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Catalogue description Gell of Hopton Hall
This record is held by Derbyshire Record Office
| Reference: | D258 |
|---|---|
| Title: | Gell of Hopton Hall |
| Description: |
The Gell of Hopton papers reflect the part the family played in local society with members serving as MPs, High Sheriffs, JPs and parish officers as well as promoting local railway and canal initiatives at a national level The records include much material dealing with matters leading up to the Civil War as well as the prominent role played by Sir John Gell I and his brother Thomas for the Parliamentary side during the Civil War and Commonwealth. The records include papers relating to Sir John's involvement with the Derby Committee 1644-1645 and his later trial for high treason The letters of Sir William Gell (1777-1836) to members of his family reflect his interests in history especially Pompeii, near Naples (Italy), diplomacy, gardening and his life in Italy where he spent most of his life after leaving England in 1814 as part of the entourage of Caroline, estranged wife of the Prince of Wales (later George IV) There are papers, photographs etc. reflecting the military career of Brigadier-General Harry Chandos-Pole-Gell, particularly during the Boer War and World War I The records also show the development of the estate by acquisition of properties by purchase or marriage, in some cases including deeds back to the 13th century. There are manorial records for Hopton and Carsington, Wirksworth, Hognaston, Hope, Hulland and Middleton by Wirksworth. Lead was an important factor in the family's wealth and there are many records showing the family's careful protection of its interests Reference Description Dates D/258/1/1-62 Title deeds inc lead ore tithe 1549-1872 D/258/2/1-44 Title deeds 1657-1875 D/258/3/1-11 Title deeds [1281]-1783 D/258/4/1-7 Accounts 1672-1777 D/258/5/1 Accounts 1641-1788 D/258/5/2-11, 6/1-2 Philip Gell 1790-1840 D/258/7/1 Medieval deeds inc court case 1786 [1247]-1360 D/258/7/2-5 Various [1624-1812 D/258/7/6 Assessments for ship money etc 1635-1678 D/258/7/7-7/13/1-18 Various 1552-1784 D/258/7/13/19-35 Assessments 1676-1687 D/258/7/13/36-40 Various 1577-1718 D/258/7/13/41-48 Assessments 1682-1704 D/258/7/13/49-62, 7/14-19 Various 1553-1684 D/258/7/20 Mining [1540]-1708 D/258/8/1 Correspondence Christian-Gell re lead ore 1672 D/258/8/2-56 Various [1549]-1748 D/258/9/1-17 Thomas Gell inc election 1626-1658 D/258/10/1-90 John Gell, civil war etc inc court cases [1580]-1781 D/258/11/1-30 Various 1594-1824 D/258/12/1-43 Various 1603-1682 D/258/13/1-76 Title deeds etc [1309]-1718 D/258/14/1-16 Various 1764-1834 D/258/15/1-3 17th cent printed 1628-1705 D/258/16/1-36 Title deeds etc [1288]-1688 D/258/17/1-9 Quarter Sessions 1820-1841 D/258/17/10 Business - Canals and railways 1813-1841 D/258/17/11-29 Miscellaneous 1552-1840 D/258/17/30-31 Correspondence 1553-1720 D/258/17/32 Philip Gell correspondence inc Cromford Canal [1778]-1838 D/258/17/33-44 Various 1531-1839 D/258/17/45 Philip Gell correspondence etc 1777-1836 D/258/18/1-3 Manor of Hope 1699-1819 D/258/18/4 Ashbourne lectureship 1633-1693 D/258/18/5-18/7/1-4 Estate papers 1643-1709 D/258/18/7/5-29 Wirksworth School 1584-1796 D/258/18/7/30-38, 18/8 Estate papers 1651-1783 D/258/18/9 Hopton and Carsington manor court 1752-1801 D/258/18/10 Wirksworth manor court 1754-1776 D/258/18/11 Hognaston manor court 1752-1801 D/258/18/12 Middleton by Wirksworth manor court 1752-1811 D/258/18/13 Hulland manor court 1796 D/258/18/14-19 Title deeds etc 1538-1771 D/258/18/20 Assessments 1611-1686 D/258/18/21-34 Title deeds etc 1540-1729 D/258/18/35-38 Miscellaneous printed items 1831-1839 D/258/19/1-30 Various 1571-1816 D/258/19/31/1-23 Ashbourne lectureship 1690-1691 D/258/19/31/24-33, 