Catalogue description Wright of Eyam Hall

This collection is principally composed of title deeds, estate and legal papers, but also contains many personal papers collected by the Revd William Peter Wright, his two children, and their spouses.

Contents

Deeds and estate papers

Title deeds:

D5430/1 Eyam/Foolow core estate 1628-1951

D5430/2 Newbold and Brampton 1642-1679

D5430/3 Unthank 1678

D5430/4 Marriage settlements and inter-family purchases 1635-1873

D5430/5 Mortgages 1703-1869

D5430/6 Leases 1747-1932

Accounts:

D5430/7 Rentals and rent accounts 1640-1974

D5430/8 Estate and household account books 1723-1844

D5430/9 Loose financial papers 1644-1983

Estate papers:

D5430/10 Schedules, surveys and valuations of land 17th Century-1880s

D5430/11 Estate plans 18th Century-1932

D5430/12 Sale particulars and auction papers 1797-1911

D5430/13/1 Derbyshire lead mining papers 1647-1985

D5430/13/2 Papers relating to Chancery cases, Wright v Eyam Mining Company et al [and others] 1867-1875

D5430/13/3 Printed items relating to mining 1748-1854

D5430/13/4 Papers relating to lead mining interests outside Derbyshire 1819-1823

D5430/14 Inventories and accounts relating to items at Eyam Hall and other family dwellings 1641-1973

D5430/15/1 General estate correspondence 1797-1976

D5430/15/2 Correspondence relating to the Eyam water supply 1873-1976

D5430/16 Miscellaneous estate papers 1834-1985

Official papers relating to Eyam and area

D5430/17/1 Eyam enclosure 1676-1888

D5430/17/2 Wardlow enclosure 1810-1821

D5430/18 Eyam tithes 1824-1966

D5430/19 Eyam Churchwardens' papers 1702-1766

D5430/20 Eyam Parish Church property 1808-1872

D5430/21 Eyam Poor Law and settlement papers 1690-1794

D5430/22 Eyam roads 1750-circa 1801

D5430/23 Eyam School 1813-1876

D5430/24 Miscellaneous Eyam parish and taxation papers 1767-mid 19th century

D5430/25 Miscellaneous enclosure, turnpike and school papers (other parishes) 1770-1878

Personal and executorship papers

D5430/26 Thomas Wright of Unthank (circa 1608-1673) 1651-1676

D5430/27 Thomas Wright of Eyam (1674-1704) 1700-1704

D5430/28 John Wright of Eyam and Great Longstone (1700-1780) 1723-1776

D5430/29 Thomas Wright (died 1759) 1742-1759

D5430/30 Major John Wright (1724-1779) 1739-1779

D5430/31 James Farewell Wright of Eyam (1738-1805) 1770-1806

D5430/32 Jane Wright (née Sisum) and the Sisum family of Kensington 1767-1840

D5430/33 Dorothy Wright (1729-1824) 1809-1824

D5430/34 John William Wright of Eyam and Sheffield (1771-1853) 1798-1859

Peter Wright of Eyam (1781-1862):

D5430/35/1 'Day books' 1813-1855

D5430/35/2 Personal correspondence 1808-1857

D5430/35/3 Miscellaneous personal papers 1802-1862

D5430/35/4 Will and executorship 1862-1882

D5430/36 Dorothy Wright (1772-1858) and Mary Wright (1774-1860) of Eyam 1823-1853

D5430/37 James Farewell Wright of Sheffield (1800-1879) 1816-1881

D5430/38 John Wright of Tamworth (1805-1881) 1836-1907

D5430/39 Martha Hammond Thornewill, née Wright (died 1889) 1840-1896

D5430/40 Dorothy Wilkinson, née Wright 1843-1880

D5430/41 Mary Wright (died circa 1882) and Jane Wright (died 1868) 1840-1892

Revd Charles Sisum Wright (1840-1903):

