- ReferenceFN
- TitleFrancklin of Great Barford and Bolnhurst
- Date free text1311 - 1864
- Production dateFrom: 1311 To: 1864
- Admin/biog historyThe first Bedfordshire Francklin was William Francklin of Thurleigh (early or mid 15th century), youngest son of Robert Francklin of Skipton-in-Craven, Yorkshire; but no Thurleigh deed earlier than 1552 [FN 203] has survived. The family was connected with Bolnhurst at least from 1493, when Thomas, 2nd son of William, leased Glyntils from the prior of Canons Ashby [FN 80]. The first connection with Ravensden in the deeds is in 1529, when Richard Francklin, 3rd son, described as 'of Bedford, yeoman', is a tenant of 'Tulwyke' [FN 164]. William Francklin, 4th son, was archdeacon of Durham and dean of Windsor [FN 901]. The main line descends with William's eldest son John, and with the latter's eldest son, also called John (it is difficult to distinguish between them). John Francklin, whether senior or junior, described as 'of Thurleigh, yeoman', was leasing Mavern, Bolnhurst, in 1539 [FN 82]. He bought Glyntils in 1546 [FN 81], property in Shefford in 1557 [FN 525], and the White Horse, Bedford, in 1560 [FN 347]; the last however was soon sold. In the Heralds' Visitation of 1566 the family are armigerous. Described as 'gentleman', John Francklin bought Brayes Farm, Bolnhurst, in 1583 [FN 109]. The second John's family by his first wife seems to have died out; for his second wife's son George (described as of the Middle Temple), is described as heir in 1566 and is found in possession at the end of the 16th century. George Francklin consolidated the estate. He married Anne Styles of Kent. In 1569-70 he bought land in Clapham [FN 373] and Clophill [FN 449-452]. He bought 'Tyllwicke' in Ravensden in 1576 [FN 167]. He is found leasing Highomes in Bolnhurst in 1576 [FN 105]. Described as 'of Thurleigh, gentleman', in 1587 he bought Mavern at Bolnhurst [FN 90], which became the family seat; in 1590 the rectory at Milton Ernest [see after FN 494]; and Moore's Farm, Bolnhurst, in 1592 [FN 68]. He also bought land in Felmersham [FN 465]. To him succeeded Edmond. The property was now extensive and scattered, and the heir not able to administer it. The difficulties of this time are reflected in FM 1060-84. Edmond however died, leaving a daughter, and his younger brother, George, who had been apprenticed to a grocer in the City of London [FN 909], succeeded. This George, who married Dorothy Halsey, began the Barford connection with Veseys manor [FN 243-244]. Of the second George's children, the relevant ones are Sir William and Sir John. Sir William succeeded to an estate which had been built up during 150 years. But he had extravagant tastes and he also stood for Parliament [FN 1035]. Though he married a rich Countess [FN 932], he died in debt. His bills [FN 1174-1216] show the expenditure of a gentleman of the period. His brother, Sir John, a Master in Chancery, was left to straighten out his affairs, which involved the sale of the outlying property. Sir John died without heirs, and the estate descended to a distant cousin, John Francklin of Norfolk, descended from Edward, brother of the first George. John Francklin of the Norfolk line in 1731 married Anne Foster of Great Barford [FN 1316], and the family seat was now transferred to Barford. Anne was descended from Dr William Foster, commissary and official in the archdeaconry of Bedford in the time of John Bunyan (hence the Foster papers in the collection [FN 1105-1126]), and from Arnold Spencer, pioneer in the navigation of the Ouse (hence her moiety of the navigation rights between St Ives and Great Barford). Both parents died young, and the 4 year old heir, John, was brought up by his uncle Luke, an able and conscientious guardian [FM 1246-1268]. This John had a large family, of whom many died young. The family also owned property in Nottinghamshire, and in the 19th century (c1840) they removed to Gonalston Hall. According to the depositor, Mr Edward Francklin, 'the Gonalston property came into our family through the marriage of Richard Francklin with Judith Monoux, daughter of Sir Philip Monoux of Sandy and Wootton, whose ancester bought it from the Pierrepoint family, to whom it descended from Sir Ivor de Heriz, one of the knights of Peveril of the Peak, to whom it was granted by William the Conqueror (so it has has only once chaged hands since the conquest), together with a lot of other land in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire' (6 June 1948). The Ouse navigation rights were sold in 1867 (when a joint sale was arranged with Lady Cullum, who seems then to have owned the other moiety); the Great Barford property was sold in 1919 and the Bolnhurst property in 1944.
- Deposited by E Francklin, esquire, Gonalston Hall, Nottingham, August 1944
- Scope and ContentTopographically the collection is a very good one, covering no fewer than 25 parishes in Bedfordshire, of which Bolnhurst and Great Barford are the best represented. It also includes some deeds outside this county, particularly for Kent. On the manorial side it is surprisingly meagre [FN 992-1018]; it would have been expected that there would be a fine series of court rolls for Bolnhurst and Great Barford. As regards public office, it is notable for a number of sheriff's documents [FN 1023-1039], and for having the only known wage assessment for this county by Quarter Sesions (now published in Bedfordshire Historic Records Society XXV); also for a splendid account of Bedfordshire militia riots in 1757 [FN 1253]. The navigation documents [FN 1288-1500] are unique (now largely published in BHRS XXIV). There are also delightful individual documents, such as Archdeacon Francklin's directions to his nephew in 1556 to provide him 'with such solemn funeral as shall be pleasant to Almighty God and agreeable with the estate and degree of Master William Francklin' [FN 901], and Dr William Foster's lease of the parsonage house at Great Barford in 1667, which reserves the right to eat apples while walking in the orchard [FN 270].
- Physical descriptionMany of the documents were fragile and damaged by damp. Repairs started in 1948 and some have yet to be completed; some items are unfit for production.
- System of arrangementThe collection was largely put into order, numbered and transcribed c1750 by Luke Francklin [FN 1246-1268]. When it was received it had largely lost this order and had suffered from damp. The method was adopted of sorting all numbered documents into the various series in which they appear in the books of transcripts, and distinguishing letters (A, B, C, P, Q, R, S) were given to the series. However, it was not possible to keep them in these series because they were not sufficiently sub-divided according to properties. Hence the collection has been rearranged on a property basis, but Luke Francklin's transcript is given as a related document. See FN 1246-1266 (Transcript Books) for more details. Many of the documents were very fragile, and it was necessary to reduce handling to a minimum (the workshop was closed at the time, 1944, due to the war). The physical rearrangement of the documents therefore did not take place until the slips had been done (the reverse of the normal process); by which time the workshop had been reopened and repairs were in progress. The result is that the rearrangement was not perfect, and a few cases of inconsistency (not realised till the catalogue was typed) will be found.
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