The most significant group within these records is papers of the Nicholas family of West Horsley (G52/2/19/1-184) including Sir Edward Nicholas (1593-1669), Secretary of State to Charles I and Charles II, his eldest son John (1624-1704), Clerk to the Privy Council, and John's three sons, Edward (d.1726), Treasurer to Queen Mary, John (d.1742), and William Nicholas, all of whom died without a male heir. Included in these papers are a group relating to affairs in England and Scotland in 1641; others relating to affairs in the court in exile of Charles II in the 1650s; dispatches from Sir William Curtius, official resident of the English Crown in the Holy Roman Empire, 1639-1658; and letters to Edward Nicholas from Lord Villiers, later Earl of Jersey, at The Hague, 1695-1698.
Also of importance are pamphlets and other printed material relating to the Civil War and Sir William Waller's army in South East England (G52/6/-).
William Bray's antiquarian work is supplemented by his 'candid biographies' of contemporaries, including local figures such as Richard, Lord Onslow and Admiral Keppel (G52/8/10).
The following is a detailed summary of the contents:
G52/1/ DIARIES AND ACCOUNTS 1756-1834
G52/2/ DEEDS, LETTERS AND OTHER ORIGINAL PAPERS 1698-1857
Other original documents possibly collected in connection with antiquarian work of William Bray are listed as G52/8/1/1-3.
G52/2/19/ PAPERS OF THE NICHOLAS FAMILY OF WEST HORSLEY 1641-1698
The Nicholas Papers, formerly at West Horsley Place, were accumulated by Sir Edward Nicholas (1593-1669), Secretary of State to Charles I and Charles II, his eldest son John (1624-1704), Clerk to the Privy Council, and John's three sons, Edward (d.1726), Treasurer to Queen Mary, John (d.1742), and William Nicholas, all of whom died without a male heir. On William's death in 1749 West Horsley Place and estate and all his papers were left to Henry Weston (who had married William's illegitimate daughter Anne Copperthwaite). The history of these papers (including the smaller group in a later deposit, G85/5/2), and how they came to be in the possession of the Bray family, is not entirely clear. The grounds for believing that they were acquired with the papers of the Godschall family of Weston House, Albury, in the early 1820s, are set out in a note preceding the description of the group in G85/-. A paper (G52/8/6/1) which has come to light since that note was written confirms this (see introduction to 1287/-). The papers have been divided into the following groups: instructions to Sir Richard Browne, July 1641 (G52/2/19/1); drafts and copies of letters written by Sir Edward Nicholas, chiefly to the King in Scotland, with a few papers, Aug-Oct 1641 (G52/2/19/2-31); drafts of letters written by Sir Edward Nicholas, 1658-67 (G52/2/19/32-35); letters to Sir Edward Nicholas and the King, with some papers, 1649-68 (G52/2/19/36-54); undated letters and papers of Sir Edward and Sir John Nicholas (G52/2/19/55-56); dispatches, letters and papers of William Curtius, 1643-1662 (G52/2/19/57-122); letters to Sir John Nicholas, 1670-1680 (G52/2/19/123-151); letters, largely on political and financial matters, from Lord Villiers (later Earl of Jersey) at the Hague, to Edward Nicholas, 1695-98 (G52/2/19/152-182); R Bray's extracts from the Nicholas papers (G52/2/19/183-184). The second group of Nicholas papers here described, is part of a bundle 'No 9EE of No 4 EE' (No 4 EE being a trunk) that is listed, with a detailed description of the contents of each item, in the 'Schedule of the papers of West Horsley' made by Edward Nicholas in 1720-23 (now BL Egerton MS 2526, a copy being G52/7/9). Almost all the remaining items in the bundle are in G85/-. A check list reconstructing the bundle as in Edward Nicholas's schedule will be found in G85/-. None of the letters and papers included in the list that follows has been published, either in William Bray's edition of Evelyn's Diary, or in the Camden Society's volumes of Nicholas Papers. In this list the descriptive headings are not original. Formal beginnings and endings of letters are omitted, and spelling modernised. As far as possible all dates are given in new style as regards the year; the day is given as recorded on the letter, though where old and new style dates are both recorded, the former is given in the list. References to Bray's Evelyn are to Diary and Correspondence of John Evelyn FRS ... to which is subjoined the Private Correspondence between King Charles I and Sir Edward Nicholas, and between Sir Edward Hyde, afterwards Earl of Clarendon, and Sir Richard Browne. Edited from the original MSS at Wotton by William Bray Esq, 4 vols, 1854; references to Cam Soc are to the volumes of The Nicholas Papers. Correspondence of Sir Edward Nicholas, Secretary of State. Edited by George F Warner Vol I (1641-2), Vol II (1653-55), Vol III (1655-56, Vol IV (1657-60). The Camden Society, New Series vols 40 (1886), 50 (1892), 57 (1897) and 3rd Series 31 (1920). See the introduction to 1287/- for a fuller discussion of the Nicholas papers and their wanderings and whereabouts.
