| Administrative History | The Bowles family claimed descent from King Edward III through their connexions with the Burton and Borough families. Charles Eyre Bradshaw Hall Bowles was a distinguished antiquary who published articles on family and local history in the late 19th century. He married Jane Charlotte Borough of the Boroughs of Derby and Hulland in 1878. The Bowles family owned estates at Abney and at Chapel en le Frith, centred on Bradshaw Hall.
Unfortunately, many estate and family papers were destroyed in a fire at the family home in Wirksworth in 1901. Of the papers which survive many were sorted and numbered by CEB Bowles; his numbering has been retained.
Interesting documents in this series comprise correspondence from the Bowles' agents for their Abney estates, Thomas Mason and later John Nuttall, from 1788 to the mid 19th century (D5694/16-17). These complement the main series of estate rent accounts (D5694/1-8) Collecting rents and tithe duties was the agent's main task. (eg D5694/17/14-18) In addition, he was responsible for valuing, purchasing, selling and exchanging land, recording encroachments on the waste and commons (D5694/17/12), supervising farmers, gamekeepers, workmen and labourers, day to day dealings with tenants including requests for repairs, paying craftsmen, tradesmen and servants, reporting on transport and communication developments eg canals (D5694/16/11), railways (D5694/17/9-11, D5694/17/25), and others (eg waterworks in D5694/17/23). The agent could also suggest new tenants and estate servants eg gamekeepers (D5694/17/21). Tree planting was another responsibility, with associated duties for maintenance, felling and sale of timber (D5694/16/14, D5694/17/1). The agent also represented the landowner's parliamentary interests by promoting his views to those of his tenants who had the vote and obtaining information on how votes had been cast (D5694/17/3).
'Preservation', that is preservation of game, control of vermin and prosecution of poachers were significant duties for land agents. The game laws were stringently enforced form the later 18th century, with especially severe penalties for poaching at night. Before 1881 tenant farmers could not destroy hares and rabbits on their holdings without the landowner's permission via his agent (D5694/16/15-17). Parliamentary enclosures increased greatly in number in the last decade of the 18th century and the first decade of the 19th. In some instances, enclosure was welcomed because it had the result of increasing the landowner's rents. However, disputes were not uncommon and often long periods elapsed between the passing of the relevant Act, the initial survey by Commissioners, often local land agents, and the signing of the Award. (D5694/16/14, D5694/17/2). It was difficult for owners living at a distance to supervise their land agents. It was not uncommon for problems to arise because of poor recording practice for receipts, late submission of rent and other accounts (usually half-yearly) and the lack of regular audits. Such problems seem to have occurred in the case of Thomas Mason. |
| Custodial History | These papers were donated to Derbyshire Record Office in April 2002 |