19/32-34 Various 1953-1901 D/258/20/1-66, 21/1-20 Various [1470]-1798 D/258/21/21-24 Philip Gell correspondence 1792-1796 D/258/21/25 Quarter Sessions 1826-1833 D/258/21/26-46/1-23 Various 1671-[1800] D/258/21/46/24-35 Philip Gell correspondence 1769-1792 D/258/21/47-66, 22/1-23 Various 1574-1849 D/258/23/1-19/1-5 Title deeds etc inc Wirksworth manor court, Witton (Durham) manor court 1562-1823 D/258/23/19/6-26, 23/20-22 Correspondence 1556-1735 D/258/24/1-5 Sir Philip Gell [1606]-1737 D/258/24/6/1-26 Ashbourne lectureship 1689-1693 D/258/24/6/27, 24/7-8 Various 1693-1717 D/258/24/9/1-61 Wirksworth Hundred land tax assessments 1705-1711 D/258/24/10 Wirksworth Hundred poll tax assessments 1689 D/258/24/11-29 Various 1625-1816 D/258/24/30-47 Sir Philip Gell 1625-1811 D/258/24/48 Fogg v Gell case 1671-1719 D/258/24/49-54 Sir Philip Gell 1996-1781 D/258/25/1-25 Miscellaneous legal, financial and other papers 1420-1835 D/258/26/1-23 Title deeds etc [1288]-[c1820] D/258/27/1-4 Medieval deeds [1200]-1546 D/258/27/5-17 Various [1493]-[1688] D/258/28/1-53 Title deeds [1279]-1828 D/258/29/1 Thomas Browne bankrupt 1804-1818 D/258/29/2-4 Joseph Watson's estate accounts 1813-1827 D/258/29/5 Quarter Sessions 1765-1782 D/258/30/1-49 John Gell inc High Treason charge [1579]-1687 D/258/30/50-53 Thomas Gell 1504-1654 D/258/31/1-16 Title deeds [1510]-1822 D/258/32/1 John Gell 1650-1653 D/258/32/2 Estate 1415-1639 D/258/32/3-13 Honour of Tutbury 1554-[1800] D/258/32/14-52 Various 1571-1827 D/258/33/1-2/1-24 Correspondence 1552-1718 D/258/33/2/25, 33/3-21 Various [1546]-1703 D/258/33/22-23 Overseers of the Poor Hopton 1692-1715 D/258/33/24-38 Various [1550]-1783 D/258/34/1-86 John Gell inc Wirksworth Hundred assessments 1511-1711 D/258/35/1-55 Various accounts, deeds etc inc Wirksworth Hundred land tax assessments [1547]-1812 D/258/36/1/1-34 Anthony Gell 1559-1592 D/258/36/1/35-36, 36/2-8 Title deeds 1394-1604 D/258/36/9/49 Various [1525]-1905 D/258/37/1-6 Title deeds [1297]-1737 D/258/37/7-25 Various [1546]-1664 D/258/38/1-8 Correspondence etc 1567-1729 D/258/39/1-10 Title deeds 1318-1794 D/258/41/1-21 Various 1583-1856 D/258/41/22-23 Cromford and High Peak Railway 1769-1830 D/258/41/24-38, 42 Various 1680-1828 D/258/43 Hopton receipt papers 1804-1877 D/258/44 Sir John Gell c.1680 D/258/45/1-10 Philip Gell's estates, deeds etc 1310-1897 D/258/45/11-38 Deeds and papers re Jessop family of Broomhall (Yorkshire) 1320-1842 D/258/45/39 Philip Gell 1745-1841 D/258/45/40 Chandos Pole Gell 1724-1898 D/258/45/41 Wirksworth School 1817-1826 D/258/45/42 Miscellaneous 1641-1731 D/258/45/47 Wilkinson: collection of taxes 1718-1730 D/258/45/48 Anthony Gell School 1584-1834 D/258/45/49 Miscellaneous 1620-1818 D/258/45/50 Wilkinson lands in Boroughbridge and Aldborough 1598-1703 D/258/45/51 Miscellaneous 1634-1701 D/258/45/52 Drax 1535-1536 D/258/45/53-55 Miscellaneous 1637-1856 D/258/46 Staffordshire estate paper 1834-1879 D/258/48/1-11 Philip Gell 1791-1877 D/258/48/12-28, 49 Various 1597-1868 D/258/50/1-155 Sir William Gell (1777-1836) family letters 1801-1834 D/258/51 Various 1825-1923 D/258/52 Volume of bound letters and other documents 1673-1828 D/258/53 Printed pamphlets 1612-1825 D/258/54 Isabella Thornhill 1850s-1870s D/258/55 Pedigrees and other papers 1671-1966 D/258/56 Gell family papers series A-D 1569-1912 D/258/57 Family papers 1643-1918 D/258/58-62 Various 16th cent-1951 D/258/64 Boer War 1899-1902 D/258/65/1-17 Henry Chandos Pole Gell 1722-1919 D/258/65/18-21 Family papers 1819-1907 D/258/67 Masque by William Browne 1614-20th cent D/258/68-72 Pedigrees, plans and other 1711-19th cent |
| Date: | 1200-1905; May 2001 |
| Arrangement: |