G52/2/19/ INSTRUCTIONS TO SIR RICHARD BROWNE 1641
G52/2/19/ DRAFTS AND COPIES OF LETTERS WRITTEN BY SIR EDWARD NICHOLAS, CHIEFLY TO THE KING IN SCOTLAND, WITH A FEW PAPERS 1641
G52/2/19/ DRAFTS OF LETTERS WRITTEN BY SIR EDWARD NICHOLAS 1658-1667
G52/2/19/ LETTERS TO SIR EDWARD NICHOLAS AND THE KING, WITH SOME PAPERS 1649-1668
G52/2/19/ UNDATED LETTERS AND PAPERS OF SIR EDWARD OR SIR JOHN NICHOLAS late 17th cent
G52/2/19/ DESPATCHES, LETTERS AND PAPERS OF SIR WILLIAM CURTIUS 1643-1662 Sir William Curtius acted as representative for Charles I and Charles II at various courts on the continent from 1632 to 1658, being made a baronet in 1652. In 1632 Charles I sent him 'avec des instructions solonnelles' to King Gustavus of Sweden and, after this King's death, to the Electors and Princes of the Empire. From 1639 to 1658 he was the official resident of the English Crown in the Empire, usually residing at Frankfurt. He came to London in 1662 to collect the money owing to him, and this account of his career is based on the information he provided at that time (-/120-122 below). When John Evelyn met him in Paris in 1651 he described him as 'a very learned and judicious person of the Palatinate. He had been scholar to Alstedius, the Encyclopaedist, was well advanced in years, and now Resident for his Majesty at Frankfurt' (21 Jun 1651). William Bray says that he had been secretary to the King of Bohemia (Evelyn, iv, p.207). He was evidently an accomplished man of attractive personality, who wrote in a limpid style and was as much at home in English and Latin as in the French in which most of his dispatches were written. Unless otherwise stated, all dispatches to Curtius are original letters, in French, dated at Frankfurt and addressed to Sir Edward Nicholas in Cologne. Almost all are on single foolscap sheets folded to make 4 small pages. In some cases the outer wrapper, with address, is not present. On most letters Nicholas has made only a short endorsement, noting the dates of writing and of arrival; sometimes there is also a short description of the contents. Curtius dates most of his letters by day and month only, English style. Nicholas's endorsements, which do give the year, often include old and new style for both day and year. In this list the year is given in new style and the day in English or old style (ie ten days behind the continent). These papers include letters to him, 1643 (G52/2/19/57-61); his dispatches, 1654-1657 (G52/2/19/62-117); and letters and papers, 1658-1662 (G52/2/19/118-122).
