WA

Wade family of Dean Grange

Note on the descent of the property The Manor of Upper Dean This manor was granted by Henry VIII to Robert Dacres. In the late 17th century it passed to the Atkins family , when Thomas Atkins, son of Sir Henry Atkins of Bedwell, succeeded his stepfather Edward Dacres (who had married Sir Henry's widow, Annabella) Victorian County History then loses trace of this manor for a hundred years, but it is clear from the Wade collection that it remained with the Atkins family of Clapham, Surrey, till 1754. The will of Sir Henry Atkins (? son of Thomas), dated 1712 is WA1. His son, also Sir Henry, married Penelope Stonehouse (WA54), and apparently had a son Henry (mentioned in WA2 but seems to have died), a son Richard, who finally inherited, and a daughter Penelope. His will is dated 1728 (WA2). The manor of Upper Dean was mortgaged by his executor (WA55) - he had in fact left instructions that it could be sold. The mansion-house of the Dacres was clearly standing at the time of this mortgage, 1748, though occupied by a tenant. Sir Richard Atkins, the only surviving son, came into the estate in 1750 (WA57) and sold it in 1754 to Richard Lowe (WA5, WA59) Richard Lowe, who had only a daughter, Anne, by his will dated 1781 (WA8) tried to arrange for Anne's marriage. She however chose to marry the Honourable Thomas Fane, and in consequence forfeited the property, which went to William Drury, who took the name of Lowe. (Lowe's widow, Eleanor, married Francis Aickin; (WA64, WA65). William Drury Lowe (see his will, 1827, WA67) had a daughter Mary Ann, who married Richard Holden of Nottinghamshire. Meanwhile the mortgage of 1748, which had been assigned to John Dighton, had never been cleared off (see WA22, WA68). Lysons, 1813, pages 72-73, says that both Dean manors had belonged to Lord St John for a "considerable time"; but though this appears to be right for Nether Dean (Victoria County History iii, 133), it must be wrong for Upper Dean, for Robert Holden appears to hold the manorial rights in 1834 (WA68) Other property in Dean and Tilbrook Several purchases in Dean were made by William Drury Holden, between 1838 and 1843 (see WA135-6, WA162-3, WA167, WA159-9, WA39, WA153) William Ackroyd bought Long Croft close, Dean, in 1852 (WA51) and is given in Kelly's 1854 directory as living at Dean Grange, which he bought c.1851 from Drury Lowe. John Rawson and William Ackroyd appear to have bought a farm in Upper Dean in 1875 (WA197). John Rawson bought Tilbrook Mill and other property in Tilbrook in 1870 (WA237, WA250, WA293). He married the daughter of William Ackroyd, and their son was John William Rawson-Ackroyd John William Rawson-Ackroyd bought further property at Tilbrook in 1877 (WA221, WA313). He is given at Dean Grange in Kelly's directories of 1877, 1914, 1924. He bought the Manor Farm at Nether Dean in 1889 or 1890 Who's Who in Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire 1936 gives Colonel H O Wade at Dean Grange, having married as his 2nd wife Eileen Lucy, daughter of John William Rawson-Ackroyd The collection The collection was deposited in instalments: by Colonel H O Wade in 1937-8, and by Colonel J L Wade of Messrs Wade and Company, Lloyds Bank Chambers, Bradford in 1947-8. Documents relating to Great Catworth, Huntingdonshire are in the Huntingdonshire County Record Office; to Hargrave and Raunds in the custody of the Northamptonshire Record Society; and to Otley at Leeds Central Library (MS additions on information of Mrs E L Wade, 1951) Nottingham University (see 3rd. Rep, 1960-1, p.7) has 20 chests of the Drury-Lowe collection (Captain P J B Drury-Lowe, Locko Park, Spondon , Spondon, Derbyshire), mainly Derbyshire, C13-20, some Nottinghamshire, some Bedfordshire)

fonds

Upper Dean, Lower Dean, TILBROOK