D5430/42/1 Education and career 1862-1897

D5430/42/2 Personal correspondence and papers circa 1860-1902

D5430/42/3 Will and executorship 1903-1904

D5430/43 Charlotte Elizabeth Wright, née Jervis (1841-1919) circa 1910-1920

D5430/44 Margaret Jane Wright (1843-1906) and Harriet Elizabeth Wright (1845-1915) 1851-1915

Revd William Peter Wright (1864-1944):

D5430/45/1 Financial papers and accounts 1884-1943

D5430/45/2 Marriage 1891-1897

D5430/45/3 Clerical career 1889-1936

D5430/45/4 Personal correspondence 1875-1939

D5430/45/5 Miscellaneous papers 1864-1939

D5430/45/6 Will and executorship 1942-1981

D5430/46 Charlotte Winifred Wright, née Eardley (1869-1937) 1869-1938

D5430/47 Emily Georgina Wright (1868-1925) 1889-circa 1925

Charles Sisum Wright (1894-1985):

D5430/48/1 Childhood and education 1894-1979

D5430/48/2 First World War 1914-1920

D5430/48/3 Marriage 1919-1982

D5430/48/4 Teaching career 1922-1946

D5430/48/5 Personal correspondence 1924-1956

D5430/48/6 Societies, hobbies and interests 1933-1976

D5430/48/7 Charity and local work (Sheffield) 1924-1938

D5430/48/8 Holidays 1939-1960

D5430/48/9 Financial papers and accounts 1913-1983

D5430/48/10 Executorship of Walter Barratt 1888-1946

D5430/48/11 Diaries 1904-1979

D5430/48/12 Miscellaneous personal papers circa 1882-1985

Dorothy Thornewill, née Wright (1895-1993)

D5430/49/1 Childhood and education 1910-1926

D5430/49/2 Charity and voluntary work 1914-1975

D5430/49/3 Holidays 1930-1938

D5430/49/4 Personal correspondence 1907-1973

D5430/49/5 Diaries and address books 1907-1945

D5430/49/6 Miscellaneous personal papers 1911-1971

Miscellaneous Wright family papers and photographs

D5430/50 Recipes 17th-19th century

D5430/51 Papers relating to the Wright family pedigree circa 1776-1978

Photographs and pictures:

D5430/52/1 Photograph albums 1860s-1982

D5430/52/2 Boxed and glass photographs and portraits mid to late 19th century

D5430/52/3 Loose photographs: 19th century and general family photographs circa 1860s-1938

D5430/52/4 Loose photographs relating to Charles Sisum Wright (1894-1985) 1905-1920s

D5430/52/5 Loose photographs relating to Dorothy Thornewill, née Wright (1895-1993) 1910s-1920s

D5430/52/6 Loose photographs and pictures: topographical 1849-early 20th century

Papers of related families

D5430/53 Wright family of Great Longstone 1637-1932

D5430/54 Shiercliffe family of Ecclesfield, Yorkshire 1635-1647

D5430/55 Kniveton family of Kniveton, Ashbourne and Castleton, Derbyshire 1656-1679

D5430/56 Morton family of Ecclesfield, Yorkshire 1656-1683

D5430/57 Newton family of Newton, Cheshire, and Castleton, Lancashire 1703-1750

D5430/58 Potts family of Castleton, Derbyshire 1656-1725

D5430/59 Sherratt family of Tideswell, and Farewell family of Nuthall and Nottingham 1597-1763

D5430/60 Green family of Manchester and Trafford family of Trafford, Lancashire 1704-1758

