Papers of the Cavendish-Talbot family
Scope and Content
This collection contains the call numbers X.d.428 (1-203).
The Papers of the Cavendish-Talbot family contain 175 autograph letters signed, as well as various financial documents, warrants, petitions, orders, physician instructions and other miscellaneous documents relating to the Cavendish, Talbot, Wentworth, and Slingsby families as well as to Sir Humphrey Style, and Stanley Gower.
Divided into six series: Cavendish and Talbot family papers, 1548-1607; Wentworth family papers, [1542?], 1624-1705; Slingsby family of Scryven papers, 1586-1634; Sir Humphrey Style letter, ca. 1629; Stanley Gower papers, 1636-1658; and miscellaneous documents, 1500-1548.
Most of the papers are autograph letters; several are written by an amanuensis and signed by the writer. Well-known place-names and personal names are modernized. Dates when not given are supplied, often tentatively, with a few given as undated. If a wax seal on a letter is whole and undamaged, this is noted. Additional manuscripts relating to the Countess of Shrewsbury appear in the Related Materials section of this finding aid.
Series 1: The Cavendish and Talbot family papers contain letters and miscellaneous documents. The majority of the letters are addressed to Elizabeth Hardwick Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury, either as Lady Cavendish, Lady St. Loe, or as Countess of Shrewsbury, and are from her family and friends. Many mention Lady Arbella Stuart, the Countess of Shrewsbury's grand-daughter. Some are instructions to her steward and men of affairs and mention matters concerning the running of the estates and the building of Chatsworth. Others, particularly those from her stepson Gilbert Talbot, her daughter Mary, and her sons Charles and William, give her a survey of the news of the day, and events at court. The Wingfields answer at some length enquiries as to suitable New Year's gifts for the queen. Though Mary, Queen of Scots, was in the keeping of her husband, the Earl of Shrewsbury, during much of the time covered by the letters, there are few references to her, although two well-known letters in which the Earl tells of the possibility and then the certainty of Mary, Queen of Scots, being put in his charge are in this collection. A few refer to the differences which arose between the Earl and Countess. There are several household accounts, and an inventory of the goods of Francis Talbot, deceased. Twenty-three of the letters are written by women, including the Countesses of Kent, Lennox, Northumberland and Shrewsbury (both Elizabeth and her daughter Mary); Grace Cavendish; Lady Frances Cobham; Elizabeth (Leake) Leche; Lady Frances Pierrepont; Lady Margaret St. Loe; Lady Dorothy Stafford; Anne Talbot; and Elizabeth Wingfield.
Series 2: The Wentworth family papers contain letters and miscellaneous documents. There were many Wentworths in Yorkshire, including the Wentworths of Elmsall and Broadsworth, the Wentworths of West Bretton, the Wentworths of South Elmsall, and the Wentworths of Woolley. Most of these letters are to and from the Wentworths of West Bretton and Woolley. There are two from William Wentworth, later 2nd earl of Strafford, and some accounts on matters affecting his estates. Two orders are signed by Sir Thomas Wentworth, later Earl of Strafford; one by John Lambert. Some letters bear postal markings: X.d.428 (149, 156, 158, 168).
Series 3: The Slingsby family letters contain letters of the Slingsby family of Scriven, Yorkshire. Most are to Sir Henry Slingsby (d. 1634, father of Sir Henry 1602-1658) from other members of the family. A number arise out of his vice-presidency of the Council of the North and concern parliamentary affairs. Correspondents include Sir Henry Slingsby, his father Francis, his brother Sir William, his nephews Guilford and Sir Robert, his cousins William Byrnand and Sir Francis Trappes-Byrnand, his son-in-law Sir Thomas Metcalfe, his grandson Sir George Marwood, and his cousin Henry, Earl of Northumberland. Other correspondents are Sir Charles Cavendish, Peter Benson, Thomas, Lord Fairfax, Sir John Gibson, Christopher Mather, Robert Norton, Phanuell Otbie, Sir Robert Cecil, later Earl of Salisbury, Christopher Wade, Thomas Wardropp, Edward Wilson, Samuel Wortley, and William Wycliffe. A few of the letters are sent to/from Dublin.
Series 4: Sir Humphrey Style letter is to his wife Elizabeth.
Series 5: The Gower family letters are from Stanley Gower and his wife to their close friends John and Mary Stainforth of Darnall, Yorkshire, 1636-1658. Stanley Gower was rector of Brampton Bryan, Herefordshire, and his patron was first Sir Robert Harley and then Sir Edward Harley. Several letters refer to the disturbances of the civil wars, but not to the prolonged siege in 1643.
Series 6: The Miscellaneous documents consist of a copy of a lease, will, and receipt, apparently unrelated to any of the above families.
Dates
- 1333-1705 (bulk 1548-1676)
- Majority of material found within 1548 - 1676
Creator
- Cavendish family (Family)
- Talbot family (Family)
Language of Materials
In English, with one item in Latin.
Availability
Collection is open for research.
Extent
203.0 items (4 boxes)
Abstract
Mostly consists of correspondence, as well as various financial documents, warrants, petitions, orders, physician instructions and other miscellaneous documents relating to the Cavendish, Talbot, Wentworth, and Slingsby families as well as to Sir Humphrey Style, and Stanley and Sarah Gower.
