| Content Description | This series of estate correspondence forms part of the 6th deposit of the Newcastle (Clumber) Collection; comprising nearly 300 bundles, the series relates primarily to the early 20th century management of the estate at Clumber Park, Nottinghamshire, mostly during the time of the 7th Duke of Newcastle under Lyne; items relating to Forest Farm, Berkshire are also included, often in connection with similar dealings at Clumber, or more specifically when the Duchess of Newcastle under Lyne moved there following the death of the 7th Duke; the series ranges in dated form the late 19th to the mid 20th century and the time when Clumber Park was sold to the National Trust; a number of later files from the 1970s, relating to property concerns in Wiltshire, are included, reflecting the family's move there after the sale of Clumber.
The 8th Duke of Newcastle under Lyne spent very little time at Clumber and had limited contact with the house, particularly since, under the will of the 7th Duke, the house and its contents had been devised to the future 9th Duke; it was under the 9th Duke (whilst he was still Earl of Lincoln) that the house was demolished to make way for a smaller house within Clumber Park; ultimately, increased financial burdens meant that the planned house was never built.
The files cover almost every aspect of estate management, and all were compiled by the Newcastle Estate Office.
The series has been divided into nine distinct sections; the first, and largest, section deals with the management of the Clumber Estate; within this section there are subsections dealing with Clumber House, Clumber Park in general, Clumber Church, general estate management, estate management during the first and second World Wars, staffing, schools, accomodation for the Earl of Lincoln [later 9th Duke], the game department, annual timber sales, the annual Clumber show, proposed visits to the park and children's entertainment.
Further sections cover interests at Newark, Nottinghamshire, mining interests throughout Nottinghamshire, meetings of the London and Fort George Land Company Limited, personal and family papers [mainly relating to the 7th Duke], property concerns in Nottinghamshire and Wiltshire, and further, miscellaneous correspondence [including correspondence relating to royal visits to the county].
The arrangement of the series has primarily been based on subject matters, as this was the form of arrangment used by the estate office, which seems to have used a running number sequence for filing purposes; to enable a more practical access to the series this running number order has not been followed; within each subject section bundles have been arranged in date order, unless noted otherwise.
Accessible to all registered readers except for material less than thirty years old and material restricted under the terms of the Data Protection Act. Contact the Department for further advice. |