Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue

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Reference
PM
Title
Pym Archive
Date free text
1711 - 1714
Production date
From: 1711 To: 1714
Admin/biog history
History of the family and estate In Bedfordshire the Pyms first appear at Reach, Leighton Buzzard. William Pym was buried at Leighton Buzzard in 1672, and they retained Leighton or Linslade property in the next century; but there is in the collection scarcely any trace of this early Bedfordshire period (PM1742-95 and PM1888-9). This William Pym appears to be the same as the William Pym described as of St Martin-in-the-Fields (PM2544-76). For years the family was active in London, and also apparently traded with Holland and certainly in India (PM2745-87; for their London property, see documents with L.C.C. at County Hall; see also PM1890). Meanwhile they were building up an estate in Hertfordshire, with the manors of Norton Bury, 1681, and Radwell, 1714 (see documents in Hertford Record Office). When they returned to Bedfordshire, it was to quite another district. The marriage of a William Pym of a later generation on 21 October 1743 at Tempsford with the Sandy heiress, Elizabeth Kingsley, brought them, when Elizabeth inherited in 1761, to the Hasells, which became their seat and the headquarters of their estate for nearly 200 years. The estate which Elizabeth thus added to what her husband already had elsewhere was itself the outcome of family alliance and inheritance in and beyond Bedfordshire, bringing to the Kingsleys, and thus to Pym, the lands of Heylock and Jenkyn. The Heylocks appear, first as yeomen, then as gentry, at Abbotsley, Huntingdonshire, in the 17th century. The sons of Robert senior (PM1923), Robert (PM1926) and William (PM2706), extended their lands in Huntingdonshire and Cambridgeshire (PM902-57, PM1091-1155); and William also bought land in Little Staughton and Keysoe (PM902-57). As neither had sons, the lands devolved on their nephew, Henry Kingsley of Hitchin, son of their sister Joan (PM916). Much of Henry Kingsley’s interest too was in Huntingdonshire (PM1156-1234), and Cambridgeshire (PM1428-60), though he also continued to extend in Little Staughton (PM958-95). The Jenkyn connection comes through the marriage of Heylock Kingsley (grandson of Henry Kingsley senior and Joan Heylock) to Elizabeth Jenkyn. Her father, Robert Jenkyn of Harpenden, who also bought land in Huntingdonshire (PM1235-1338), made purchases in Sandy from 1724-32 (PM1-192); he died in 1739 (will PM1933). It was Heylock Kingsley, husband of Elizabeth Jenkyn, who first came to Sandy when in 1721 he bought from Baron Brittain Hasells manor and manorhouse (PM236). He immediately planned to enlarge the house and grounds, and a 1722 note relating to this states that the house had been built by “Mr Brittain” about 24 years previously, i.e. about 1698 (PM1804)*. He bought Girtford manor in 1741. It seems very probable that Heylock Kingsley carried out his plans for the Hasells house; certainly he bought land steadily in Sandy, especially in what had been Kinwick Field (PM193-401); and his widow continued to do this after his death (PM402-26). The contents of the Hasells house at her death in 1761 are listed (PM2578; see also PM1955-7 and PM2378) * [Pevsney page 88, c. 1720-40. There seems no occasion for a house (other than what would be required for a tenant) at the Hasells before the Brittain family, since in the Middle Ages the estate belonged to Chicksands Priory, and then to the Burgoynes. William Brittain purchased in 1635. If PM1804 is right, the builder of the house would apparently be Baron Brittain junior. He let the manorhouse to John Dash (PM207). It seems strange that he should build a good house to let. However there does not seem to have been a good Brittain house previously, for the Hearth Tax of 1671 shows Baron Brittain (senior) living in a house with only three hearths (B.H.R.S. xvi, 78)] This was the inheritance which, through Elizabeth Kingsley (daughter of Heylock Kingsley and Elizabeth Jenkyn), came to William Pym and his descendants; and is what is represented by the Pym collection at Bedford, the documents relating to the Hertfordshire and London properties, which had been the Pyms’ previous interest, being deposited respectively in Hertford and at London. From this time the Pyms’ interest centred on Sandy, and what had been planned by Heylock Kingsley as the head of his estate became the head of the Pym estate. William Pym continued to buy up land (PM427-638), a policy continued by his son Francis from 1789 (PM596-886). It seems likely that Francis Pym also further improved the house. (The Torrington diary for 1790 goes so far as to say “Mr Pym has employed a large sum of money in building a new house”, but Torrington is not entirely reliable, and it seems more likely that there were alterations rather than a complete rebuilding) The Pyms took an active part in local affairs. Francis Pym who died in 1834 was MP for the county 1806-20. Three Pyms served as High Sheriff (cf.PM1878): William 1764; Francis 1791; another Francis, 1902 (see PM2615-21). They were active as justices of the peace; and Francis Leslie Pym (killed 1860 in a railway accident) was Chairman of Quarter Sessions, 1832-48 (PM26299-44) [no, his father died 1860] The non-Bedfordshire estate received an addition by