| Description | Family and estate papers of the Hurt family of Alderwasley Hall, Derbyshire and Castern Hall, Staffordshire and their predecessors, the Fowne [also Fawne] family and the Lowe family. The majority of the documents comprise title deeds, settlements, and estate correspondence concerning Alderwasley, Ashleyhay, Crich, Morley Park, Heage and Wirksworth, chiefly 16th-20th centuries, including leadmining in Crich and lead smelting, coal and ironstone mining at Morley Park, 16th- 19th centuries. A 1536 lease refers to the supply of 4000 loads of wood a year from Alderwasley manor for the burning of "bolles of laid" [lead boles] (D2535 /M/12/1/9). Articles of agreement in 1629 allowed Thomas Launder to dig coal in Morley Park (D2535 /M/3/28). There are two small groups of medieval deeds, one relating to the lands in Heage of the Spendlove family (D2535/M/3/30-45) and one to the Alderwastley and Ashleyhay properties of the Fowne family (D2535/M/12/1-4). |
| Administrative History | The Fowne family deeds are of particular interest because the Fownes were granted an estate in Alderwasley by Edmund, Earl of Lancaster, in 1285. Their property passed in the female line to Joan Fowne who married Thomas Lowe of Alderwasley in 1471. The Lowe estates were augmented in 1514 when Henry VIII granted Thomas Lowe licence to empark Shining Cliff, former Fowne land in Alderwasley (D2535/M/12/3/1) and again in 1528 when Thomas's son Anthony, Standard Bearer and Gentleman of the Bedchamber to Henry VIII Edward VI and Mary Tudor, was granted the Manor of Alderwasley for a yearly rental and fealty. (D2535 /M/12/3/3). Anthony Lowe died in 1555 and the estates eventually passed to his grandson, also named Anthony, who died on 23 June 1600 (D2535 /M/12/3/5) In the mid 17th century, the head of the family, Edward Lowe, an ardent Royalist, petitioned King Charles I for compensation for the depredations of the Parliamentary troops during the Civil War. Lowe claimed he had lost property to the value of £2555 13 4d as a consequence of raising a troop of horse to serve the King. (D2535 /M/12/3/8). This was captained by his eldest son and included amongst its officers Edward's other five sons. After the restoration of the monarchy, Edward's brother, John Lowe, again petitioned for compensation, this time through appointment as receiver and bailiff of Wirksworth (D2535/M/12/3/9). Eventually the family estates descended to Edward's grandson John Lowe who died unmarried in 1690, leaving as his heir his sister Elizabeth, wife of Nicholas Hurt of Castern. Morley Park and other lands in Heage formerly owned by the Spendloves passed to Sir John Stanhope of Elvaston (d 1610) (D2535/M/3/13) who settled them in 1609 on one of his younger sons, William (d 1672) (D2535/M/3/17). His son, also named William, bequeathed them in 1703 to his nephew Godfrey Wentworth (D2535/M/3/53). Godfrey's heir, also named Godfrey, sold the properties to Francis Hurt senior (d 1783) in 1767 (D2535/M/3/5-6). Other items of interest include the declaration about 1540 by the inhabitants of Alderwasley and Ashleyhay that they have rebuilt and endowed the chapel of St Margaret in Ashleyhay (D2535 /M/12/4/3), the private enclosure map of Ashleyhay Banks, 1721 (D2535 /M/1/1) with associated papers (D2535/M/1/64-65) and a map of Alderwasley Park and part of the demesne by William Emes, 1784 (D2535 /M/19/1). |
| Custodial History | Acquired by Derbyshire Record Office in 1982. |