G52/2/19/ LETTERS TO SIR JOHN NICHOLAS 1670-1680
John Nicholas (b.1624) was educated at Queen's College, Oxford, and was then (1644) sent to France, where his father joined him in 1646. He worked as secretary to Edward Hyde (1653-58), and is said to have helped him in writing his history. Early in 1655 he was ordered to keep the King's ciphers (D Nicholas, Mr Secretary Nicholas (1955), p.274). He returned to England in 1660 in the royal party and was made a Knight of the Bath in the Restoration honours, becoming one of the Clerks to the Privy Council, and MP for Wilton in 1661. He married Lady Penelope Compton, and died in 1704. Many of his papers are in the Nicholas collection (Egerton MSS 2533-2562) in the British Library, and others are in the John Rylands Library, Manchester (ref R 45817/75-6 & 86). His London house was in Spring Gardens, Westminster. Letters are endorsed with name of correspondent, and date
G52/2/19/ LETTERS, LARGELY ON POLITICAL AND FINANCIAL MATTERS, FROM LORD VILLIERS (LATER EARL OF JERSEY) AT THE HAGUE TO EDWARD NICHOLAS 1695-1697 Edward Nicholas (d.1726) was the eldest son of Sir John. He was Treasurer and Receiver General to Queen Mary and to Prince George of Denmark, 1702-07 (see Nicholas Papers in the John Rylands Library, ref R 45810/25-38). Edward Villiers (descended from the half-brother of the first Duke of Buckingham) was Master of the Horse to Queen Mary, and created a Baron in 1691. Appointed Ambassador Extraordinary to the States General in 1697, he was created Earl of Jersey on 13 October in the same year. He died in 1711. On most letters the recipient has noted the dates on which the letter was written, received and answered. Only the first is noted in this list. All are written from the Hague (unless otherwise noted) and are signed Villiers till 24 Sep 1697, thereafter Jersey. As before, dates are given in new style for the year and old style for the day.
G52/2/19/ REGINALD BRAY'S EXTRACTS FROM THE NICHOLAS PAPERS (1649-1703) It is uncertain whether these 'almanacs' were among the papers Reginald Bray senior found at Weston House in the 1820s, or whether he borrowed them from West Horsley much later. The pages of -/184 have an 1874 watermark, and since he stated that he had returned all the Weston House papers to West Horsley, the second alternative seems most likely.
G52/3/ BRAY CORRESPONDENCE 1765-1871
G52/3/ LETTERS TO WILLIAM BRAY 1765-1825
G52/3/ LETTERS, CHIEFLY TO AND FROM OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BRAY FAMILY 1836-1871
G52/4/ PRINTED PAMPHLETS BY REGINALD BRAY SENIOR c.1826-1871
Reginald Bray senior appears to have specialised in the law relating to copyholds. He himself drafted a Bill relating to their enfranchisement (G52/4/2/13) and also a Form of Schedule and Award (G52/4/1/8a-b). See also G52/7/1&3 and G52/7/17/4&6 below.
G52/4/1/ SIGNED PAMPHLETS c.1835-1871
G52/4/2/ PAMPHLETS PROBABLY BY REGINALD BRAY SENIOR 1826-1853
G52/5/ ODDMENTS OF WILLIAM BRAY'S 1804-1811
G52/6/ PAMPHLETS PROBABLY COLLECTED BY WILLIAM BRAY 1643-1803
G52/7/ GENEALOGICAL, ANTIQUARIAN AND OTHER PAPERS 1576-c.1870
G52/8/ PAPERS AND ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS CONNECTED WITH ANTIQUARIAN WORKS, CHIEFLY OF WILLIAM BRAY (1314)-c.1877
G52/8/ ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS (1314)-1734
G52/8/ PAPERS CONNECTED WITH 'THE HISTORY AND ANTIQUITIES OF THE COUNTY OF SURREY' 1750-1832
These have been roughly divided into artificial categories, which overlap in some cases.
G52/8/ DRAFTS OF OTHER WORKS BY WILLIAM BRAY 1770-1877
G52/9/ PRINTED PAPERS RELATING TO SURREY 1690s-1831
G52/10/ GRAPHIC MATERIAL c.1740-1804
G52/11/ VERSES AND NOTES AND PAPERS 1756-19TH CENT
G52/12/ NEWSPAPER CUTTINGS 1737-1875
From the County Chronicle, Morning Chronicle and London Advertiser, London Gazette, Morning Herald, Surrey ... and Sussex Gazette, and other papers.
G52/12/ PAPERS COLLECTED BY WILLIAM BRAY 1737-1831
G52/12/ PAPERS COLLECTED BY REGINALD BRAY SENIOR 1842-1875