HF

Archives of Hooper & Fletcher, Solicitors

The Archive itself (mainly created between 1855 & 1952) The bulk of the Archive starts with the takeover of the Firm by T.J.Hooper in 1855. It covers the period from then to 1952.The series of draft wills (HF4) start in 1856 and papers of legal cases, in which the Firm was involved (HF6) in 1858. The important set of Bankruptcy Cases (HF7) start in 1861. The Firm's accounts date back to the 1860s (HF2 & 3) and a Schedule of all the deeds processed by the Firm begins in 1873 (HF1/3/1-6). The records of smaller estates administered by the Firm mainly cover the late 19C to 20C but occasional earlier documents are found there. The Executors of R.J.Parker of Ampthill owed John Shaw for cloth, silk, buttons etc in 1819. (HF8/34.). Other items of note in this section are the papers of the Daniels of Biggleswade 1892-1898, including a catalogue of the contents of St Andrews,Biggleswade, (now the Conservative Club)(HF8/13); tradesmen's bills issued to Maythorn, Coach Builder & Painter 1875-1879 (HF8/31) and the sale of Hillside House, Church Street to the Miss Wingfields (HF8/39) 1900, which includes a Catalogue of household goods and two maps of the site. HF9-17 are groups of deeds for individual parishes for which there arte more than one or two bundles. These deeds were unmarked and do not appear to fit into any of the series of Clients files. HF18 contains Bedfordshire deeds for parishes for which there are only one or two bundles. The as yet uncatalogued out County deeds are grouped at reference HF 19. As knowledge of the Clients of the Firm increases this section could be reduced, as the deeds are moved elsewhere in the Archive Highlights in HF9-19 include the conveyance of land for a new St Andrews Mission Church, Arlesey (opened June 1900- see Commercial Directory for 1903)(HF9/3/6), a Sale Notice of 14 The Crescent, Bedford in 1834 (HF10/2), the deeds of Bensons Row, Chapelfields, Biggleswade, showing its development 1843-1845 (HF11/3) and deeds relating to a Malting in the High Street, Biggleswade, where the title is traced from the 18C to 1866 (HF11/8). Evidence for title going back to the Eighteenth Century is to be found here for property in Biggleswade, Clifton, Dunton, Langford and Stratford in Sandy in HF9-17 and Dunstable & Maulden in HF 18.Very useful insurance certificates exist for Sandy Place and farms on that estate 1809-1818. HF18/1/1-4 provides furthetr evidence on the history of Dynevor House, Ampthill. The two Henlow Grange Sale Catalogues give a detailed picture of Henlow at the critical moment that the Estate was being broken up. HF 20 contains the papers of individual pieces of work for Clients, arranged chronologically and covering the years 1860s -1952. Often, however, they will contain information going back much further. Every so often papers may be from four or five different transactions & relating to as many clients would be parcelled together and given a running number. This bundle number is included in the County Record Office number eg HF 20/353 originally formed bundle 353 in Hooper & Fletcher's offices. The series is not complete but it is bundle listed up to HF20/433 (dated 1905) in 67 boxes. A further 75 boxes, dated 1905-1952 are totally unlisted. None of the items in HF20 have been indexed. HF21-61 are the papers of major clients of the Firm. Material relating to them is also to be found in HF20 above. HF21-39 are Clients with initial letters A-K, are housed in nine boxes and are uncatalogued. Items of particular interest are records relating to Dan Albone, COPO, the fraudulent applegrowers of Cockayne Hatley and Henry Franklin of Biggleswade Mill. The Harvey papers of Ickwell Bury in HY relate to those in HF35. HF40-41 are the records of Wells & Co Bank & Brewery. They are fully catalogued. This section is placed here under the letter L for Lindsell. HF40/1-3 are the records of the Biggleswade Brewery, both when owned by Wells & Co and Wells & Winch. HF40/4-5 are the records of two breweries bought up by Wells & Winch These documents relate to the Greene King (Biggleswade) Archive (GK). The HF documents are particularly useful for Abstracts of Title for properties for which there are no original deeds in the Record Office. The sale to Winch is covered in detail. As a subsidiary of the Brewery, Samuel Wells II set up the Biggleswade Bank. It was later called Wells, Hogge & Lindsell. HF41 are the solicitor's records relating to it. Using these papers, clients' papers (HF20) and Bankruptcy paper (HF7), it is possible to get an unrivalled picture of the effect of the Agricultural Depression on not only the rural areas but also the market town of Biggleswade that served it. While only some actually went bankrupt, many more struggled to pay Mortgages and Overdrafts. In some cases the Bank foreclosed on the land used as security. In Biggleswade there was a substantial turnover of retail businesses (see CRT130 Biggleswade 63: A Study of the Survival of Firms 1877 & 1914, where it is estimated that out of a 179 firms trading in 1877, only 52 (28%) survived to 1914. Among the prominent people in the area, having financial troubles, whose records apppear in HF41 are J.W.Kingsley, William Why of Girtford, who owned 1 & 2 High Street, Sandy and Robert Gresham of Shefford, Tanner and Fred Newbery of Milton Ernest Mill. By far the largest financial collapse, recorded in these documents is that of the allied Milling firms of C.Powers & Co and E.Powers & Sons in 1884 , involving the bankruptcy of E.F.Powers and the ruin of his two cousins, Hugh & Walter. (see Introduction to HF41/3). An interesting comparison could be made with the more financially