Dear fellow Mantell and Woodlands researchers,

There are a number of people in Australia who claim descent from Augustus William Mantell (1777-1833) of Horton Priory, Monks Horton, Kent, through a non-marriage relationship with Ann Woodlands (who later married Henry Kennett in 1808). I am a descendant of the Mantells through his aunt Jane (nee Mantell) Daniell (1709-1788). The Mantells had been at Horton Priory since the reign of Edward VI.

Perhaps one of the numerous male Woodland(s) descendants would be willing to do the Y-chromosome test which possibly could be compared with DNA samples of any living Mantells on the Gideon Mantell branch of the family. (Gideon Mantell is famous for "discovering" the existence of dinosaurs in the early 1800s.) While there are no surviving male Mantell lines from anyone closely related to Augustus William Mantell, there were distant Mantells lines out of Tenterden, Upper Hardres, Dover, Mersham, all in Kent, as well as from Lewes in Sussex. The connecting point of these lines may be as far back as the 1500s. Y-chromosome tests may provide evidence to better establish genetic succession from Sir Walter Mantell (1493-1529) and Margaret Wood. I think Gideon comes from the Sussex line, but their exact connection back to Sir Walter Mantell is fuzzy, though always assumed to have existed.

Even the line at Horton Priory requires indirect documentary evidence in the late 1600s, although there has never been any question of continuity back to Walter Mantell who bought it from Mr. Tate not long before he (Mantell) was executed by Queen Mary I for rebellion.

Augustus William Mantell's will only mentions Jane Woodland, the daughter of Ann (nee Woodland) Kennett, but it looks like Ann also had a son William Mantell Woodlands in 1803 in Dover, Kent. I've always regarded the Woodlands claim of descent from A. W. M. to be very likely. If the Y-chromosome DNA tests showed a match between the Sussex line of Mantells and the Woodlands, then it would provide support for all three genealogical problems. (I don't know, but maybe people have already had these Y-chromosome tests done. If you decide to do the simple test of a swab of the inside of the cheek, do as many markers as you can, since we are looking for links that go back 500 or 600 years.)

Here is the will:


Will of Augustus William Mantell from the Archdeaconry Court of Canterbury: dated 5 April 1833 and proved 2 November 1833. Mr. Mantell died on 1 May 1833 at Horton Priory in Monks Horton. In the Archdeaconry Court it can be found in volume 109 in folio 190. It is available on microfilm 189,010 of the Genealogical Society of Utah.

