Access
Publication Rights
Preferred Citation
Provenance
Cataloging Decisions
Biographical Note
Scope and Content
Arrangement
General
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Lydia Catherine Brydges, Duchess of Chandos, papers
Identifier/Call Number: mssLB
Physical Description:
34.34 Linear Feet
(41 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1538-2002
Date (bulk): 1548-1780
Abstract: This collection contains the papers of Lydia Catherine Van Hattem Davall Brydges, Duchess of Chandos (1693-1750), and pertains
chiefly to her business and financial activities in the six years between the death of her husband James Brydges, 1st Duke
of Chandos (1674-1744), and her own, as well as the activities of her extended family. There are also a large number of papers
and deeds concerning various properties held by the family, including Cannons, Shaw and Speen.
Language of Material: English and Latin
Access
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader
Services.
Publication Rights
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material,
nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and
obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item]. Lydia Catherine Brydges, Duchess of Chandos, papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Provenance
Purchased from Major Paul Payne, through Bernard Quartich, September 2002.
Cataloging Decisions
1. The collection was acquired from Major Paul I.C. Payne in 2002. Major Payne made autograph notes on many pieces of correspondence;
including notes to identify Lydia Catherine Brydges' handwriting on various items. These autograph notes were not indexed
on the folders or in the Finding Aid.
2. As noted above, Lydia Catherine Brydges' autograph notes appear on correspondence and financial records throughout the
collection. Unless substantive, it was decided not to index each instance separately.
3. The spelling of Lydia Catherine Brydges' family name of Van Hattem was spelled variously: Vanhattem, Vanhattum, van Hatten.
For purposes of consistency, Lydia Catherine's name was spelled Van Hattem, regardless of how it is spelled by the author
of a letter or deed. The same is true for her married name of Davall, variously spelled in the collection as Davall, Devall,
Davale, Devoll; on the folders and in the Finding Aid the name has been spelled Davall.
Biographical Note
Lydia Catherine Van Hattem Davall Brydges, Duchess of Chandos (1693-1750), was the daughter of John Vanhattem, (d. 1713),
an Anglo-Dutch merchant. Her first marriage was to Thomas Davall (1682-1714), a London merchant and M.P. for Harwich, who
was also her cousin. He was knighted in June 1713 and died less than a year later in April 1714, leaving Catherine, a wealthy
widow with a son, Thomas who died in 1718, thus ending the Davall line.
Lydia Catherine became the third Duchess of Chandos on her marriage to James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos (1674-1744), in
April 1736. James Brydges was a noted politician, public official, and, as, Paymaster-General of the forces abroad during
Marlborough's wars, a war profiteer, businessman, and -- most famously -- collector, builder, and patron of the arts, the
latter of which required the vast fortune he amassed as a public official. As a showcase for his artistic patronage, the duke
built the famous mansion of Canons [Cannons] in Middlesex from 1713 to 1725. The duke's third marriage to Lydia was a union
that was almost undoubtedly one of convenience to the duke, who had, by that period, expended at least two fortunes; his debts
and building plans necessitated a third fortune. The duke died in 1744, leaving Lydia, for the next six years, to settle his
accounts and auction art, furniture, and other household items in order to pay off his debts before her own death in November
1750.
Scope and Content
The collection, which spans from 1538-2002 (bulk 1548-1780), contains 927 items pertaining chiefly to the business and financial
activities of Lydia Catherine Van Hattem Davall Brydges, Duchess of Chandos (1693-1750), in the intervening six years between
the death of her husband James Brydges, Duke of Chandos, and her own, as well as the activities of her extended family. In
addition, there is correspondence with her family, lawyers, and estate officials, information about the Cannons auctions and
the sale of other Brydges properties, and some sixteenth- and seventeenth-century records pertaining to her own family and
the Mayne and Goodall families, who once lived at the Van Hattem seat at Dinton Hall in Buckinghamshire. There are also a
large number of papers and deeds concerning various properties held by the family, including Cannons, Shaw and Speen. Some
pieces are in Latin.
