Records of the Slebech Estate

Slebech Estate records, comprising: title deeds, 1774; manorial records, Manor of Narberth, 1759-1834 and other manors, 1816-1836; Narberth Fair toll house accounts and books, 1761-1833; leases and tenancy agreements, 1763-1835; rentals, 1770-1914; Narberth Market and market house papers, 1831-1836; general estate papers, [c. 1734]-1954; Jamaican estates, 1795-1909; and family settlements and related papers, 1742-1955. The majority of the records relate to the estate after it had been acquired by Nathaniel Phillips.

Slebech, Pembrokeshire, was home of the families of Barlow, Symmons, Knox, Phillips, and subsequently passed by marriage into the de Rutzen family. The Barlow family held the Slebech Estate from 1540 until the death of George Barlow in 1757, leaving a daughter, Anne. She married William Trevanion of Caerhays, Cornwall, in 1758 and, after his death, John Symmons of Llanstinan, Pembrokeshire. Symmons sold the estate to William Knox of Soho Square, who, in turn, sold it to Nathaniel Phillips (1730-1813) of Gloucester Place, London, in 1795. Nathaniel Phillips' father, also named Nathaniel (b. 1703), was a planter in Jamaica, where he engaged in the sugar trade and its by-products. Nathaniel the younger married his second wife, Mary Dorothea Phillips, of Pembrokeshire. Nathaniel and Mary had 4 children, Mary Dorothea (1797-1860); Nathaniel (1798-1824); Louisa Catherine and Edward Augustus (1802-1830). After the death of Nathaniel and Edward, the estate passed to Mary Dorothea and her sister, Louisa Catherine, the Countess of Lichfield, as co-heiress. It was in Rome when Mary Dorothea met Charles Frederick (1795-1874), Baron de Rutzen of Germany in 1821. They were married in 1822 and became Lords of the Manors of Slebech, Minwear, Newton, Narberth and Robeston Wathen, and of the Manors or Reeveship of Lampeter Velfrey and Llanddewi Velfrey. As Lay Rector, he was entitled to the Rectorial Tithe rent charges of Slebech, Minwear and Newton. Their eldest son, Baron Frederick Leopold Sapieha Manteuffel (1825-1890) died and was succeeded by his younger brother, Baron Rudolph William Henry Ehrard (1828-1915) who was later succeeded by his nephew, Alan Frederick James. Their 3rd son, Albert Richard Francis Maximilien (1830-1924), married Horatia Augusta Stepney Gulston, of Derwydd, Carmarthenshire. Their eldest son, Alan Frederick James (1876-1916) had married Eleanor Etha Audley Thursby Pelham, in Llandsadwrn, 1908. Their only son, John Frederick Foley de Rutzen (1909-1944) married Sheila Victoria Katrin Philipps, of Picton Castle, and their only child, Victoria Anne Elizabeth Gwynne de Rutzen, married Francis Dashwood. The estate had interests in Narberth.

Arranged into the following: title deeds; manorial records; Narberth Fair; leases and tenancy agreements; rentals; Narberth Market; general estate papers; Jamaican estates; family settlements and related papers

No restrictions.

Deposited by Messrs. RTP Williams, Solicitors, Bridge Street, Haverfordwest

Compiled by Seri Crawley for the ANW project. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description : Pembrokeshire Record Office, Records of the Slebech Estate catalogue; Nicholas, Thomas, Annals and Antiquities of the Counties and County Families of Wales, (London, 2000); The Dictionary of Welsh Biography down to 1940, (London, 1959); Treasury of Historic Pembrokeshire, (Newport, 1998); Jones, Francis, Historic Houses of Pembrokeshire and their Families, (Newport, 1996)

Hard copies of the catalogue are available at Pembrokeshire Record Office and the National Register of Archives.

Usual copyright regulations apply.

All records deposited at the Pembrokeshire Record Office have been retained.

Accruals are not expected.

See also Pembrokeshire Record Office, GB 0213 D/RTP/BDR, Baron de Rutzen Archives.