Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    C
  • Title
    Crawley of Stockwood Park, Luton
  • Date free text
    1221-1886
  • Production date
    From: 1221 To: 1886
  • Admin/biog history
    The Estate (South) The pedigree describes John Crawley in the late 16th century as lord of the manor of Haverings, Luton. The other Luton manors acquired were:- Plenties of Stopsley (acquired before 1519; sold 1568; repurchased 1709); Dallow (acquired 1585; sold; repurchased 1858); Someris (acquired 1629; sold 1724); Biscot (acquired 1724); Farley and Whipperley (1822). Much other property in Luton, including the tithes, and some property in Caddington, and a little in Kensworth and Chillington were added over the years. The 1825 atlas (C2260) gives a useful picture of the South Beds. estate at that date. The estate (North) The North Beds. estate was the creation of the Sambrooke family of London between 1706 and 1740. They had inherited the fortunes of Sir John and Sir Nicholas Vanacker (C2752). Negotiations for some of their early purchases appear in nos. 2058 - 78, where it may be noted that Keysoe has no inn suitable to receive Jeremy Sambrooke, much less to lodge him. The agend Ekins seems to have given trouble (C1721-2). The estate included the manors of Yelden, 1706, Keysoe, 1719, and Thurleigh, 1721; and supporting farms and cottages. The family, however, did not last long. Sir Jeremy's candidature for Bedford borough in 1731 is described in Rogers' diary (B.H.R.S. xxx, 23 - 25):'he is about 28 years old, as I suppose, and a little man;... his uncle is said to have as large an estate and a great deal of ready money, all which will be Sir Jeremy's'. But Sir Jeremy died without heirs, and the estate was inherited by his sisters. The property seems to have been valuable for its timber; see the timber surveys, 1721 - 25 (C1676-80). Comparatively minor additions were made later by the Crawleys. They seem to have employed as agent the Rev. 0liver St. John Cooper (C1676, 1682, 2096). The estate (outlying) Of the Bucks estate there survive only a few Wendover leases. The London and Notts estate deeds are deposited respectively with London County Council and with Notts County Council. There was also a plantation in the West Indies (the deeds list the slaves). The Families (South) Crawley: Austin's History of a Bedfordshire Family is of use here; see also the photo-copy of the Crawley pedigree (C2779) Men described as 'of Crawley' appear in the earliest recorded eyres (see B.H.R.S.), but there is no certainty that they belong to this family. Even in this collection the early period is somewhat confused and the relationships not clear; while the estate is impernanent (properties are bought and sold again). The picture becomes clearer with John Crawley's son Thomas (d.1620) and his grandson Francis. Sir Francis, knighted 1632, Justice of the Common Pleas, was perhaps the most notable member of the family. He upheld Charles I's policy over ship-money, and for this was later impeached by the Long Parliament (C2755). He married Elizabeth Rotherham and began to build up the estate. His grandson, Richard, succeeded (though a younger son, his elder brothers having died); and married Sarah Dashwood in 1699, bringing an access of property in Bucks. It was he who bought Stockwood in 1708, and repurchased earlier Crawley property (Plenties from Hillersdon in 1709; St. Ann's close from Roberts in 1710-11). His son John was the main creator of the estate. John Crawley had already enlarged the estate by purchases from Wingate in 1724, Roberts in 1728, and Sharp in 1732, when in 1740 he married the North Beds. heiress Susannah Vanacker Sambrooke. He built Stockwood (note the stopping-up of a right of way to improve Stockwood Park (C2226-31). He continued to extend till his death in 1767, when progress was maintained by his widow and his son John. The younger John had no direct heir, but his younger brother Samuel (d.1805) married a Notts. heiress, Eliza Rankin. Eliza's inheritance was disputed, and C2276-2636 include many letters of the Mellish and Rankin families. (NB There is a Mellish collection in Nottingham University Library; and 350 Dunham and Ragnall deeds from 1300 to the 18th century appear to have been given to the British Museum in 1904). Samuel (d1852) bought further properties; and still later a few purchases were made by his son, John Sambrooke Crawley. Wingate Extensive information on the Wingate family appears in C202-204, 234-316, 609 in the period 1580-1724. Edward Wingate first appears at Dunstable, and connected with the manor of Biscot. He is followed by George, John, Francis and Arthur at Harlington. Norton Norton appears at Luton in the period 1640-98 (C154-171). Rotherham This family occurs in C47, 139, 154, 156-180, 684-715. The last refers to Thomas Rotherham having lately dwelt at a mansionhouse called Stockwood in 1709. His daughter, Talbot, took as her second husband Robert Creed, and their son was John Rotherham Creed. Smaller families: These include: Acworth, Brown, Chase, Dearmer, Goldsmith, Neale, Sherlock, Sibley, in Luton; Laurence (Stondon); Fossey (Kensworth). The families (North) St. John. This family appears in the Yelden and Keysoe deeds, being then apparently financially embarrassed, 1579 - 1709 (C1128-1207). Grey. Thurleigh, though bought from Levinz, was previously part of the Wrest Park estate (see L15), after which it belonged to the Kent Botelers. Leases by more than one previous owner in 1390, 1520, 1634, 1682, 1688, 1711 and 1721 (C1259, 1262, 1279, 1283, 1285, 1298, 1304) give,with those in the Wrest Park catalogue, quite a comprehensive series. There is also an unusual document, a warrant of 1395 to drain the pond (C1260).
  • Accession numbers 558, 996, 1208, 2274
  • Scope and Content
    Estate collection mainly covering the southern estate in the area around Luton, and the northern estate in Yelden, Keysoe and Thurleigh.
  • Exent
    2779 documents
  • Archival history
    The collection was recieved in two main deposits in 1933 and 1954. The earlier deposit consisted of older estate deeds. It had been numbered and briefly listed before 1911 by the record agents, Hardy and Page. Unfortunately Hardy and Page arranged the documents in chronological order, and the archive groups were lost. When it was deposited at Bedford, the catalogue entries were amplified, and a foreword to the catalogue suggested archive groups; but the Hardy and Page order was retained. In 1954 further documents came to light during heating extensions at Stockwood (then a childrens hospital). These deeds were in the main later additions to the estate, but some documents dovetailed in with the earlier deposit. An entire reconstruction was made, and the collection presented as a whole, with its archive groups re-formed (though some few are still uncertain origin). The individual catalogue entries of the 1933 catalogue, however, though not quite as full as is now normal, have not been further enlarged; but the documents deposited in 1954 have been catalogued in the detailed manner now used. 3 documents listed in Hardy & Page's catalogue were not received in 1933 (original numbers C977 relating to Dunham, 1762, C1005 Terrier of lands in Dunham, Ragnall & Darlton, Notts, 1770 and C1070 Assignment: William Clarke of Worksop gent to Samuel Crawley a messuage in Dunham, 1793).
  • External document

    Crawley family tree.pdf - Crawley family tree

  • Level of description
    fonds
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