PA

Parsons deposit (Boswell & Dillingham of Dean)

Introduction A full history of the Dillingham family would be a major undertaking. There are 3 Dillinghams in the Dictionary of National Biography, and 22 in Venn's Alumni Cantab. Even a thorough account of the Dillinghams of Dean (who account for quite a proportion of the above) would take considerable time; the Dean parish register in the 17th century is full of Dillingham entries, of which many bear the names Thomas and John, and therefore are difficult to sort out. There are also many Dillingham wills. The Parsons collection, however, with some help from two other small amounts of Dillingham material (WG and X186) and from the above sources, gives an opportunity to make a preliminary sketch of the Dean family. It is very possible that the Dillinghams appeared in Dean from Northamptonshire during the 16th century. (It appears to be the case that a line remained in Northamptonshire, for several of the Venn entries have Northamptonshire connections). The earliest identifiable is John Dillingham, described as a husbandman, and having sons Thomas and William, he occurs in 1529 (PA26-31, PA161); and seems to be the same as the yeoman who died at a comparatively early age in 1541; his will (reg.6, f.102d) mentions his wife Joan and children under age. There is evidence which might suggest that Joan Dillingham was the daughter of an Oundle mercer called Olyff; at all events a legacy from Olyff was later the subject of a dispute (PA176). Joan died in 1558; her will (PA179 and P1558/282) shows her to have been of standing; she mentions sons Robert, Walter, Humphrey, Richard and Henry; and a daughter Alice. The lands left by the father John to William are the subject of a survey in 1552 (PA161). The apparent sons of John and Joan Dillingham are as follows:- John: mentioned only in father's will, 1540 Robert: PA38-9 and PA176; wife Agnes; will 1607/87 William: PA38-9 and PA176; wife Helen Thomas: PA38-9 and PA176; wife Thomasin Humphrey Richard Henry: will 1624/37 In the 3rd generation we should expect to find the baptism of Francis, a translator of the Bible, Rector of Wilden 1600-25 (will 1625-204), Dictionary of National Biography. Unfortunately his baptism has not been traced. He was a student at Cambridge in 1583, and it seems most likely that he was one of the eldest grandsons of the original John, perhaps a son of his son John. Francis' mother's name was Alice; and he had a brother John; his father was dead by 1607, when Francis was a party to the marriage settlement of his brother John of Over Dean and Ann Barrow (WG1116); their mother Alice was then still alive, and was to occupy a chamber over the inner parlour in John's mansion house in Upper Dean. Francis published 8 works 1599-1615, and was a noted Greek disputer. The Dictionary of National Biography says (the only family information which it gives for Francis) that he had a brother Thomas who was a member of the Assembly of Divines; it seems that this may have been the Thomas Dillingham who matriculated at Cambridge 1585, took his M.A. 1592, and signs as minister of Dean 1603-32; he was buried at Dean in 1647; and his will is AD320. Thomas Dillingham leaves to his eldest son Theophilus lands in Renhold, Eaton Socon and Over Dean; and to his younger son John lands in Northamptonshire, in Shelton and in Over Dean; the sons were to have his books; and the plate was to be divided between them and the two daughters, Sarah (married Richard Leach), Dorothy (married Cooper). He speaks also of two sisters Cobbe and Selby. John matriculated at Cambridge in 1631 and was ordained in 1641. Theophilus, the more eminent brother, matriculated 1629, D.D. 1655, was Master of Clare 1654-60 and 1661-78; Prebendary of York 1662; and Archdeacon of Bedford 1667-78. The foregoing paragraph has dealt with the eminent clerics of the Dean family. It seems however worth while to note here that another eminent cleric, emanating from the Northamptonshire branch, did come into Bedfordshire. William Dillingham, the eldest of 3 sons (all in Venn) of Thomas Dillingham, rector of Barnwell, Northamptonshire. (the other sons were Benjamin and Samuel) was admitted at Cambridge in 1636, M.A. 1643, D.D. 1655, Fellow of Emmanuel College 1642; Master 1653-62 (when he was deprived; and Rector of Odell 1672-89. His correspondence with Sancroft over 49 years is preserved