Pierrepont family, Dukes of Kingston-upon-Hull

The Pierrepont family owned Holme Pierrepont in south Nottinghamshire by the early 14th century, and had acquired interests in Derbyshire by the 15th century. Sir Robert Pierrepont (1584-1643) married in 1601 Gertrude, granddaughter and eventual heir of Sir William Rayner of Orton Longueville (Huntingdonshire). He was created Earl of Kingston-upon-Hull in 1628, and acquired extensive estates in north Nottinghamshire (Thoresby, Laxton, etc), Derbyshire (Beighton, Calow, Oldcotes and Heath, from the Cavendish (Earls of Devonshire) and Foljambe families), Lincolnshire (Newball, Hagworthingham, Crowle, Hemingby, Langton-by-Wragby) and Yorkshire (Adwick upon Dearne and Wothersome in the West Riding, and Ingleby Arncliffe in the North Riding). On the death of the 1st Earl of Kingston in 1643 he was succeeded in the Holme Pierrepont and Orton Longueville estates by his eldest son Henry, who was created Marquess of Dorchester in 1645. Most of the 1st Earl’s purchased estates, however, were settled on his second son William Pierrepont of Tong Castle (Shropshire) and later of Thoresby (d. 1679), who had married a daughter and co-heir of Sir Thomas Harris of Tong. William Pierrepont’s eldest son Robert Pierrepont inherited the Thoresby and Lincolnshire estates, and also acquired the West Dean (Wiltshire and Hampshire) estate through his wife Elizabeth, daughter and heir of Sir John Evelyn (d. 1684), but the Derbyshire, Yorkshire and Shropshire properties were again left to younger sons.

The Marquess of Dorchester died without male issue in 1680, when he was succeeded as 3rd Earl of Kingston by his great-nephew Robert Pierrepont, son of Robert and Elizabeth of Thoresby, thus re-uniting the Thoresby and Holme Pierrepont estates. The 3rd Earl died in 1682, being succeeded in turn by his brother William as 4th Earl and, in 1690, by another brother Evelyn (c.1665-1726) as 5th Earl. The 5th Earl inherited the Holme Pierrepont, Thoresby, Lincolnshire, Huntingdonshire and Wiltshire estates at his accession. He sold Orton Longueville in 1706, but inherited the Beighton and Adwick estates on the death of Samuel Pierrepont of Oldcotes in 1707, and the Shropshire and other Yorkshire estates (Ingleby Arncliffe, Rothwell (West Riding), etc), together with an estate at Hanslope (Buckinghamshire), on the death of his uncle Baron Pierrepont of Hanslape, in 1715. He was created Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull in 1715, and was succeeded in 1726 by his grandson Evelyn (1711-73), son of William Pierrepont (1692-1713) by Rachel, natural daughter and heir of John Hall of Bradford-on-Avon (Wiltshire) and Bath (Somerset).

During the 18th century the Yorkshire estates (except Adwick) were disposed of, as were Hanslope in 1763, Tong in 1764 and West Dean after 1773. The 2nd Duke developed his Bath property, but this was sold in the early 19th century. The Lincolnshire, Derbyshire and Wiltshire (Bradford-on-Avon) estates, however, were not substantially reduced until the early 20th century. In 1788, following the death of the 2nd Duke’s widow, his estates were inherited by his nephew Philip Medows, later Pierrepont (1737-1816), who was created Viscount Newark in 1796 and Earl Manvers in 1806.

The earlier deeds for the Holme Pierrepont estates have for the most part been lost. (For a fifteenth-century cartulary, however, see Cavendish-Bentinck, Dukes of Portland). The medieval deeds and account rolls in the archive are mainly unconnected with Pierrepont properties, and may have been acquired by a member of the family at a later date. Some family papers may have been destroyed in a fire at Thoresby Hall in 1745.

Estates in 1883: Notts 26,771 acres, Lincs 5,010 acres, Derbys 3,729 acres, Wilts 1,500 acres, Yorks WR 1,026 acres, total 38,036 acres worth £51,649 a year, exclusive of mines and tithes.