Fonds GB 0210 POWIS - Powis Castle Estate Records,

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0210 POWIS

Title

Powis Castle Estate Records,

Date(s)

  • 13-20 cent. (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

12 cubic metres (1,562 volumes, 419 boxes, 24 files and 9 rolls)

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Sir Edward Herbert (d. 1595) was the second son of William Herbert (c. 1501-1570), 1st earl of Pembroke of the second creation. In 1587 Sir Edward bought Powis Castle (Y Castell Coch ym Mhowys) and the lordship of Powys from Edward Grey, the illegitimate son of Edward Grey (d. 1551), 4th baron Grey de Powis, and feudal lord of Powys.

His son, William Herbert (1573-1656), was created 1st baron Powis. His grandson, William Herbert (c. 1629-1696), 3rd baron Powis, was created Marquis of Powis, whilst his own grandson, William Herbert (c. 1698-1748), the 3rd Marquis, died unmarried, when all his honours became extinct. The estate passed to his heir, Barbara Herbert (1735-c. 1786), being the posthumous daughter and heir of Lord Edward Herbert, the 3rd marquis's only brother. She married Henry Arthur Herbert (c. 1703-1772) of Oakley Park, Montgomeryshire, in 1751. He was only remotely related to the late marquis (their common ancestor being Sir William ap Thomas, eight generations previously), but had already been created Earl of Powis in 1748, only two months after the death of the late marquis (and earl) of Powis, and three years before he married the marquis's heiress.

Henry and Barbara were succeeded by their son, George Edward Henry Arthur Herbert (1755-1801), 2nd earl of Powis, who also died unmarried, when all his honours became extinct. His estates passed to his sister and sole surviving heir, Henrietta Antonia (1758-1830), the wife of Edward Clive (1754-1839), 2nd baron Clive of Plassey, the son and heir of Robert Clive (1725-1774), (Clive of India). Their son, another Edward (1785-1848), 2nd earl Powis, took the surname Herbert in lieu of that of Clive, in accordance with his maternal uncle's will. His descendants continued until at least 1988, when George William Herbert (b. 1925), 7th earl, succeeded in 1988. Powis Castle was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1952, although it remained in part a private home until 1988.

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

The archive was deposited between 1932 and 1989.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Records of the Herbert family of Montgomery, Chirbury and Powis Castle, later earls of Powis, 13-20 cent., including records of the Powis Castle estate, including title deeds, mainly in Montgomeryshire and adjacent counties, notably Shropshire, 13-20 cent.; records of lead and silver mining in Cardiganshire, 18-19 cent.; records of the Castle Island estate, County Kerry, Ireland, 16-19 cent.; manorial records for the barony of Powis from 1549, the lordship of Oswestry from 1577, the manors of Cydewain, Halcetor and Montgomery from 1525, Chirbury from 1373, Pool from 1653, the borough of Llanfyllin from 1653, and many others; records of the borough of Llanfyllin, 1674-1820 including records of the Court of Record (borough court), 1674-1721, 1761-1763; estate rentals, 1712-1941; rentals of chief rents, 1676, 1745-1897 (mainly 1745-1817); correspondence, mainly 17-19 cent.; Montgomeryshire Chartist riots papers, and papers relating to the campaign against the proposed union of the dioceses of St Asaph and Bangor. Manuscripts and papers of Edward Herbert, 1st baron Herbert of Chirbury (1583-1648); Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive (1725-1774) and Brigadier-General John Carnac (c.1716-1800) have been removed from the archive and catalogued as separate collections.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Action: All records deposited at the National Library of Wales have been retained apart from papers relating to Chartism in Shropshire and to the Montgomeryshire Yeoman Cavalry which were withdrawn from NLW in 1949..

Accruals

Accruals are not expected

System of arrangement

Arranged as follows: estate administration; manorial records groups I and II; deeds, documents and legal papers (1933-1947 deposits) ; deeds and documents (1982-1983 deposits); correspondence; Montgomeryshire Chartist riots papers, and papers relating to the campaign against the proposed union of the dioceses of St Asaph and Bangor.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Readers consulting modern papers in the National Library of Wales are required to sign the 'Modern papers - data protection' form.

Conditions governing reproduction

Usual copyright laws apply.

Language of material

  • English
  • Latin

Script of material

Language and script notes

English, Latin.

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Further details about manorial records within the archive can be accessed online from The National Archives Manorial Documents Register at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/mdr/

Generated finding aid

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Further papers are NLW MSS 5295-313, NLW, Dolforgan Estate Records 405-545, and NLW, Powysland Club (1982) Deposit. Bound volumes of estate maps and surveys, 1717-1858, rolled maps, 1766-1899, enclosure awards and maps, Montgomeryshire, 1799-1821, and enclosure awards and maps, Shropshire, 1802-1837, are in NLW map collections. Other estate records are held by the Shropshire Record & Research Centre.

Powis Castle F 5538 (Map and survey of Voel Vawr) and F 7390 (Map and survey of Llanymonach Rock in the township of Carreg Cova, ?1753) were transferred to the NLW map collection in April 2018, and are now Chirk Castle Maps 9 and 8 respectively.

Related descriptions

Publication note

Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts, 10th Report (1885), 'Old Herbert Papers at Powis Castle and The British Museum', Montgomeryshire Collections, XX (1886), Davies, J. Conway, 'Deposited Collections 13. The Powis Castle Collection, I. Legal Papers', National Library of Wales Journal, III (1943-4), Index of English Literary Manuscripts, vol., 1 (1450-1625). ed., P. Beal (London, 1980), part 2.

Notes area

Note

Title supplied from contents of fonds.

Alternative identifier(s)

Virtua system control number

vtls004250286

GEAC system control number

(WlAbNL)0000250286

Access points

Place access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Rules and/or conventions used

This description follows NLW guidelines based on ISAD(G) Second Edition; AACR2; and LCSH.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

September 2001.

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

Sources

Archivist's note

Compiled by Stephen Benham.

Archivist's note

The following sources were used in the compilation of this record: Complete Peerage (London, 8 vols, 1887-1897) vol. VI; Dictionary of Welsh Biography down to 1940 (London, 1959); Debrett's Peerage (London, 1990).

Archivist's note

MA 694 and MA 1232 revised by Lucie Hobson, February 2023.

Accession area