The Willes collection of family and estate papers relating to the Willes family of Newbold Comyn has been purchased from Sotheby’s for £72,000. The county record office will catalogue the material and make it available to the users of the record office via the public searchroom.
The collection contains correspondence, maps, deeds, accounts and other documents dating from 13th to the 20th centuries. Much of the material provides a history of the Willes family for several generations and provides evidence of their contribution to the development of Leamington Spa; there are papers relating to the creation of Newbold Gardens, canals, local churches and architecture. The collection also contains papers of national and international interest and importance, including correspondence with relations of Robert Peel and Lord Byron.
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Correspondence to Edward Willes from his agent and architect, J.G.Johnson, discussing the development of Leamington, specifically Jephson Gardens and the area south of the river, 1830s.
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Most of the cost of funding the purchase came from charities and private donations.
The Record Office would particularly like to thank the:
Victoria & Albert (MLA) Purchase Grant Fund
Friends of Warwickshire County Record Office
Friends of the National Libraries
Leamington Society
Warwick Society
Warwickshire Gardens Trust
Pilgrim Trust
We have also received a number of very generous donations from private individuals. | |
If you would like to view the documents, you can do so by visiting the County Record Office. For more information about visiting us, please go to the visiting us page.
The collection has not yet been fully listed, so a complete catalogue is not yet available. The collection will be catalogued in due course, which may mean that some parts of the collection will be unavailable at certain times. You are advised to contact us before you visit to view the collection. |