Reference
WY1-444
Title
Bedfordshire
Date free text
13th C - 1829
Production date
From: 1200 To: 1829
Admin/biog history
In close connection with this section must be taken BS1276-1541, which documents were received from Messrs Farrer and Co via the British Records Association, and in actual fact are part of WY.
The Tempsford section consists of the deeds of the estate built up by Sir Gillies Payne between 1764 and his death in 1801. The chief of this purchases was the manors of Tempsford, Brayes and Draytons. The manor of Tempsford belonged to Northill College at the Dissolution (BS1276) and came into the possession of Thomas Sheffield (BS656-64, 1338-1350). George Keynsham of Bygrave, Herts, bought the manor from him in 1565, and at the same time the manor of Draytons. Keynsham also acquired in 1565 the manor of Brayes (See VCHii). George Keynsham died in 1593 leaving as heir his grandson George II, the son of his deceased son Stephen. George II married Frances Chetwood, and only one of his children by her survived infancy. This was his daughter Anne, who married in 1639 Anthony, son of Oliver, 4th Baron St John. Anne's father became insame in the same year (VCH) and she succeeded to all his property, the extent of which may be seen in BS1382. Anne, towards the end of her life, appears to have become embarrassed financially, and in 1698 she settled her estates on her cousin Dr Knightley Chetwood upon condition he paid £1,600 towards payment of her debts (BS1384-96, WY73-82). A year earlier she had made her will (BS1397) and in November 1700 she died and was buried at Tempsford. Dr Chetwood held the estate until his death in 1720, when it passed to his son John, who by his will made in 1733 left it to his sister Elizabeth (BS1399-1408, WY83-95). From Elizabeth Chetwood, who died unmarried in 1735, the property passed to Henry Bendysh (WY96) and from him to his sisters Mary (Berners) and Elizabeth (Hagar). In 1769 Sir Gillies Payne bought the estate from them (WY97-116). Sir Gillies' other purchases are comprised in WY25-72.
Sir Gillies Payne was the son of Sir Charles Payne, bart. of St Christopher's, West Indies. Sir Charles was born in the West Indies and according to Kimber's 'Baronets' (publishd 1771) "became a considerable planter...acquiring a handsome fortune". He was Major General of the Leeward Isles and married a Janet MaArthur. He died in 1744 (see BS15507, 1509-41). He had at least 7 children, his eldest son Abraham (vide Kimber) marrying a daughter of Jeffery Brown, Chief Justice of St. Kits.
Sir Charles' son Gillies was born in the Leeward Isles on the 14th December 1720, and was admitted to Queen's College, Cambridge, May 1738, having previously attended a school at Hackney. He was admitted to the Middle Temple in 1738 and succeeded his father as 2nd bart. in the same year (Alumni Cantab). By 1750 he appears to have been living at Roxton and most of his children were baptised there. He is described as of St Kits 'in America' in 1758 (BS1512). He may have moved to Tempsford after the purchase of the manorial property in 1769. Sir Gillies was sheriff of Bedfordshire in 1771-2 (BS1508). By his will (BS1443) he bequeathed the majority of his property in England and the West Indies to his eldest son John, who succeeded his father as 3rd bart. in 1801. Sir John only survived his father three years, dying in 1804. His son Charles, aged 11, inherited the title and estates. About 1815 he appears to have had financial difficulties, and in the next five years he mortgaged the Bedfordshire property several times, having first cut the entail in a series of recoveries (WY213-219). In 1824, the Bedfordshire estate was put up for auction (WY279) and bought by William Stuart, eldest son of William Stuart, Archbishop of Armagh, the fourth son of the 3rd Earl of Bute. A map (ME41) shows the extent of the estate at this time.
The Paynes held the estate in the West Indies until the end of the 19th century. there are only incidental references to the plantations in WY (see WY241-78). Deeds from 1743-1875 and some interesting accounts form BS1509-41. Note the reference to "Slave Compensation Money" in BS1536.
Archival history
WY25-444 were received in March 1948 (Acc no 1826). In June 1948 WY1-24 were deposited.
Level of description
sub-fonds