Thursday, February 18, 2010

Mantell; Horton Priory

18 Feb. 2010 by Greg Ramstedt
This is my first family history blog, so I will keep it simple to try to get the hang of it.

I have wondered for years how Horton Priory in Monks Horton parish, Kent, England, went from Augustus William Mantell (1777-1833) to Edward Reginald Mantell (Dean of Stamford; died 1884 in St Albans, Herts.). They were about 5th cousins, and E. R. Mantell is not mentioned in A. W. Mantell's will. I'm wondering if E. R. Mantell purchased it for nostalgic sake, since the Priory had been in the Mantell family since the reign of Edward VI (1540s I think). Anyway, I understand there was a legal battle and that the records are recorded in the Forest division, but I'll have to get the reference from the 19th century notes that Jim Reid sent me years ago. I did find in the Canterbury Cathedral Archives (using the online Kent Archives Service catalogue) that in 1833 the Rev. Edward Reginald Mantell, vicar of Louth, Lincs. wrote Thomas Starr, auditor, "requesting help with his attempts to prove his title to Horton Priory, at Sellindge." See CCA-DCc-AL/1139. This sounds like a document worth ordering at some point. This looks like a very good lead in tracking down an old mystery. I visited Horton Priory and Brig. Gore in the early 1980s and took some good pictures, but there were extensive additions to the Priory after the Mantell family lived there. My direct ancestor, Francis Daniell (1773-1858) of Devonshire thought that somehow his side of the family would inherit Horton Priory in 1833, and he even travel to Sellindge, Kent, to see if he could make a claim to it. He was unsuccessful. Augustus William Mantell had children outside of marriage, and their Woodlands descendants in Australia have been very interested in their origins from Mantells. I think that both the Daniell and Woodlands descendants would like to learn more. The Mantells go back to Sir Walter Mauntell (died 1487) and the War of the Roses.

2 comments:

  1. I am an Australian descendant of the Mantells.

    I heard from an aunt that Horton Priory was forfeited due to some nocturnal not quote legal activity.

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  2. My father-in-law Stanley Woodlands is an Australian descendant of the Mantells. I believe your assumption that the Woodlands in Australia are descendants outside marriage is incorrect.
    William Mantell Woodlands was the son of Augustus William Mantell and is wife Ann (nee Woodlands) and William married Mary Cook at Shaddoxhurst, Kent the daughter of Robert & Mary Cook on 20th day of October 1827.
    William Mantell Woodlands changed his name after a falling out with his father.Only heresay prevails as to what happened but apparently William was a naughty boy and his father sent him and his family as bounty immigrants to Australia aboard the Lalla Rookh which sailed on 31st August 1841 arriving is Sydney on 26th December 1841. He left uk with his wife and children William, Robert, George, Sarah, Henry and Jane was born 10 days before arrival in Sydney. They later had 3 more children John, Richard and Thomas. My husband is descendant from Richard.

    When Augustus died William received nofification to return to England to take his place at Horton Priory but due to his falling out with his father refused. The property was later claimed by the crown because of unpaid taxes and place on the market.

    My daughter was living in the uk from 1999 until (i think 2008) and visited the priory before leaving to live in Singapore.
    Cheryl

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