In 1786 Arthur Annesley (VIII) died, leaving a considerable sum of money to his younger nephew Rev. Francis Annesley (VIII). Francis (VIII) chose to use the money to create an estate for himself, and between 1789 and 1807 bought several properties in Northamptonshire, mostly at Eydon, but also at Sulgrave and Moreton Pinkney.
Francis (VIII) seems to have intended his new estate to become a counterpart to the family estate at Bletchingdon: he arranged for a family vault at Eydon church (see 9/L/1), and the terms of his will (a copy of which is in SL18 [the Aplin and Hunt papers]) stipulated that his heirs spend six months of the year at Eydon, and take on the name Francis in addition to their own.
For half a century after his death in 1811, Francis (VIII)'s arrangements worked, as his nephew Francis (IX) and great-nephew Charles inherited (under the terms of the will, Charles had to become known as Charles Annesley Francis Annesley). After Charles' death in 1863, however, the property reverted to the Bletchingdon branch of the family, whose head, Arthur (XIII), was allowed to ignore Francis (VIII)'s stipulations, and neither change his name nor live at Eydon. All the Northants. properties except those at Sulgrave were sold in 1914, and the Sulgrave land was sold in 1940.
As is typical of the Valentia papers, the period before the purchase of the properties by the family is well documented, but there is then a gap in the documentation until the papers concerning the sale of the lands this century.
In this section, 1D-21D below concern the histories of individual properties before their purchase by Francis Annesley (VIII), and 22D-24D concern the history of the Northamptonshire estate after their purchase, including papers relating to their sale in 1914 and 1940.
SL18 (the Aplin and Hunt papers) have other papers relating to estates at Eydon, including some which have no explicit connection with the Annesleys, but might be linked in a way as yet unknown.
For other important documents relating to the Northamptonshire properties, see E6/1/33L/15, E6/2/E1/6-7, 9-10, 12 & 14, and E6/2/F3/4 & 6.
Several papers of Francis Annesley (VIII), including many letters, and some more title deeds, not to mention some manorial rolls for Eydon, have been deposited with Northamptonshire Record Office. A copy of their catalogue may be found in File 4 of the collection of such copies which is stored in the searchroom here.