Thorpe Bequest
THO
Thorpe Bequest
1715-1750
Fonds
Relating mostly to Rochester and Kent, compiled by John Thorpe, senior, MD (1682-1750), together with correspondence, MSS owned by him, and some additions by his son, John Thorpe, junior, FSA (1715-92); mainly 1715-50 with earlier and later material. John Thorpe, senior, settled in Rochester as a physician in 1715 and most of his collections were formed after this date. A little material relates to his previous employment as Clerk to the Royal Society. Some earlier MSS (e.g. MSS/0155, 163-5), numbered with the Thorpe Bequest, were probably owned by John Thorpe, senior. The collections include many transcripts made for Thorpe by amanuenses, particularly Thomas Allen and John Baynard. Substantial portions relating particularly to charters and monumental inscriptions were published by John Thorpe, junior, in the Registrum Roffense (1769); see also the latter's Custumale Roffense (1788), which includes part of MSS/0170. The collections received by SA included many bundles of unbound papers. These were numbered and described by Ellis (1816), 50-65. Many of the bundles were arranged for binding by Charles Spencer Perceval, LL.D, FSA, who described their contents and the principles of his arrangement in a report on the unbound manuscripts, 14 Nov. 1864, included in C. Knight Watson's 'Report on the State of the Library, 1864', Proc., 2nd ser. 3 (1864-7), 6-15. Much of the previously unbound material was brought together in composite volumes (marked with an asterisk below), although the numeration given by Ellis was partly retained. So far as possible cross references to and from the Ellis numeration are given below, but some material was so widely dispersed that it is not possible to identify it with certainty in the present arrangement; a little was probably discarded in 1864 or later (see Proc., ibid., 12-13). Other manuscripts which apparently once formed part of the Thorpe collections include MSS/0022, MSS/0023, MSS/0036, MSS/0065, MSS/0066, MSS/0110, MSS/0212 (several items), MSS/0508, MSS/0529.
SAL/MS/155-202
The collections were bequeathed by John Thorpe, junior, FSA (d. 1792). Council Minutes, 25 Jan. 1793. Archaeologia, 11 (1794), 449.
- MSS/0155 - Legal formulary
- MSS/0156 - "Arms belonging to ye Gentry of Kent"
- MSS/0157 - Transcripts of grants and releases relating to lands in Penshurst and Chiddingstone, Kent
- MSS/0158 - Blazons of arms of Kentish families
- MSS/0159 - "A true Discourse of the Ancient woodden and prsent stone Bridge at Rochester" by Sir Roger Manwood
- MSS/0160 - Transcripts by John Thorpe, senior
- MSS/0161 - “The Armes of All the Gentlemen in Kent”
- MSS/0162 - Tricks of arms in Canterbury Cathedral
- MSS/0163 - Visitation of Kent
- MSS/0164 - Visitation of Kent
- MSS/0165 - Statutes and ordinances of the Court of Arches
- MSS/0166 - Register of writs and transcripts partly relating to Kent
- MSS/0167 - Transcripts of deeds relating to monasteries and churches in the diocese of Rochester
- MSS/0168 - Tenants of fees and other records concerning Kent
- MSS/0169 - References to deeds used by John Thorpe, senior
- MSS/0170 - Transcripts by Thomas Allen relating to the diocese of Rochester
- MSS/0171 - Inductions and collations in the diocese of Rochester
- MSS/0172 - Lists of charters etc., relating to the diocese of Rochester, and correspondence
- MSS/0173 - Kentish pedigrees transcribed by John Thorpe, senior
- MSS/0174 - Transcripts relating to Canterbury and Rochester
- MSS/0175 - Extracts from the Domesday Book relating to Kent
- MSS/0175/* - Composite volume
- MSS/0176 - Papers relating to Cobham College, Kent
- MSS/0177 - Transcript of the Textus Roffensis
- MSS/0177/* - Composite volume
- MSS/0178 - Transcripts relating to Rochester Priory
- MSS/0179 - Transcripts of charters in the muniments of the Dean and Chapter of Rochester
- MSS/0180 - Excerpts relating to the Plot family, and parish registers
- MSS/0181 - Kentish pedigrees and memoranda
- MSS/0182/* - Composite volume
- MSS/0183 - Transcripts of deeds, etc., relating to Westerham
- MSS/0183/* - Composite volume
- MSS/0184 - Survey of the estates of the family of Wotton, Kent
- MSS/0185 - Notes mostly by John Thorpe, senior
- MSS/0185/bis - Notes on churches in the deaneries of Dartford, Malling and Rochester
- MSS/0185/ter - Part of the Thorpe Bequest
- MSS/0186 - Part of the Thorpe Bequest
- MSS/0187 - Notes, extracts and queries relating to precedence
- MSS/0188 - Transcripts of deeds relating to Rochester Priory and Cathedral
- MSS/0189/bis - Transcripts
- MSS/0189/C - Composite volume
- MSS/0189/ter - Part of Thorpe Bequest
- MSS/0190 - Previously part of the Thorpe Bequest
- MSS/0190/bis - Part of the Thorpe Bequest
- MSS/0191 - Part of the Thorpe Bequest
- MSS/0192 - Part of the Thorpe Bequest
- MSS/0193 - Part of the Thorpe Bequest
- MSS/0194 - Part of the Thorpe Bequest
- MSS/0195 - Correspondence of John Thorpe, senior, with Thomas Allen and John Baynard, and transcripts from archiepiscopal registers at Lambeth
- MSS/0195/bis - Part of the Thorpe Bequest
- MSS/0195/ter - Part of the Thorpe Bequest
- MSS/0197 - Coats of arms from churches, houses and plate, in the diocese of Rochester, with tricks
- MSS/0198 - Papers relating to Rochester Bridge
- MSS/0199 - [Previously part of the Thorpe Bequest]
- MSS/0199/bis* - Composite volume
- MSS/0199/ter - Two groups of letters to the mayor and corporation of Rochester
- MSS/0200 - [Previously part of the Thorpe Bequest]
- MSS/0200+0201* - Composite volume
- MSS/0200/bis - [Previously part of the Thorpe Bequest]
- MSS/0200/ter - [Previously part of the Thorpe Bequest]
- MSS/0201/03,43 - Two items from MSS/0201 bound separately
- MSS/0202 - Original letters, mainly to John Thorpe, senior