Crutchley Muniments

Date range: 12th-19th centuries

Medium: Archive

The Crutchley Muniments comprise the archives of the Coke family of Longford in Derbyshire and Holkham in Norfolk. The family's estates lay principally in Derbyshire, Lancashire and Suffolk, and the majority of documents relate to these counties.

The 500 Derbyshire documents comprise slightly over half of the collection. The majority concern Longford and its descent over 700 years through the families of Longford (from c.1200) and Coke (from 1615). Included is the purchase deed whereby this property was acquired by Sir Edward Coke from the trustee of the last male owner, Nicholas Longford, and also the indenture by which it was settled on his youngest surviving son Clement Coke, on his marriage to Sarah, daughter of Alexander Reddish of Reddish, Lancashire, and great-niece of Nicholas. Other documents relate to the manors of Wherstead, Bourne Hall and Pannington in Suffolk, and estates in south-east Lancashire, notably Reddish, Great and Little Heaton and Crumpsall, all in Manchester parish. There are also documents concerning the former owners of these properties, the families of Longford of Longford, Reddish of Reddish, Hulton, Langley, Prestwich, Browne, Radcliffe and Hall.

The collection is particularly rich in manorial court records and allied documents. In particular there are lengthy series of court rolls for the manors of Bourne Hall in Wherstead and Goddelsford (i.e. Gusford Hall), Suffolk (13th-18th centuries) and Longford, Derbyshire (14th-17th centuries). The collection is thus important for studies of manorial administration, land-ownership and the medieval economy. The collection also contains a number of significant seals.

Further information:

Catalogue available online via ELGAR.

Location:

• The John Rylands Library, Deansgate  [Map]
• Find out how to use the reading rooms in the John Rylands Research Institute and Library