bequest, when Gloucestershire property was left by Elizabeth Carter to Francis Pym in 1784 (PM1465-1536). Northumberland fee-farm rents were purchased in 1792 by Catherine Pym from Pauncefort. Of the ladies of the family, three have left cookery books: Elizabeth Pym (Jenkyn), Catherine Pym, and Jane Pym (Melville) (PM2600-4). Girtford Manor(s) The documents clarify the history of the Girtford manors; and as the Victoria County History has confused two properties, it seems worth setting out the details. Cauldwell Priory (the smaller): this, which in PM285 is called a manor, derives from a 13th century grant by Henry son of Hugh of Sandy to Cauldwell Priory (Victoria County History ii, 244). In 1291 the priory owned £3..11s..10d in Sandy; and at the Dissolution the priory’s lands were valued at 58s. (Valor, iv, 189). In 1541 Henry VIII granted the manor and grange to John Burgoyne (Victoria County History, citing patent rolls), who in 1563 sold it to Edmund Cosyn (PM285). Apparently it then disintegrated. Part seems to be assigned by Edmund Cosyn to one sister (Margery Cator- PM287, PM289). This part was acquired by Oliver Bromhall before 1656 (PM308), and thereafter apparently descends with the main manor of Girtford (see below). Another part was assigned by Edmund Cosyn to another sister, Elizabeth Smyth (PM288). Her share was divided among her three sons:- Richard (PM290, and cf. PM295); Thomas (PM293); and Edmund (PM402). There are a number of deeds relating to Smyth (PM292-8), which appear to have been kept with the deeds of the main manor (PM299-326); and so it seems possible that the portions assigned to Richard and Thomas Smyth went the same way as that of their aunt, Margery Cator. Edmund’s share however descended separately, and was purchased in 1755 by Elizabeth Kingsley (PM402-11). St John’s Hospital (the larger): (PM299-326). This derives from an early grant (?c.1100) to the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem by Hugh de Beauchamp of “all the vill of Girtford” (Monasticon, ii, 508; transcribed PM299). It belonged (PM1879/11) to the preceptory of Shingay, Cambridgeshire, and at the Dissolution it was granted to Sir Richard Long of Shingay. His widow, Margaret, married John Bourchier, 3rd Earl of Bath, and the manor court in 1560 is described as his in right of his wife. It passed to Margaret’s granddaughter, Elizabeth Long, who married William Russell (afterwards Baron Russell of Thornhaugh), and the 1587/8 court is that of William Russell and his wife Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of Henry Long (PM1585). It appears that Elizabeth, who died in 1611, either left the property to William Cecil, 16th Earl of Salisbury, or that he – or his father who died in 1612 – was her trustee (he was only 20 when she died). He then conveyed to Elizabeth’s son, Francis, 2nd Baron Russell, in 1614, (who subsequently in 1627 succeeded his cousin as 4th Earl of Bedford). Francis Russell sold to John Taylor in 1618, whose widow Alice married Oliver Bromhall; who in 1657 sold to Jasper Edwards; Jasper’s son, Richard Edwards, sold in 1695 to Robert Pulleyn, who in 1741 sold to Heylock Kingsley. (See also PM1799-1810 and PM1879) Dissolution lands Apart from the above, the Sandy section in general throws some light on the subsequent history of former monastic lands. Among the men who were concerned in them were Sir Robert Catlyn, John Yarrow, Edmund Cosyn, and John Burgoyne. See in particular the following leases:- 8 August 1567 (recited PM6) 16 May 1569 (recited PM156) 15 November 1572 (PM3, recited PM8, PM13) 1 December 1572 (PM119, recited PM60, PM126, PM328) 5 December 1572 (recited PM111, PM459) Gardening The existing evidence as to market-gardening having developed earlier in the Sandy area than anywhere else in the county is confirmed by the occurrence of 16 gardeners (14 of them in Sandy) between 1610 and 1783. Two are described as of Stratford. To judge by the wills of John Palmer, 1661, and Thomas Blaine, 1768, they seem to be small people. There is little indication as to where their gardens were. They mostly own common field land, but there is no evidence as to whether they used this for gardening purposes. (The 1841 census shows more gardeners in Sandy than anywhere else in the county: 79 gardeners and 51 gardener’s labourers; as compared with 49 gardeners at Biggleswade; informant Mr Beavington). Incidentally a useful crop analysis, 1761-1820, is given in PM1571. Enclosure Some light is thrown on private enclosure at Sandy in the 18th century by PM198-1815; cf. also the buying-up of Kinwick Field (PM355-426) Arrangement Many of the deeds were found in bundles as they had been arranged by William and Francis Pym in the 18th century. This arrangement has been preserved almost in its entirety, though sometimes the connection is obscure, and was also so to them; cf.PM438 endorsed “it was given as part of the title to Blain’s estate, but don’t appear to have any relation to it”; or PM925 “I do not apprehend these are of any use whatever”. An attempt has, however, been made to group the deeds in order of purchase of the properties in each county.
Archival history
Deposited between 1925 & 1936 by the late F W Pym, in 1947 by F W Pym and from 1969 by Francis Pym, Everton Park, Sandy, Beds. Accession numbers 835, 1211, 1805, 2323, 5313
Reference
- X59
- X22
Level of description
fonds