prudent Millers Hipwell of Sharnbrook, whose experience of the last quarter of the Nineteenth Century was so differnet from the Powers. Papers relating to the sale of the Bank to Capital & Counties Bank in 1893 are found at HF41/1/6/1-6b. HF42-47 are the papers of the Lindsell and Hogge (later Archdale) families, partners of the Bank & Breweery or their relations (see Introduction to HF 42). These include the papers of Robert Lindsell when he was Solicitor and contain useful detail on the enclosure of Steppingley (HF 43). The cousins of the Biggleswade Lindsells settled at Broom in Southill (HF44) Apart from HF43 & HF 44, all these papers are catalogued. The papers of the Taddy family of Caldecote Lodge (HF48) are uncatalogued (3Ã¥ boxes) and relate to the Lindsell documents as Mrs Annie Frances Glynn Taddy was the daughter of Charles Samuel Lindsell. Annie's daughter Evelyn Frances married Charles William Archdale in 1903. (See Contemporary Biographies at the Opening of the XX Century, edited by W.T.Pike (1907) page 353. HF 49-59 are the client's papers , letters L-W (14 boxes). Similar to HF 21-39 above. The Shuttleworth papers (HF56) dovetail in with the Shuttleworth Archive (SL). The Pope Family of Biggleswade (HF53) were prominent corn & timber merchants based at Middle Wharf, Shortmead Street. The Longs (HF49) were substantial landowners, living at the Manor Farm, Upper Stondon. The Smiths of Langford were market gardeners. A bundle of documents (HF54) relate to John Powers, an equally impecunious cousin of the Powers, Millers (HF41/3 above). HF60 is a bundle of deeds and papers concerned with Church of England Parochial Church Councils. HF 61 are papers of miscellaneous clients. They have not got an original Hooper & Fletcher bundle number on them. Hooper was Steward to a number of Manors including Biggleswade and those of the Wrest Park Estate. Fletcher succeeded to these. Some of the Manors he bought for himself. In consequence there is a wealth of Manorial documents in the Hooper & Fletcher Archive. (HF62-81) Earlier deposits of Manor Court Books were made between 1951 & 1966 (X192-3, X195 & X338). Extensive coverage therefore survives for Biggleswade, Blunham, Sandy Rectory, Stotfold and the Manors around Wrest Park. The Biggleswade Manor Court Books are split between HF62 & X338. Their coverage over a period from 1651 to the Twentieth Century and the fact that much of the centre of the town was held by copy of Court Roll, means that they are records of exceptional importance to the local historian. Particularly useful are the references to the Great Fire of Biggleswade in 1783, which helps one identify the area of devastation. Hooper & Fletcher's work collecting Rectorial & Vicarial Tithes is covered in HF 82. There are 48 Tithe Redemption Certificates (HF82/1/4/1-48).The official tables (HF82/1/7/1-30) show the value of Rentcharges as well as the yearly fluctuation of the price of wheat, barley and oats from 1860-1896, providing useful instant national figures for the Years of High Farming as well as the Agricultural Revolution. Miscellaneous items relating to Parliamentary Enclosure are to be found in HF 83. The Minute Book of Langford (HF83/2/3/1) covers the years 1827-1829 and shows in detail the arrangements, claims and agreements that had to precede the making up of the formal Award. HF84 is a bundle of Correspondence, dating from 1883 to 1886 relating to the making of a new road from Beeston to Sandy Goods Station. HF85-99 contain the papers of the various partners of the firm and their families. HF85-88 are the personal papers of T.J.Hooper (1833-1904). Bundles of private Correspondence cover the years 1885-1890 (HF85/7) and private vouchers 1876-1904. (HF85/1O). Hooper became involved in finacial speculations with a friend, Henry Sewell of Chigwell, Essex. Sewell went bankrupt in 1882 & Hooper gained the equity of redemption on property at Maswell Park, Hounslow and Stow Maries Farm, Essex, for which there is correspondence 1886-1896 and Account Books 1890-1896 (HF86). The sale documents of Hooper's Executors include lists of furniture & books in Camden House.(HF85/11/7-11) As a result of the official posts he held, Hooper was a member of a number of National Associations (HF88). He was the first Treasurer oof the Association of Union Clerks. Correspondence covers the years 1890-1892(HF 88/1/1-6). Draft Accounts and Receipt books for Subscriptions exist 1890-1891.(HF88/7-11). HF 89 contains the papers of Hooper's immediate family: his parents, his brothers, sister & wife. The family came from Moreton in the Marsh, Gloucestershire. They had land at Bledington in Oxfordshire and in 1902 sold land to extend the Churchyard (HF89/1/3-6). Some deeds have been transferred to Oxfordshire Record Office. One of Hooper's brothers, J.T.Hooper went to live in Durham at Catch Gate & Lanchester. His letters to his brother gives a good picture of his life from 1875-1904 (HF89/4/4). Another brother went to Ontario, Canada. He complained of his crops failing in 1868. He borrowed £50 from Hooper in 1889. (HF89/5). Hooper's wife Sarah Hunt Hooper sold Camden House to the Fletchers in 1904 (HF89/7/1-4. Some of her money was lent out on Mortgages on local properties. (HF89/7/5-18). Very detailed information is given by her Executors' papers (HF89/7/34-49) Hooper's sister, Henrietta Ann, married William Robins Matthews of Newport, Monmouthshire, Tea Dealer, Grocer, Provision Merchant and Wholesale and Wine & Spirit Merchant. The Matthews family papers are part of the Hooper & Fletcher Archive, because they used Hooper as their Solicitor (HF90). The Matthews family originated from Lower Swell in Gloucestershire.

