Papers relating to the Mayo Family and Chesunt, Hertfordshire, about 1860

This small group of papers includes a manuscript field book of the freehold estate belonging to Chesunt House, described as then in the possession of Ann Shaw but to revert to Rev. Charles Mayo and his family on her death. The book lists the fields on the estate giving size, name and location of each. The fields are divided into freehold, copyhold, and two types of manorial tenure. There is a small plan of part of the estate. It is undated but is probably from the mid-19th century (MS 448/1).

The artist of a substantial group (42 items) of pencil sketches and water colours is not identified. These depict buildings and views in and around Chesunt and Waltham Abbey, Hertfordshire. They too probably date from the mid-19th century. The subjects of the drawings include houses, farm buildings and countryside. Locations and buildings are identified (MS 448/2).

A manuscript family tree in ink shows successive generations of the Mayo family. It is undated but the last dates given are from the late 1860s. (MS 448/3).

The Mayo and Shaw families were landowners in Chesunt, Hertfordshire into the 19th century. Their ownership included Chesunt Park, Chesunt House and Colesgrave Manor.

The Mayo family genealogy in the collection describes several generations, from the 17th century to the late 1860s. Many members of the family were educated at Oxford or Cambridge and entered the church. There was also apparently a tradition of military service.

No archival arrangement has been necessary.

ACCESS: Accessible to all registered readers.

LANGUAGE: English

• This description is the only finding aid available for the collection. Copyright on the description belongs to the University of Nottingham.

REPROGRAPHIC: Reprographic copies can be supplied for educational use and private study purposes only, depending on access status and the condition of the documents.

COPYRIGHT: Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Keeper of Manuscripts and Special Collections (email mss-library@nottingham.ac.uk).

The collection was acquired by the University of Nottingham's Department of Manuscripts and Special Collections in February 1988.

• Hertfordshire Record Office: Title deeds, manorial records and estate papers of the Mayo and Shaw families of Chesunt, Hertfordshire. 1438-19th century. Reference number: D/ELn