This collection has several strong points for the purpose of research. It fills in a critical gap in the Brydges family papers
(a sub-collection of the Huntington's Stowe Archive). During the six years between the death of the Duke of Chandos and her
own, Duchess Lydia, family lawyers and estate officials, had to oversee the Cannons auctions and sale of other Brydges' properties,
in order to pay off the huge debts left by the Duke at his death. Thus the collection is a valuable archive concerning the
later life and circumstances of an early 18th century British aristocratic widow. One weakness of the collection is there
is very little material actually from or written by Duchess Lydia. Another strength of the collection is, among the correspondence
and financial documents, the presence of women as both landowners and business people in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The papers consist of the following series:
1. Correspondence (Boxes 1-12)
Arranged alphabetically by author. The majority of the correspondence is addressed to Duchess Lydia. Included are three sets
of longer runs of letters from John Pudsey, formerly the personal secretary to James Brydges, Duke of Chandos; Luke Richardson,
a clerk and receiver to the Six-penny Writ Office, Cursitor and Personal Secretary to Lydia, Duchess of Chandos; and Joseph
Biscoe, a lawyer and member of the Fire and Fees Office in London. The correspondence also includes letters addressed to John
Vanhattem (both Duchess Lydia's father and brother), as well as letters written by various family members and employees.
2. Accounts and Financial (Boxes 13-15)
Arranged chronologically (1583/84-1788). This series includes bonds, receipts, and accounts from, mainly, Dinton, Buckinghamshire,
and Shaw, Berkshire, having to do with Dinton Hall and the estate at Shaw. There are also household accounts for Duchess Lydia
dating from the time before she married James Brydges, Duke of Chandos; also included, are documents from the Van Hattem family.
3. Deeds (Boxes 16-31)
Arranged by alphabetically by county, then chronologically (1538[/39]-1791). This series includes deeds, indentures, leases,
feoffments, quitclaims for the lands associated with the estate at Dinton Hall, near Aylesbury. The documents in this series
are mainly connected to the three families who owned this property at various times, beginning in 1617: the Mayne, the Van
Hattem, and the Goodall families; the series also includes documents in connection with the family of Duchess Lydia's first
husband, Sir Thomas Davall M.P.
4. Manorial and Estate (Boxes 32-34)
Arranged by alphabetically by county. This series includes documents relating to the various lands and estates connected
to James Brydges, Duke of Chandos, and the Van Hattem family, including Shaw, Speen, Dinton Hall, Grays Thurrock, and Cannons.
The documents include lists of tenants, rents and peat; particulars, articles of agreement, and valuations, as well as land
surveys. Also in this series, is the Dinton Hall Guest Book (1885-1909), which includes three B&W photographs of Dinton Hall
and grounds.
5. Personal Papers (Boxes 35-38)
Arranged chronologically (1663-1780). Included in this series are wills, marriage settlements, licenses, appointments, etc.
The documents relate to Dinton Hall and to the Davall, Van Hattem, Mayne, and Goodall families.
6. Misc., including Legal (Box 39)
Arranged chronologically (1682-1750). This series includes documents relating to the manufacture of gun powder and the East
India Company, the Court of Chancery and miscellaneous legal pieces. Also included are miscellaneous household lists of coarse
linen and Table "Linnen."
7. Ephemera (Boxes 40-41)
Arranged alphabetically by subject. This series includes the research material collected by Major Paul Payne; it includes
correspondence, notes, photocopies, printed material about the Duke of Chandos, the Davall and Van Hattem families, Shaw Hall,
Dinton Hall, Cannons and Cavendish Square. This series also includes the packing crate inventory and collection inventory
list created by Bernard Quaritch in 2002. Box 41 contains two items which are damaged and very fragile and need conservation;
these cannot be paged without curator's approval.
Arrangement
Organized in 7 series: Series 1. Correspondence; Series 2. Accounts and financial; Series 3. Deeds; Series 4. Manorial and
estate; Series 5. Personal papers; Series 6. Miscellaneous including legal; Series 7. Ephemera.
General
Call numbers included in this collection: mssLB 1-926.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Administration of estates -- Great Britain -- History -- 18th century -- Archives
Aristocracy (Social class) -- England -- History -- 18th century -- Archives
Auctions -- Great Britain -- History -- 18th century -- Archives
Bankruptcy -- Great Britain -- History -- Case studies -- Sources
Executors and administrators -- Great Britain -- History -- 18th century --Archives
Finance -- England -- History -- 18th century -- Archives
Jacobite Rebellion, 1745-1746.
Great Britain -- History -- 18th century -- Sources
Accounts -- Great Britain.
Bonds (legal records) -- Great Britain.
Business letters -- Great Britain.
Deeds -- Great Britain.
Ephemera -- Great Britain.
Indentures -- Great Britain.
Letters (correspondence) -- Great Britain.