The Archive's Deposit and relationship with other Archives held at the Bedfordshire Record Office On 23 September 1971 two pantechnicons of totally unsorted papers were deposited by Hooper & Fletcher, Solicitors of Shortmead Street, Biggleswade. These represented the working papers of the firm. Many of the original title deeds were not deposited and some at least were sold privately. Occasionally in the last 25 years the Record Office has heard of small groups of deeds that came from the Hooper & Fletcher strong room. When the Biggleswade Court House was refurbished in 1988, further strays from Hooper & Fletcher's Archive were found. Two deposits had already been made by the firm prior to 1971 (see X19 & X338. The latter contains a number of the Court Books of the Manors bought by W.F.A.Fletcher from clients.

Clearly the sorting and arrangement of so large an Archive was likely to prove both mind-bogglingly complicated and immensely time consuming. The task was tackled in the late 1970s by a team of Archivists working in the Stackroom. Firstly bundles of documents marked with blue numbers were arranged in order. This formed the basis for the huge HF20 class of which- only the first part is bundle listed. There emerged in sorting some smaller Archives, mostly unnumbered by the firm. The principal one of these was Wells of Biggleswade, Brewers & Bankers. Their records were intimately related to the papers deposited by Greene King (Biggleswade) (GK). These were listed by the same Archivist who had listed GK. The Wells items in Hooper & Fletcher were given the refernce HF40 & 41. Other principal clients were given reference numbers in the general Cataloguing scheme. While the sorters tried to keeep blue bundle numbers in HF 20, some are included in the principal clients files.If you want to find out all there is relatng to a principal client, you must search HF20, as well as the relevant principal client reference. Ultimately this will all come together in the Record Office Subject Index when HF20 is fully listed and indexed. In addition to clients files the members of the Firm held a number of official positions, such as Deputy Sheriff , Clerk to the Magistrates. The records created were grouped together and given their own reference numbers. The firms own records were treated in a similar way. Breaking down the Archive into manageable blocks of material meant that individual sections could now be listed. One Archivist started listing the bundles of documents in HF20, another listed the Maps, a third catalogued the papers of Wells of Biggleswade and the fourth dealt with the official records. Subsequently Volunteers listed Draft Wills prepared by the Firm and the small groups of Deeds where the identity of the Client was not obvious. The resulting Catalogues mirror this piecemeal approach. Some sections of the Archive are fully listed. Others are completely untouched. Naturally in so large an Archive there are duplicates & routine correspondence, which are not worth keeping permanently. In the early 1980's a major cull of the Twentieth Century Papers in HF20 took place. Mundane correspondence relating to clients making wills , for instance, was destroyed with only the Will being kept and any letters relating to major alterations desireed by the Client. Similarly conveyancing files were stripped of most Correspondence, leaving draft Conveyances, Abstract of Title, Land registry Certificates and any letter, making a substantial concession that is not found in the surviving title deeds. As a result of this cull, the size of the Archive was reduced by a quarter. The 1990's have seen the typing of a number of lists, prepared earlier and the indexing of sections of the Archive, apart from HF20, which was considered to be so large a job that it needed to be treated as an independant project to be tackled when staff time and resources became available.

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Hooper & Fletcher, specific solicitors