Add MS 70953

CHILTON, CO. SUFF.: survey and description of the manor of Chilton; 1597. Scale circa 1:3200. 'Scala perticarum' [64 [perches?] = 97mm.] Field names are given in a neat italic hand, in English, with notes added in a secretary hand in Latin: many of these names are badly worn and almost illegible. Buildings, trees, orchards, and woods are shown, roads are marked in red, and different shades of green wash have been used to distinguish land uses; sage-green for 'Chylton parke' and a turquoise-green for 'Buber heathe' to the north-east, and 'Cornerde heathe', to the south-east. Chilton Hall itself, in the south-west of the manor, is shown in perspective. The church, to the south-east of the hall, is separated from the tiny village by a considerable distance, with the building marked as 'the Rectory' a further distance from the village on its eastern side. In the upper right-hand corner of the map, a worn and partly illegible cartouche gives the title of the map and additional details in secretary hand in Latin. The survey was made on behalf of Dudley Fortescue (MP for the borough of Sudbury 1592-1593) in August 1597. He was not the owner of the land, but the executor of the estate of Robert Crane, who had died in 1591, and the trustee for his heir, his son (according to the Complete Baronetage) or grandson (according to W. A. Copinger, The manors of Suffolk and Burke's Extinct Baronetage), also called Robert. There is evidence that Fortescue had to take action to defend his trust in the form of Chancery proceedings against one Thomas Appleton 'to protect the plaintiff in the execution of his trust respecting ther manor of Much Waldingham Hall al. Waldingfield Carbonells with Chilton, Butlers, Gibbes at the Barn, the advowson of the church of Chilton, the free warren there and the view of frankpledge and other lands in, late estate of Robert Crane and devised by his will.' See W. A. Copinger, The manors of Suffolk; vol. 1, The hundreds of Babergh and Blackbourn (London, 1905), p. 72; and County of Suffolk records, vol. II (London, n.d.), pp. 55-59. Fortescue committed suicide in 1604-1605; see County of Suffolk records, vol. II (p. 57). The younger Robert Crane was knighted in 1605 and created a Baronet in 1627, and died without male issue in 1643. The manor passed to Sir Edmund Bacon, Bart., the husband of Sir Robert's fourth daughter, Elizabeth. For further details of the manorial history, and the Crane family relationships, see The manors of Suffolk, vol. 1, pp. 70-73); 'G.E.C.' (ed.) Complete Baronetage, vol. II, (Exeter, 1902), p. 15; and J. and J. B. Burke, Extinct and dormant baronetcies of England, Scotland, and Ireland (2nd ed. London, 1844), p. 140. Purchased from Sotheby's, 26 Feb. 1992, lot 632.

Ink and watercolours on paper. Two sheets, joined. 850 x 1260mm.