The collection was not in archival order when it arrived at Derbyshire Record Office. Original bundles had been worked on in the past and in many cases were broken up. Listing work at Derbyshire Record Office has been at item and bundle level but related papers have not been brought together. Related material is to be found throughout the collection, and readers are advised to look widely in the list for relevant material. |
| Related material: |
Derbyshire Record Office holds a newscuttings book 1869-1897 compiled by Brigadier-General Harry Chandos-Pole-Gell and an account book 1956-1990 compiled by his son Lieutenant John Chandos-Pole D4431 and title deeds for Chandos-Pole property in Derby 1698-1900 D483 The Record Office also holds records of Sir John Franklin and his family including letters, diaries and poems of Eleanor Anne Franklin nee Porden, letters and journals of William Porden, letters and other papers of Sir John Franklin and Lady Jane Franklin, as well as letters of Eleanor Isabella Gell nee Franklin. There are some prints and several printed works including works by and belonging to Eleanor Anne Franklin nee Porden and works about the Arctic and Franklin's expeditions see D3311 The Gell of Wirksworth records in Derbyshire Record Office D3287 include diaries, letters and printed works of Revd John Philip Gell and his wife in England and Australia, as well as of his father Revd Philip Gell. There are family letters and records of charitable work of Philip Lyttleton Gell, his wife Edith author of Under Three Reigns, his sisters and his uncle Frederick, Bishop of Madras. The papers of Sir William Gell 1777-1836, diplomat and antiquarian, include correspondence with Caroline, estranged wife of the Prince of Wales later George IV as he served in her entourage in England and abroad. There are letters reflecting the military career of Colonel George Maunsell in India, the Transvaal and World War I and the active service during World War I of his son in law PVW Gell. Philip Lyttleton Gell's business activities are well-represented with records of British South Africa company 1899-1925, Rhodesian Cold Storage and Trading Company Ltd c1903-1924, London and Western Australian Exploration Company 1895-1909 and British Exploration of Australasia Ltd 1900-1910. The deeds of the Gell family estate at Gate House, Wirksworth 1740-1945, Civil War printed pamphlets, Anthony Gell's notebooks and legal case books 1557-1570 are to be found, as well as deeds from the 16th century and records relating to the leadmining industry |
| Held by: | Derbyshire Record Office, not available at The National Archives |
| Language: | English, Italian, Latin |
| Creator: |
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| Physical description: | 162 Boxes |
| Access conditions: |
Open |
| Immediate source of acquisition: |
The collection was initially deposited by a member of the family with the County Council at a date before 1952, some years before the establishment of Derbyshire Record Office. The records were accessioned in 1969 with subsequent deposits by the family solicitors 1979-1990. |
| Custodial history: |
The papers were created and collected by various members of the family. The collection has been accepted in lieu of inheritance tax and permanently allocated to Derbyshire Record Office. In some instances related papers have been split and stored in different family homes see D3287, D3311, D4431. |
| Subjects: |
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| Administrative / biographical background: |
