Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    HN
  • Title
    Records of Hobourn of Woburn, solicitors
  • Date free text
    c 1821 - c 1950
  • Admin/biog history
    John Green (1799-1885) was the son of Thomas Green (1765-1840), surgeon of Woburn and formerly of Chapel Le Frith, and Thomas' first wife Mary Lingard. In 1821 John Green appears to have qualified as a solicitor (see Z742) and from then on added to his qualifications and the roles he played for the magistrates, commissioners of taxes etc. John married Frances Mary Tanqueray (born 1803), daughter of Rev Edward Tanqueray of Tingrith and his wife Frances Elizabeth. John and Frances had eleven children: Frances, Thomas Lingard Green (1830-1902, who became a rector of Tingrith and later of a parish in Suffolk), Mary (1831), John Thomas Green (1832-1904, who carried on the business of solicitor and then bought the Morris & Co brewery), Charles Dymoke (1833-1892 a partner in the firm of Charles Tanqueray & Co distillers), Mary (1834-1923), George (1836-1857, killed in the Indian mutiny), Rev. Frederick William (1837-1928, who moved to Devon), Anna (1836, who married Dr Ben. Hawkins in 1861), Edward (1841-1930, an artist) and Henry (1843). The connection with the Tanqueray family was strong; in 1811 John Green's father Thomas had married as his second wife Mary Tanqueray, the aunt of John's future wife, Frances. In 1873 Frederick Thomas Tanqueray, the nephew of Frances took over the solicitor business from his cousin Colonel John Thomas Green. Frederick Thomas Tanqueray (1852-1929) was the third son of Rev. Truman Tanqueray, rector of Tingrith (1821-1899) youngest child of Rev Edward Tanqueray. In 1885 Frederick married Carline Elizabeth Dickinson of Ealing (died 1932) and they had five children: Muriel, Kathleen (1887), Truman (1888), Renee (1889) and Frederic Baron Tanqueray (1892-1917). Frederic Baron Tanqueray was educated at The Knoll, Woburn Sands and at Tonbridge School. Hsving passed the final law examination in January 1914 he joined his father in his business at Woburn but on the outbreak of war he enlisted in the Public School Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment and rose to become Second Lieutenant. He was reported wounded and missing believed killed 1st July 1916. Frederick Thomas Tanqueray retired from business in 1928 and was succeeded by Robert Hobourn at the Woburn office and by Mr H J Webber at the Ampthill office. Mr Webber also succeeded as Coroner for the Honour of Ampthill. Robert Hobourn, may, in turn, have been succeeded by his son, Robert Bernard Cubitt Hobourn. Robert Hobourn the elder was born in Wisbech in 1870. He was a law clerk in Wisbech in 1891. He married Sarah Bell Andes in 1894 and their first two children were born in Wisbech. Robert appears to have first moved to Woburn in 1897 or 1898 as his third child was born there. He is listed on the 1901 census as a Solicitor’s Managing Clerk. He is still working as a solicitor in 1939. He left the area in about 1948 and died in 1956 in Eastbourne. Robert B C Hobourn was Robert’s fourth and youngest child being born on the 12th September 1904. Robert B C Hobourn married Evelyn Wright in Ampthill in 1933. In 1939 his occupation is given as Solicitors managing clerk. In about 1969/70 he moved to Oxfordshire where he died in 1971. The collection was deposited by Mr Ormsby Issard-Davies who presumably carried on the business after Robert Hobourn retired until deciding to close the business. Mr Ormsby Issard-Davies lived in Bedfordshire from about 1935; as well as being a solicitor he raced cars during the early 1950s. He died in Truro in 2001. Information from directories 1869 John Green and William Wiseman at High Street, Woburn. 1876 John Green, clerk to magistrates, clerk to commissioners of taxes and coroner for Honour of Ampthill. 1885 John Green, George Street, John Thomas Green, George Street (commissioner of oaths), F T Tanqueray. 1890 John Thomas Green, F T Tanqueray. 1894 Colonel John Thomas Green clerk to general meetings of the Lieutenancy, George Street, Frederick Thomas Tanqueray, solicitor and coroner. 1898 J T Green, clerk to general meetings of the Lieutenancy, F T Tanqueray. 1903 F T Tanqueray. 1910 F T Tanqueray. 1914 F T Tanqueray, Robert Hobourn. 1920 Frederick Thomas Tanqueray, Frederick Baron Tanqueray [sic], Robert Hobourn. 1924 Robert Hobourn, Frederick T Tanqueray. 1928 Robert Hobourn. 1936 Robert Hobourn 1940 Robert Hobourn.
  • Scope and Content
    Key areas included are: firm's records; maps and plans; plans of public houses; Harlington Estate records; Husborne Crawley Charity records; correspondence regarding East India Company and potential threat to India from Russia; Morris Brewery of Ampthill; Bedford-Ampthill-Woburn Turnpike papers; London Brick Company papers; Duke of Bedford's papers; legal papers including Quarter Sessions, Petty Sessions and Assizes; deeds to land Places included : Bedfordshire : Ampthill; Aspley Guise; Aspley Heath; Beadlow; Bedford; Biddenham; Bletsoe; Bromham; Caddington; Carlton; Chalgrave; Chellington; Clophill; Cranfield; Dunstable; Eaton Bray; Eggington; Eversholt; Everton; Flitton; Flitwick; Harlington; Haynes; Heath & Reach; Higham Gobion; Goldington; Hockliffe; Houghton Conquest; Hulcote; Husborne Crawley; Keysoe; Langford; Leighton Buzzard; Lidlington; Luton; Marston Moretaine; Maulden; Millbrook; Potsgrove; Pulloxhill; Ridgmont; Riseley; Salford; Silsoe; Stagsden; Stanbridge; Steppingley; Tebworth; Tingrith; Toddington; Totternhoe; Westoning; Wilden; Woburn; Buckinghamshire : Bletchley; Bow Brickhill; Edlesborough; Ellesborough; Emberton; Fenny Stratford; Great Brickhill; Little Brickhill; Little Hampden; Newport Pagnell; Newton Longville; North Crawley; Quainton; Stoke Goldington; Water Eaton; Wavendon; Winslow; Woburn Sands; Wolverton; Devon : Totnes; Essex : Newport; Kent : Lewisham; Penge; Sydenham; London : various parishes; Middlesex : Finchley; Hendon; Islington; Northamptonshire : Braunston; Australia : Victoria
  • Archival history
    The records of R. Hobourn & Co., solicitors of Ampthill were deposited by Mr. Issard Davies of George Street, Woburn in August 1977 when the firm ceased business. The premises were taken over by J.M. Hill (builders) of Ampthill.
  • System of arrangement
    The records were received in sacks, bundles and trunks, with no system of arrangement. These were then sorted into boxes, and given a rudimentary description. The records are being catalogued within the following structure: HN1 Maps & Plans HN2 Family/Estate material, including deeds, correspondence, legal papers, accounts etc. HN3 Companies material including deeds, correspondence, legal papers, accounts etc. [to be distingished from family/estate] HN4 Charities HN5 Church HN6 Local Government HN7 Sale Catalogues not attributable to HN2-6 HN8 Law & Order HN9 Utilities HN10 Original Bundles HN11 Firm's Administration and letter books
  • Reference
  • Level of description
    fonds
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