Title:
Antiquary's notebook
Level: Category
Miscellaneous
Level: Fonds
DEEDS OF FRIARS GRANGE, AYTHORPE RODING, AND NOTES ON CHIGWELL
Scope and Content:
Notebook [kept by Alfred Savill of Chigwell Hall] containing brief notes of Essex references in various works, including Gentleman's Magazine, 1731-1734, notes and abstracts from the Scott family manuscripts 'from Moor Hall, Harlow, formerly at the Scotts' seat Woolston Hall, Chigwell (lent me by W. Daniels [of Flint Cottage] Chigwell 1898)', and at end brief notes on local excursions and holiday trips, 1862-1897.

The Scott family papers listed are associated chiefly with George Scott, owner of Woolston Hall from 1733 until his death in 1780, and a minor under the guardianship of Sir Robert Abdy until 1741. He appears to have been a collector of manuscripts and curios, and something of scholar, both by reason of his connection with the Derhams of Upminster.

On the death of William Derham junior, President of St John's College, Oxford, and Scott's cousin, Scott inherited his collection which included manuscripts belonging to Scott's uncle, William Derham senior, and it is from them that he published Select Remains of John Ray in 1760. [For the Scott family see the Victoria County History of Essex, volume 4 (Ongar Hundred), pp. 30-32; Philip Morant, History and Antiquities of the County of Essex (London 1763-1768), volume 2, pp. 168-169 (Morant acknowledges help given him by Scott (see number 28 below)); and E.J. Erith, The Scotts of Woolston Hall, Chigwell, in Essex Review 62 (in 4 sections). For William Derham junior and senior see the Dictionary of National Biography.]

Items listed, many letters abstracted in some detail [volumes unless otherwise stated]:

1., 2. Memoranda and historical notes compiled by George Scott
3. Loose papers of William Derham junior
4. Scott's letters, January - May 1760, including references to work on life of John Ray
5. Memoranda book
6. Scott's letters, February 1776 - March 1777, including dispute with vicar of Chigwell, and note on death of Mr Patrick of Upminster, who had just perfected his sugar-mould pottery
7. Subject catalogue to a library, in hand of William Derham junior
8. Scott's letters, May - December 1756, including question of his election as a verderer of the forest of Essex
9. Scott's letters, October 1769 - January 1770, including mention of digging gravel in a field at Woolston Hall
10. Scott's letters, July - December 1774, including note on bad editions of William Derham senior's Physico-Theology.
11. ? Memorandum book of George Scott, tempore Edward VI and Elizabeth, dealing with estate affairs
12. 17th-century copy of number 11
13. Loose letters of Scott, October 1745 - August 1746, including references to his marriage
14. Loose letters of Scott, August 1746 - March 1747, one referring to portrait painter Carpentier [the Dictionary of National Biography records that Adrien Carpentiers (d. 1778) arrived in England in 1739]
15. Scott's letters, April 1753 - February 1754, including reference to his possible election as High Sheriff, and note of Benyon's election
16. Scott's letters, February - September 1754, many from Bath [Somerset], including reference to Chigwell Free Schools
16A. Scott's letters, September 1754 - May 1755, including account of attack by highwayman at Marlborough, Wiltshire
17. Scott's letters, June 1755 - February 1756, including mention of re-opening of Wanstead Assembly
18. Scott's letters, April - August 1757, including death of William Derham junior
19. Scott's letters, March - November 1758, including note that Derham's achievement should go in Chigwell church
20. Scott's letters, November 1758 - June 1759, including reference to manuscripts of Ray's Travels
21. Scott's letters, July - December 1760, including publication of Ray's Remains and letter giving local news, e.g. 'Mr. Conyers has pulled down old Copt Hall [Copped Hall], and has erected a much worse house in its stead'
22. Scott's letters, December 1760 - August 1761, including note of Baskerville's new type, gift of 'the pillar out of the hall at Woolston' to Earl Tylney [of Wanstead], and Scott's executorship of affairs of Beau Nash
23. Scott's letters, August 1761- May 1762 (sends Tylney rock for his grotto)
24. Scott's letters, November 1762 - June 1763, including first reference to Morant's work on his History of Essex
25. Scott's letters, June 1763 - March 1764, including letter to John Luther [of Myles's, Kelvedon Hatch] about 1763 election, which Luther contested against John Conyers of Copped Hall, with list of numbers of freeholders in south-west Essex parishes
26. Scott's letters, March 1764 - January 1765, including offer to Morant of material by Strype (William Derham senior's tutor) and William Derham senior, and the comment on manuscript work: 'our author is not a very lively writer'
27. Scott's letters, January 1765 - July 1766, including further letters to Morant
28. Scott's letters, January 1766 - March 1767, including references to his work on History of Chigwell for Morant
29. Scott's letters, March 1767 - September 1769, including reference to a new Chigwell poor house
30. Scott's letters, September 1768 - September 1769, including reference to work on a new edition of Edmund Gibson's translation of Camden's Britannia [Gibson was Bishop of London and Scott's father-in-law]
31. Scott's letters, March - September 1770, including Scott's appointment as a Deputy Lieutenant
32. Scott's letters, September 1770 - July 1771
33. Scott's letters, June 1773 - February 1774, including mention that S. is working on a history of the constitution
34. Scott's letters, February - November 1774
35. Scott's letters, April 1777 - April 1778, dealing with estate matters
36. Scott's letters, May 1778 - January 1779, noting journey to Oxford to collect material for a projected life of [John] Swinton, 1703-1777 [historian and antiquary], to be written by 'an eminent friend', and describing the journey of 'two great personages' [King George III and Queen Charlotte] coming from Warley Camp and from Lord Petre's [Thorndon Hall]
37. Scott's letters, January - December 1779, including reference to escutcheon taken from Oliver Cromwell's hearse
38. Scott's letters, January - July 1780, including references to Gordon Riots.
Dates of Creation:
1861-1898
Extent:
1
Creator Name:
Alfred Savill
Related Unit of Description:
For other letters in this series, not abstracted here, see D/DU 546/3. For correspondence between Scott and the Earl of Halifax, 1746, see D/DCm C6. Some 34 of Scott's letter books, 1741-1780, form British Library Egerton MSS 3725-3758; another two, 1745-1746, 1780, form Bodleian Library MSS. Eng. lett. f. 1-2.