 1550 he was appointed keeper of Hampton Court. For patent, 1551, see MS Lb.497 (Z/407 sec.8.1.1).
LM/SECTIONE/4/3/12 E.4.3.11: Manor of Teddington 1377-1399
The manor was annexed to the honour of Hampton Court on its acquisition by the Crown in 1536.
LM/SECTIONE/4/3/13 E.4.3.12: Nonsuch Palace and Manors of Banstead, Ewell, East Cheam, West Cheam, Sutton, and Walton on the Hill 1437-1558
Sir Thomas Cawarden was appointed keeper of Nonsuch Palace in 1544 (see LM/345/150 below). For further papers relating to Cawarden's keepership, 1549-1559, see Z/407 sec.8.2.1; see also G85/4/2-3 & 15 for warrants to the keeper, 1554-5.
LM/SECTIONE/4/3/14 E.4.3.13: Crown estates in Middlesex 1550
LM/SECTIONE/4/4 E.4.4: OTHER OFFICES AND COMMISSIONS, INCLUDING MILITARY, OF SIR THOMAS CAWARDEN 1533-1556
Cawarden appears to have served with Sir Anthony Browne in the campaigns to suppress the Pilgrimage of Grace in northern England in 1536 (see MS Lb.336 in Z/407 sec.8.2.1). He also took a contingent of soldiers in the invasion of France in 1544 and papers relating to this are intermixed with papers relating to the office of Master of the Tents, section E.4.1 above. Cawarden served as sheriff of Surrey in 1547-8 and also acted on a number of other commissions. See section B.1.15 for papers relating to his service as commissioner for church goods, 1553, William More also acting on the commission; see LM/1075, section B.1.18, for a commission to Cawarden and William More among others to investigate wrongs done in Mary's reign, 1559. For papers relating to offices and commissions held by Cawarden and to the seizure of his armour by the sheriff of Surrey, 1554, and his campaign to have it returned, see Z/407 sec.8.1.1.
LM/SECTIONE/4/5 E.4.5: WARDSHIPS 1551-1561
LM/SECTIONE/4/6 E.4.6: PAPERS RELATING TO THE PERSONAL AND REAL ESTATE OF SIR THOMAS CAWARDEN AND TO THE EXECUTION OF HIS WILL BY WILLIAM MORE 1413-1602
See also LM/348/18, section E.4.5 above, for grant of the profits arising from the marriage of Robert Bristowe, formerly a ward of Sir Thomas Cawarden, to Sir William More. For deeds relating to Cawarden's estates, c.1166-1559, see sections G.9.5; see also Z/407 sec.8.2 for further papers relating to Cawarden's estates and affairs and to William More's execution of his will.
LM/SECTIONE/4/6/1 E.4.6.1: Execution of Will 1559-1602
See also Z/407 sec.8.2.1 for further papers relating to the execution of Cawarden's will by William More.
LM/SECTIONE/4/6/2 E.4.6.2: Personal estate, inheritance and financial affairs 1510-c.1560
See also Z/407 sec.8.2.1 for further papers relating to Cawarden's personal financial affairs.
LM/SECTIONE/4/6/3 E.4.6.3: Lingfield College 1524-1556
The site of Lingfield College together with the manor of Billeshurst and other property of the college in Surrey and Kent, were granted to Sir Thomas Cawarden in 1544 after the College's dissolution. See also account of arrears of rents, c.1547, LM/59/33, section E.4.1 above. For deeds relating to the Lingfield College estates, see sections G.9.5.1-7; for rentals, deeds and other papers, from 1378, relating to the medieval College, and its later ownership by the Howard family, see K63/8/-, 204/1/3 and 326/-.
LM/SECTIONE/4/6/4 E.4.6.4: Lingfield College Estate: Manor of Squires [Squerrys], Westerham, Kent 1490
For deeds relating to the Lingfield College estates, see sections G.9.5.1-7.
LM/SECTIONE/4/6/5 E.4.6.5: Lingfield College Estate: Manors of Perington and Brooke, Westwell, Kent 1413-16th cent
For deeds relating to the Lingfield College estates, see sections G.9.5.1-7.
