| Administrative History | The Jodrell family were residing in the Whaley Bridge area as early as 1351 when one William Jaudrell, an archer under Edward the Black Prince, Earl of Chester, settled in the Macclesfield Forest. At the time of his death he held lands at Yeardsley cum Whaley, Disley, and Kettleshulme. William's son Roger fought at Agincourt and was buried in Taxal Church where there is a slate slab in the floor of the chancel recording the names of the Jodrells from William onwards.
By the 18th century, the Jodrell family were the main landowners in Taxal and Yeardsley. They also owned the Twemlow estate. This estate passed to the Leigh of High Legh family, following the marriage of Elizabeth Jodrell to Egerton Leigh in 1778. Elizabeth's elder sister and heiress to the Yeardsley estate, Frances Jodrell married John Bower of Manchester, who then assumed the surname Jodrell. John Bower Jodrell was succeeded by his son, Francis, in 1796. He died in 1829 and his two sons, who succeeded him, both died without issue. Thus in June 1868 the estate passed to Thomas Jodrell Phillips-Jodrell (1807-1889), the nephew of Francis Jodrell, who owned an estate at Shallcross, Derbyshire. Phillips-Jodrell died without issue and was succeeded by his nephew, Henry Richard Tomkinson, who made a deed of gift and was in turn succeeded by his nephew, Sir Edward Thomas Davenant Cotton-Jodrell (1847-1917). He was MP for Wirral 1885-1900 and served on the Headquarters Staff of the War Office 1906-1912 (he had assumed the surname Jodrell by Royal Licence in 1890). He was succeeded in 1917 by his eldest daughter, Dorothy Lynch Ramsden-Jodrell, who had married Col. Henry Ramsden in 1902 (she assumed the name and arms of Jodrell by Royal Licence in 1920). The Ramsden-Jodrells resided at Taxal Lodge in Whaley Bridge. |
| Custodial History | These documents were deposited in Derbyshire Record Office in January 2006. |