among the Tanner MSS. in the Bodleian Library; some has been printed in Waters "Genealogical memoir of the family of Chester". He published a number of works. He had a son Thomas who was rector of Barnwell and died 1704. William Dillingham's will is 1689/86. Returning to the Dillinghams of Dean, to those who were not scholars and divines, but continued as yeomen or gentlemen, we find in the 4th generation of descendants from the original John and Joan. Robert has descendants in this generation through his sons Humphrey, Andrew and Christopher; and William through his sons George and John. The following occur in this collection: or in Bedfordshire wills: John junior, yeoman: PA59 (1626) Christopher, yeoman: PA63 (will 1651/48) John senior, gentleman: PA70 (1636) Thomas, husbandman: (will 1647/29) The 5th generation is difficult to determine. The following references occur: John, gentleman: PA88 (1663); PA167,109,111,113-4 (1671-84) will 1695/13 Oliver, gentleman: PA90, 93, 94, 98, 117, 121, 125, 167, 113-4 (1665-98) John son of John son of John son of William: PA96 (1668) William: PA97 (1669) John: monumental inscription in Dean church (1670) John of Nether Dean, yeoman (will 1684/37) John junior and wife Comfort: PA118 (1694) John: PA125 (1698) Moreover a branch was settled at Pertenhall: George (will 1657/245); and William (will 1686/57). However it seems clear that the last Dillinghams in Dean were two brothers, John and Oliver, gentleman, apparently descended from William, son of the original John. Oliver died in 1698 (PA184-5), and the parish registers note "last male in parish". An inventory of his goods is PA186. The history of the family after Oliver's death can be partly supplemented by another collection (X186). Oliver Dillingham left most of his property to his kinsman Thomas Boswell. Thomas Boswell (who occurs in PA126-9) had a licence for a pew in Dean church in 1719 (PA189). He made his will in 1719 (X186/16), mentioning his nephews, Dillingham Boswell and Thomas Boswell. Dillingham Boswell was in holy orders, and in 1748 was appointed chaplain to Viscountess Torrington (X186/21). He died in 1761, leaving his property to his brother Thomas, if Thomas had sons; otherwise to the heir of his nephew Elias Collett (X186/23). Thomas Boswell died in 1767; PA175 is a rent-book apparently kept by his executor. Elias Collett died in 1781, leaving a widow Susan and a son Elias Boswell Collett (PA188). Some Collett letters have survived, 1778-1833 (PA192-6). Although the Dillinghams died out at Dean, the wills index shows a branch at Shelton 1706-72, and it may be from this branch that a Samuel Dillingham derives; he died, a grazier, at Upper Dean in 1788. A Theophilus Dillingham of London, merchant tailor, in 1714 bought Shelton manor from Francis Malory (WG1039-40 and Victoria County History iii, 162). Possibly he was a son of Theophilus Dillingham, Archdeacon of Bedford (see supra). His descendants retained it till it was sold in 1794 to John Harris by Brampton Gurdon Dillingham (WG1064-5). (see WG989-1069 for this, and for some light also on Thomas Boswell and the Colletts). He would appear to be only a distant connection of the branch of the family represented in these documents. The history of the property is difficult to trace. It seems that the original holding of the first John Dillingham was split up among his various descendants, and that we have here the documents of the line of Dillinghams descended from William. It is probable that even these are not complete. There are small purchases (cf.PA88, 90, 92, 94), but no satisfactory picture of the building up of an estate. However, in so far as the property of Thomas Boswell is any indication, X186/26 indicates that he had a capital messuage, 4 farmhouse, and other property; and his rents in 1767 seem to be about £120 per annum (PA175). It was not a great estate; but the family did rise from being husbandmen to gentlemen, and they produced a remarkable number of scholars and divines. In the following pedigree no attempt has been made to incorporate the great numbers of Dillinghams in Dean in the 17th century, since this could not be done accurately without a great deal of work. The main lines themselves are partly conjectural, but they indicate the probabilities. Genealogies of the Dillinghams in Dean below were provided by Mr John Taplin in 2022.

fonds

Boswell,
Dillingham