The Gell family is known to have been living in the Hopton area from at least the 14th century. In 1553 Ralph Gell 1491-1564 bought the Hopton estate as well as Rocester and Darley Abbeys and the royal manor of Hollands or Richmonds. Ralph's eldest son Anthony died 1584 was a barrister at Inner Temple in London who founded Wirksworth Grammar School and almshouses and bought the manor of Carsington. Anthony was succeeded by his brother Thomas died 1594 Thomas built an Elizabethan manor house at Hopton which was later known as Hopton Hall. The house was largely remodelled by Philip Gell in the early nineteenth century During the minority of Thomas's son John 1593-1671, the estates were administered by his stepfather John Curzon of Kedleston. John was created a baronet in 1642. He occupied Derby in 1643 on behalf of Parliament. His estates were sequestered in 1651 and he was imprisoned until 1653. He eventually regained his estates when the monarchy was restored in 1660 Sir John Gell II 1613-1689 and his son Sir Philip Gell 1651-1719 served as Members of Parliament for Derbyshire. Sir Philip Gell died without issue and the estate devolved on John Eyre, son of Catherine, Sir Philip's sister. John Eyre died 1739 took the name Gell. His son Philip Eyre Gell 1723-1795 left the estate to his son Philip Gell 1775-1842 When Philip died in 1842 his brother the antiquarian Sir William Gell 1777-1836 and uncle Admiral John Gell 1740-1806 had already died without children. Philip left the estate to his daughter Isabella wife of William Pole Thornhill of Stanton for life. Isabella and her husband took the name Gell and lived at Hopton Hall for a short time but eventually renounced the inheritance. The Eyre Gell line died with Isabella Thornhill in 1878. In accordance with Philip's will the estate passed to Henry Chandos-Pole of Radbourne The Chandos family acquired Radbourne by marriage to a co-heir of Robert de Ferrers of Egginton died c1225, grandson of William de Ferrers 1st Earl of Derby. In the early 15th century Elizabeth wife of Sir Peter de la Pole became the heir of her uncle Sir John Chandos. The Chandos-Pole family made several marriages into local gentry families such as FitzHerbert, Cockayne, Mundy, Newdigate, Sacheverell, Wilmot and Stanhope Henry Chandos-Pole 1829-1902, second son of Edward Sacheverell Chandos-Pole, inherited Hopton Hall and estate from Philip Gell and took the name Gell in 1863. His son Brigadier-General Harry Anthony Chandos-Pole-Gell 1872-1934 and his grandson Lieutenant-Colonel John Chandos-Pole-Gell born 1909 relinquished the surname Gell in 1930 and 1931 The Hopton estate was inherited by Brigadier-General Harry Chandos-Pole-Gell in 1902. His main seat was at Heverswood/Kent and Hopton was let to Philip Lyttleton Gell, a relative from a cadet branch at Wirksworth, from 1904. The Chandos-Pole-Gell family sold the estate in 1918 and it was bought in 1920 by Philip Lyttleton Gell, who was descended from the youngest son of Ralph Gell 1491-1564 John Gell died 1564 was the youngest son of Ralph Gell 1491-1564. His descendants acquired property in Wirksworth Gate House, Kirk Langley and Duffield, especially by marriages into gentry families such as Lowe, Borough, Hurt and Wright Revd John Philip Gell 1816-1898 was sent by Thomas Arnold of Rugby School to promote education in Van Diemen's Land now Tasmania, Australia where he also served as Chaplain to the Governor, the explorer Sir John Franklin In Australia Revd JP Gell met Eleanor Isabella Franklin, Sir John Franklin's only child by his first wife Eleanor Anne Porden. They married in England in 1849 and settled in Buxted Sussex Philip Lyttleton Gell 1852-1926, son of Revd JP Gell and Eleanor Franklin, was closely connected with the development and mineral exploitation of Southern Africa, especially Rhodesia, and Western Australia. He bought Hopton Hall and the estates in 1920. He died without children and the estate passed on his widow's death to his nephew Philip Victor Willingham Gell. PVW Gell died in 1970 and the house and estate were sold after the death of his widow in 1986. His son Major Anthony Gell died in 1998 |
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