This is the last Will and testament of me Augustus William Mantell of Horton Priory in the parish of Monks Horton in the County of Kent Esquire made and published the Fifth Day of April in the Year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty three First I nominate constitute and appoint Seroope Hutchinson of the Town of Hythe in the said County Surgeon and Edward Sedgwick of the same place Gentleman joint executors of this my will and I direct that all my mortgage and just Debts funeral and testamentary Expenses be fully paid and satisfied by my said Executors as soon as conveniently may be after my decease by and out of my personal Estate I Give and Devise unto the said Seroope Hutchinson and Edward Sedgwick their Heirs and assigns All that my messuage or Tenement called Morstock and the Lands thereunto belonging and all other my Lands and Hereditaments situate lying and being in the parish of Sellinge and Monks Horton in the said County and now in my own Occupation or of my Undertenants To hold the same unto the said Seroope Hutchinson and Edward Sedgwick their Heirs and Assigns Upon Trust that they the said Seroope Hutchinson and Edward Sedgwich and the Survivor of them and their Heirs Executors or Administrators of sauch Survivor do and shall pay over the Rent Issues and Profits of my said Messuage Lands and premises hereinbefore devised unto Jane Woodland the Daughter of Ann Kennett for and during the term of her natural Life for her sole and separate use independent of the debts or Controul of any Husband with whom she may intermarry and her receipt alone to be a sufficient discharge to my said Trustees for the same And after her decease I Give and Devise the said Messuage Lands and premises unto and to the Use of William Henry Woodland and Augustus Woodland the two children of the said Jane Woodland and to their Heirs and Assigns for ever as Tenants in Common and not as joint Tenants Also I Give and Devise All those several pieces or parcels of land situate at Braborne Lees in the parish of Sellinge aforesaid and now under Lease to William Smith unto Elizabeth Johnson for & during the Term of her natural Life And after her decease I Give and Devise the same unto the said Jane Woodland for and during the term of her natural Life And from and after the decease of the said Jane Woodland I give and Devise the same unto and to the use of the said William Henry Woodland and Augustus Woodland the son and Daughter of the said Jane Woodland their Heirs and Assigns for ever as Tenants in Common and not as joint Tenant And as to for and concerning all and every my Farming Stock and Household and other Goods my ready money and Securities for Money Debts chattels personal Estate and Effects whatsoever and wheresoever and of what nature or quality soever the same may be or consist of I Give and Bequeath the same and every part thereof and all my Estate and Interest therein respectively unto the said Seroope Hutchinson and Edward Sedgwick their Executors Administrators or Assigns Upon Trust to pay all my mortgage and other Debts funeral and testamentary Expenses and after payment thereof Upon Trust to lay out and invest the Surplus (if any) in the purchase of Lands and other Hereditaments near to or adjoining the said Messuage or Tenement called Morstock And I Give and Devise the said Lands and premises so to be purchased therewith as aforesaid unto the said Jane Woodland for and during the term of her natural Life And after her decease unto the said William Henry Woodland and Augustus Woodland their Heirs and Assigns for ever as Tenants in common and not as joint Tenants Provided always and my Will and Mind is that my said Trustees and Executors and each of them shall be allowed in the first place to deduct and retain in their or his Hands out of the said Trust Monies all such Costs charges Damages and Expenses as they or he shall Sustain or be put unto in the Execoution of the Trusts hereby in them reposed or in any wise relating thereto or in defence or management thereof And also my said Trustees and Executors shall not be answerable or accountable for any more or to her part of the said Trust monies than which shall actually come to them or his hands And that they or either of them shall not be charged or chargeable the one for the other of them but only each of them for and with his and their own Receipts payments Acts and willful Defaults and that they shall not be charged or chargeable with any Sum or Sums of Money other than such as shall come to their own hands respectively by virtue of this my will And Lastly I hereby revoke all former wills by me made In Witness whereof I the said Augustus William Mantell have hereunto set my hand and Seal (that is to say) my Hand to the first two Sheets and my hand and Seal to this third and last Sheet the Day and year first above written. [signed] Aug. W. Mantell [seal]

Signed sealed published and declared by the said Augustus William Mantell as and for his last and Testament in the presence of us who at his request and in his presence and in the presence of each other have subscribed our names or Witnesses – John Thorp Blacksmith Selling – Thomas Hammon Farmer Sellinge – Elizabeth Harrison Sellinge

The before registered Will of Augustus William Mantell deceased was proved the Second Day of November 1833 before the Reverend John Pechey[?] Francis, Clerk, Surrogate to the Worshipful Sir Herbert Janice[?] Knight Doctor of Laws Official General to the Reverend the Archdeacon of Canterbury lawfully constituted by the oath of Edward Sedgwick one of the Executors named in the said will He being first sworn duly to perform the same (power being reseived of making the like Grant to Seroope Hutchinson the other Executor when he shall apply for the same.

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I have also copied the Death Duty entry for Augustus's will and it states that Jane Woodlands died in December 1863 and suggests that there is a further record on her at that time. It says William Henry Woodlands died after his mother, and Augustus died before his mother.

It looks like Rev. Edward Reginald Mantell (1798-1884) took possession of Horton Priory by purchase as early as 1834, but I don't think that was ever his main residence. The Rev. E. R. Mantell was interested in showing his relationship to the main line at Horton Priory, but that relationship was very distant, he having come through the Mantells of Mersham and Tenterden, both parish in Kent, and their tie-in with the earliest Mantells at Horton Priory seems a bit problematic, though very likely it existed.

by Greg Ramstedt, 11 July 2010