The archive collection at Enville spans a period of over 800 years, the material of the last 500 years being assembled by the Grey family, later the Earls of Stamford and Warrington and their descendants. Many of the documents have been at Enville from the time they were created and some are of local or national significance. The Archive is now in the care of The Bissill Charitable Trust and administrated by their Archivist.
Until the early 20th century the Grey family administered four large estates, Bradgate in Leicestershire and Dunham Massey in Cheshire as well as the Enville Estate in Staffordshire and the Stalybridge Estate in Lancashire. The family also held several smaller manors and properties across the Midland counties of Staffordshire, Leicestershire, Cheshire, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Warwickshire. You can read more about the History of Enville here.
This includes deeds, leases, manorial records, estate papers, correspondence, maps, plans, drawings, personal papers, and documents relating to mining, transport, and social affairs. An outline catalogue may be viewed in person at The National Archive after following the procedure to access the National Register of Archives.
Click here to visit the National Archives website
It should be noted that the collection is not a continuous record and there are many gaps in its 800-year history. Other repositories that hold papers relating to the Grey family, Earls of Stamford and Warrington are:
– University of Manchester, John Rylands Library
Please send a brief outline of your research interest and research questions, together with any particular documents you wish to consult. We will let you know if we believe our collections may yield useful results and if so will recommend a visit. Access is by prior appointment only and whilst we deal with requests as quickly as possible it generally takes a month or two to secure an appointment. In the first instance, please write or email the Archivist at the addresses given below. Please include your email or postal address for a reply.
If you believe your ancestor lived or worked on the Enville Estate, we may be able to help but prefer to undertake genealogical research ourselves as it often involves piecing together small amounts of information from many different sources. If you are able to provide us with the necessary background information, we will be happy to respond to your enquiries.
Gothic Greenhouse, later known as the museum. Designed by Sanderson Miller 1750.
The Church.
To assist us please gather as much preparatory information as you are able before submitting your enquiry. Likely sources include the Staffordshire History Centre (formerly Staffordshire Record Office), The National Archives, the Birmingham and Midland Society for Genealogy and Heraldry. Also Staffordshire volume XX of the Victoria County History and genealogical sites such as Ancestry UK and Findmypast should enable you to find information from birth, marriage and death certificates, census returns, wills and parish registers.
Complete the “Family Research Enquiry Form” giving as much detail as possible and send it to us at the email address below. Alternatively contact us by post, with a SAE and we will send a Family Research Enquiry Form for you to complete and return. Provided you have given us enough information, we will undertake a quick free look up to tell you what information we hold. If the information you have assembled is too vague, we may not be able to help.
Family Research Enquiry Forms
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Dr Jane Bradney
Archivist, The Bissill Charitable Trust, c/o Enville Estate Office, Enville Hall, Enville, Stourbridge, West Midlands DY7 5HD
Email us here
The Bissill Charitable Trust reserves the copyright of all copies (whether digital or hard copy) of pictures and documents in its collections. If you wish to publish any image from our collection, please contact the archivist to discuss terms and payment.
Enville & Stalybridge Estates
Estates Office , Enville, Stourbridge , West Midlands DY7 5HD
Tel 01384 872635 | Fax 01384 877748
For General Enquiries please email us here or fill out the form below.
For History/Archive enquiries please email us here.
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