D5430/61 Rawson family of Philadelphia near Sheffield, Yorkshire 1763-1934

D5430/62 Ratcliff family of Nottingham 1819-1970

D5430/63 Thornewill family of Burton on Trent and elsewhere circa 1800-1963

D5430/64 Jervis and Livesey families of Sheffield 18th century-1946

D5430/65 Evill, Eardley and Cockrem families 1858-1974

D5430/66 Yeoman family of Stokesley, Yorkshire late 19th century 1982

Unconnected papers collected by the Wright family

D5430/67 Possible legal practice papers of Thomas Wright of Eyam circa 1620-1833

D5430/68 Further possible legal practice papers 14th century-1824

D5430/69 Papers relating to the Downes family of Tideswell 1726-1841

20th century papers relating to Eyam, collected by the Wright family

D5430/70 Papers relating to Eyam Church early 20th century 1991

D5430/71 Papers relating to Eyam plague commemorations 1915-1983

D5430/72 Papers relating to Eyam well-dressings 1955-1994

D5430/73 Eyam groups, clubs and societies 1924-1981

D5430/74 Miscellaneous papers relating to Eyam and surrounding area 1880-1994

D5430/75 Pictures and photographs of Eyam and surrounding area 19th century-1959

D5430/76 Miscellaneous papers circa 1630-20th century

Some items in Latin

For further papers relating to the Wright families of Eyam and Great Longstone, deposited by their solicitors, see D504/7. For a copy of the family pedigree see D930/F1.

Wright family of Eyam Hall, Derbyshire and Great Longstone, Derbyshire

Open

The collection was deposited in Derbyshire Record Office in April 2001.

• Eyam Hall, Derbyshire
• Eyam, Derbyshire
• Foolow, Derbyshire
• Estate management

The descent of Eyam Hall and its surrounding estate has passed through succeeding generations of the Wright family from the 17th century to the present day. The village of Eyam is famous for the actions of its vicar, William Mompesson, in quarantining the inhabitants during the devasting bubonic plague of 1665-1666. By this time the Wright family of Great Longstone were already landowners in the village. William Wright of Great Longstone (1603-1656) settled the Eyam portion of his estate on his second son, Thomas Wright of Unthank in the parish of Dronfield, who is said to have built the Hall. Thomas's son John Wright (1648-1693) sold the Unthank property in 1678 and moved permanently to Eyam. The Hall and Eyam estate passed to his son and grandson during the 18th century.

Meanwhile, the Great Longstone estate had passed through six generations of another branch of the family, until the childless deaths of Thomas Wright of Great Longstone (1755-1770) and his great-uncle Colonel William Wright (died 1771). In 1771 the entire Great Longstone and Eyam estate was reunited in the hands of John Wright (1700-1780).

The estate was inherited by John's eldest surviving son Captain Robert Wright (1731-1803) and then by Robert's eldest son John Thomas Wright (died 1838). However, this branch of the family was based in Devon, and in 1796 Eyam Hall was sold by John Thomas Wright to his uncle, James Farewell Wright (1738-1805). Further portions of the Eyam estate were sold by John Thomas Wright to his cousin Peter Wright (1781-1862) in the early 19th century, leaving the Wright family lands again split between an Eyam branch and the Great Longstone branch.

Peter Wright was resident at Eyam Hall, along with his unmarried sisters Dorothy and Mary, until his death in 1862, and administered the estate on behalf of his elder brother John William Wright (1771-1853). John William Wright and his son James Farewell Wright (1800-1879) both lived in Sheffield. James Farewell Wright was succeeded in ownership of the estate by his eldest surviving son, the Revd Charles Sisum Wright (1840-1903).

Charles was also an absentee landlord, the Eyam estate being overseen by his cousin Harriet Elizabeth Wright (1845-1915), daughter of John Wright, a solicitor in Tamworth, Staffordshire. Harriet resided at the Hall with her sister Margaret Jane (died 1906). In 1903 the estate passed to Charles's son the Revd William Peter Wright (1864-1944), a clergyman in Yorkshire. William retired from the ministry in 1923, upon which he and his wife Charlotte and daughter Dorothy moved into Eyam Hall.

On William's death in 1944, the estate passed to his only son, Charles Sisum Wright (born 1894), who moved to the Hall with his wife Irene two years later.

Charles died without issue in 1985, upon which Eyam Hall devolved to Robert Wright, a descendent of the Great Longstone branch of the family.