Eaglesbush Estate Papers

Deeds and other estate legal documents, 1589-1952, estate papers, containing accounts, 1688-1892, maps and plans, 1771-1899, including a plan of Eaglesbush colliery subsequent to a mining disaster, 1900, canal and railway plans, 1792-1952; correspondence, 1775-1846; wills, 1726-1894; family papers, a volume containing a miscellany of legal opinions and notes, largely concerning the Mansell family, [c. 1640]-1708; and printed material, 18 cent.-19 cent.

The Evans Family of Eaglesbush were related by marriage to the Mackworth family of Gnoll, Neath, Glamorganshire, both being descended from one Edward Evans who lived in the 17th century. In 1859 Edward Evans married Mary Ann daughter of Benjamin and Ann Rice, and their descendant Walter took the surname Rice-Evans. Although never achieving quite the high status of their powerful neighbours the Mansels, several members of the family held high office, for example Herbert Evans was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Glamorgan in 1796. The Eaglesbush estate had as its focus Eaglesbush House, situated to the east of the road leading from Neath to Briton Ferry. The estate mainly consisted of properties in Llantwit-juxta-Neath parish, along the south eastern bank of the River Neath, but there were other estate holdings in the parishes of Llansamlet, Neath, Llandeilo Talybont, and smaller properties in parishes further afield. In 1891 Walter Rice Evans married Sara, daughter of William Morgan, who was the heir to a small estate consisting of several farms, copyhold lands and scattered closes in the parishes of Llanfihangel Crucorney, Llanvetherine and Llandeilo Bertholey in Monmouthshire, and a farm called Tremains in the parish of Coity.

Arranged into the following: deeds of properties in Monmouthshire; deeds of properties in Glamorgan, by parish; deeds of several parishes; deeds of properties in Breconshire (by parish); bonds, Acts of Parliament and Probate; and family and estate administration.

No restrictions

It is the policy of the West Glamorgan Archive Service to withhold the names of depositors.

Compiled by Mair James for the HMC/NLW Family and Estates project. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: West Glamorgan Archive Service, Schedule of Eaglesbush Estate Papers; Collis, Kim, The West Glamorgan Archive Service: A Guide to the Collections, (West Glamorgan Archive Service, 1998).

Hard copies of the catalogue are available at West Glamorgan Archive Service and the National Register of Archives

Usual copyright regulations apply.

All records deposited at West Glamorgan Archive Service have been retained

Accruals are not expected

Further papers relating to the Eaglesbush estate are West Glamorgan Archive Service: D/D X 52, and D/D TH.