LM/SECTIONE/4/6/6 E.4.6.6: Site of Blackfriars, London 1555-1557
The site of the Blackfriars in London was used by Sir Thomas Cawarden as a store for the royal tents until 1550 when the house and precinct were granted to him by Edward VI as a reward for service. This group comprises records relating to the period of Cawarden's tenure of the estate. William More purchased the Blackfriars property following its sale under the terms of Cawarden's will (see LM/1327/5, section A.2, for recital of will) and documents relating to the estate after Cawarden's death in 1559 are grouped under More and More Molyneux estates, section A.5.15. These include statements by More concerning the period of Cawarden's tenure and about the latter's imprisonment during Mary's reign and injury to his leg during Henry VIII's campaign in France (LM/425/17). For deeds relating to the Blackfriars estate, see section G.5.4.
LM/SECTIONE/4/6/7 E.4.6.7: Property in Tandridge 1550s
LM/SECTIONE/4/6/8 E.4.6.8: Property in Ashtead 1550
LM/SECTIONE/4/6/9 E.4.6.9: Private papers c.1551
See also Z/407 secs.8.2.4-5.
LM/SECTIONE/4/6/10 E.4.6.10: Papers relating to James Askew of Clewer, Berkshire 1518-1538
The connection with Clewer suggests an association with Sir Thomas Cawarden who in 1545 assigned a lease of the manor to John Alyff (see G85/13/164).
LM/SECTIONE/5 SECTION E.5: ESTATES OF RICHARD WORSLEY IN THE ISLE OF WIGHT, DORSET AND WILTSHIRE 1564-1737
William More was one of the overseers of the will of Richard Worsley of Appuldurcombe, Captain of the Isle of Wight, who died in 1565. His extensive properties included the manors of Appuldurcombe and Woolverton alias Milton on the Isle of Wight, the lands of Carrisbrooke Priory and other estates in Dorset and Wiltshire. His widow, Ursula Worsley, married Francis Walsingham in 1566 or 1567. See also section G.9.7 and 6729/3/74, 165-166.
LM/SECTIONE/6 SECTION E.6: ESTATES OF ANTHONY BROWNE, 1ST VISCOUNT MONTAGUE, INCLUDING WAVERLEY ABBEY c.1527-1590s
Anthony Browne, a Roman Catholic, came to political prominence during Mary's reign, being created Viscount Montague in 1554 and appointed to the Privy Council in 1555. Although he was ejected from the Council on Elizabeth's accession, he succeeded in remaining prominent in political life. He was lord lieutenant of Sussex in 1558 and 1569, and among other positions he sat as a commissioner at the trial of Mary Queen of Scots. Queen Elizabeth visited Montague at Cowdray Park in 1591. He had inherited estates including Battle Abbey and Cowdray Park, Sussex, and the manors of Send, Jury and East Clandon from his father Sir Anthony Browne in 1548. Aside from the Surrey estates recorded in this group, Montague at his death owned the manors of Clayton and Stockwell, the Great House at St Mary Overies, Southwark, and the manors of Pyrford and Pirbright, as well as considerable estates in Sussex (see his will, PROB11/81, Prerogative Court of Canterbury, register Neville, 22). See LM/1316-1317, section B.2.3.3, for dispute with the Bishop of Winchester concerning fishing rights. Montague's seat at Cowdray made him a neighbour of William More, and he appears to have been a close friend: 6729/8/- largely comprises letters from Montague to More and other letters will be found in LM/COR/3/- [database available]. Montague is known to have attempted unsuccessfully to use his influence over More to obtain the release of his son-in-law Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton, who stayed at Loseley under house arrest while suspected of treason for his catholicism (see Hyland, A Century of Persecution op. cit.). Sir George More is known to have acted as a trustee on behalf of Montague's widow Magdalen in a minor lease assignment (LM/348/281, section G.9.12), and became a trustee under private act for settling of certain manors and lands of the Right Hon Anthony Viscount Montague, towards the payment of his debts and raising of his daughters' portions in 1624: More commented that the More family owed 'much to that House for benefits and alliance' (see Munden, op. cit.). For records relating to Montague's commissions in Surrey, see also: LM/1488 (section B.1.12) for subsidy collection, LM/1330/11 for musters (section B.1.8). For pay books relating to Thomas Cawarden's service with Montague's father Sir Anthony Browne in the suppression of the Pilgrimage of Grace, 1536, see LM/1330/2-3 (section E.4.4), LM/25/6-8 (section E.4.1) and 6729/5/19. Further deeds relating to Montague's manor of Waverley and stewardship of the manor and hundred of Godalming are in section G.9.11. For Montague's career, see the Dictionary of National Biography (London 1908), RB Manning 'Anthony Browne, 1st Viscount Montague: the influence in county politics of an Elizabethan Catholic nobleman', Sussex Archaeological Collections Vol 106 (1968), and Send and Ripley History Society, Surrey People: Sir Anthony Browne and Sir Anthony Browne, First Viscount Montague, statesmen, courtiers and Catholic lords of the manor of Send and Ripley, 1982).