Arrangement
Originally bound in three volumes enclosed in a large red box resembling a volume. The papers had been numbered in pencil and were in sequence but as there was no discernible order in the arrangement and as many had become detached and were in need of repair, the volumes were broken up and the letters were divided into six series by family, with unrelated items placed in Series 6: Miscellaneous documents.
Within each series, the correspondence is arranged alphabetically by writer, with unidentified writers appearing at the end of the series, and then chronologically. Series 1: Cavendish-Talbot family papers and Series 2: Wentworth family papers are divided into two subseries: 1.1 Correspondence and 1.2 Other documents. The papers in the other documents subseries, as well as Series 6: Miscellaneous documents, are arranged chronologically.
Provenance
The Papers of the Cavendish-Talbot family form part of the Phillipps' collection, nos. 20556-20558.
Many of the papers are included in Joseph Hunter's History of Hallamshire (see bibliography) and belonged to John Wilson of Broomhead Hall (1719-1783). Wilson had acquired these from a Mr. Stainforth of Darnell, a Mr. Bosville of Gunthwaite and Sir Thomas Wentworth of Bretton, and as two groups in this collection are letters to and/or from a John Stainforth and various members of the Wentworth families, it seems probable that they all formed part of the same collection. Wilson's collection was still intact in 1806; in 1843 it was dispersed and sold to Mr. Thorpe, a London bookseller, who sold many items to James Newman of High Holborn and he in his turn to Sir Thomas Phillipps. A.N.L. Munby describes their provenance as "Ex bibl. Miscellaneous."
Acquisition Information
The Papers of the Cavendish-Talbot family were acquired in May 1961 from the booksellers Lionel and Philip Robinson.
Other Formats
Also available on microfilm, Film Fo 3721 (reduction ratio 14:1, 33 feet).
Also available as digital images in LUNA https://luna.folger.edu/luna/servlet/s/p8zh3f
Some letters are transcribed in Joseph Hunter's Hallamshire: The History and Topography . . ., p. 84, 107-124 (see bibliography): X.d.428 (2, 7-10, 12, 15, 17, 21, 25-27, 28 (last part only), 29, 36, 41, 44, 49, 51, 53, 59-60, 62-63, 69, 72, 75-77, 82-83, 85-87, 89, 91, 107-108, 110-115, 119, 121, 123-125, 129, 179).
Transcriptions of X.d.428 (64) and X.d.428 (73) appear on pages 318 and 322 of Hunter's Biographical Memoirs of Sir William Saint Loe . . .
(see bibliography).
Bibliography
- A Calendar of the Shrewsbury and Talbot Papers in Lambeth Palace Library and the College of Arms. 2 vols. London, 1966, 1971.
- Cooper, J.P., ed. Wentworth Papers 1597-1628. Camden 4th series, vol. 12. London: Royal Historical Society, 1973.
- Durant, David N. Bess of Hardwick: Portrait of an Elizabethan Dynast. Rev. ed. London, 1999.
- Eales, J. Puritans and Roundheads: The Harleys of Brampton Bryan. Cambridge, 1990. [mentions Stanley Gower]
- Hunter, Joseph.
Biographical Memoirs of Sir William Saint Loe, Captain of the Guard to Queen Elizabeth; with Original Letters.
The Retrospective Review. 2nd ser., 2. 1828. 314-25. - Hunter, Joseph. Hallamshire: The History and Topography of the Parish of Sheffield in the County of York. London, 1869.
- Letters of the Lady Brilliana Harley, Wife of Sir Robert Harley, of Brampton Bryan, Knight of the Bath. Camden Society Publications [1st ser.], 58. London, 1854. [mentions Stanley Gower]
- Munby, A.N.L. The Formation of the Phillipps Library from 1841 to 1872. Phillipps Studies no. 4. Cambridge, 1956.
- Munby, A.N.L. The Dispersal of the Phillipps Library. Phillipps Studies no. 5. Cambridge, 1960.
- Smith, Geoffrey Ridsdill. Without Touch of Dishonour: The Life and Death of Sir Henry Slingsby 1602-1658. Kineton: Roundwood Press, 1968.
Processing Information
Processed by Folger Shakespeare Library staff.
- Deeds
- England
- Family papers
- Fifteenth century
- Financial records
- Fourteenth century
- Gower, Sarah, -1661?
- Gower, Stanley
- Inventories
- Legal documents
- Letters (correspondence)
- Manuscripts (documents)
- Memorandums
- Petitions
- Seventeenth century
- Shrewsbury, Elizabeth Hardwick Talbot, Countess of, 1527?-1608
- Shrewsbury, George Talbot, Earl of, approximately 1522-1590
- Shrewsbury, Gilbert Talbot, Earl of, 1552-1616
- Sixteenth century
- Slingsby, Henry, 1559 or 1560-1634
- Style, Humphrey, 1594 or 1595-1659
- Warrants
- Wills
- Title
- Guide to the Papers of the Cavendish-Talbot Family Folger MS X.d.428 (1-203)
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Folger staff; revised by Alison E. Bridger (2010), Rebecca Hranj (2011), and Ann Sneesby-Koch (2012).
- Date
- December 1961
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is written in English.
- Sponsor
- Encoding partially funded by the Marpat Foundation, Inc.
Revision Statements
- 2010; March 23, 2004; March 2000: Unspecified edits made.
Repository Details
Part of the Folger Shakespeare Library Repository
201 E. Capitol St. SE
Washington DC 20003 USA