LM/SECTIONE/7 SECTION E.7: THOMAS KEY, RECTOR OF ST NICHOLAS, GUILDFORD 1597-1612
Sir George More and George Austen were granted the administration of the will of Thomas Key, rector of St Nicholas, Guildford, in 1611. See also section G.9.10 and LM/COR/4/17.
LM/SECTIONE/8 SECTION E.8: MANOR OF WITLEY 1701
The provenance of this single rental of the manor of Witley has not been determined, but possibly relates to a trusteeship undertaken during the minority of Allen Smith, who inherited the manor in 1695 and died in 1705. He was succeeded by his brother Thomas, also a minor.
LM/SECTIONE/9 SECTION E.9: ESTATES OF THE CATHERALL FAMILY OF SOMERSET 1715-1744
Sir William More Molyneux acted as executor to the estate of Emma Catherall, and received papers relating to her role as committee and heir of her brother the Revd Samuel Catherall, a lunatic, formerly rector of Englishcombe, Somerset. For deeds relating to the Catherall estates in Cheshire, Wales and Somerset, see section G.9.16; for bills relating to the estate, 1713-1743, see LM/1087/15, section F.27.
LM/SECTIONE/10 SECTION E.10: EXECUTORSHIPS AND TRUSTEESHIPS OF SMALL ESTATES 1537-1713
This group contains executorship and trusteeship papers relating to minor estates. The role of a member of the More or More Molyneux family is not always apparent.
LM/SECTIONE/10/1 E.10.1: Manor of Coneyhurst 1537
LM/SECTIONE/10/2 E.10.2: Estates of Isabel Snelton of Guildford 1558
LM/SECTIONE/10/3 E.10.3: Estates of Alice Mellershe of Wonersh 1559-1579
See also section G.9.9.
LM/SECTIONE/10/4 E.10.4: Thomas Robertson otherwise Biggs of Guildford 1701
LM/SECTIONE/10/5 E.10.5: Executorships possibly carried out by Thomas Molyneux 1710-1713
The connections of records in this group with Thomas Molyneux have not been identified with certainty as those of executorship. As with the unattributed documents below, the papers may relate to a member of the family undertaking legal training.
LM/SECTIONE/11 SECTION E.11 THOMAS, LORD ONSLOW 1740
LM/SECTIONE/12 SECTION E.12: RECORDS OF UNATTRIBUTED PROVENANCE RELATING TO EXECUTORSHIP AND TITLE, INCLUDING PROBATE AND CASE PAPERS 1391-1788 Documents in this group are the remains of artificial classes of 'inquisitions post mortem', 'bonds', 'legal papers', 'wills' and 'inventories' created by Theodore Craib, for which provenance as either documentation of title or executorship material has not yet been determined. Groups are ordered chronologically, except where related documents have been juxtaposed.
LM/SECTIONE/12/1 E.12.1: LEGAL CASE PAPERS 1646-1711
LM/SECTIONE/12/2 E.12.2: BONDS AND PROBATE RECORDS 1391-1788
LM/SECTIONE/12/3 Unsorted bonds 1559-1779