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This Series covers the accounts rendered by the Byron’s solicitors, predominantly Tylee & Co.

The records in this Series are highly detailed and comprehensive, recording all the substance of all contacts and time spent in dealing with the family’s affairs and the fees charged. It amounts to a substantial quantity of documentation which provides insight into the family’s business and personal life, for example, legal advice and services provided for the purchase and sale of land, for a range of business transactions and disputes, for settling wills and handling trusts.

There is particular strength for the period following Edmund Byron’s death, with advice by Tylee and Co, the executors, to the trustees of the will, Eric Byron and Theodore Hall Hall (husband of Lucy Byron) concerning the sale of the estate. This includes information on the actual sales options available to the family, the decision making on these land sales and the pricing of individual lots, distribution of the contents of Coulsdon Court amongst family members, handling family trusts arising from the will and dealing with the queries of the trustees about the whole complex process. Handwritten marginalia throw light on Eric’s private response to some of the issues raised.

This Series provides additional sources of information for a good part of the archive, notably AR1057/2, 3, 8-13.

The Byron Family were Lords of the Manor and residents of Coulsdon from the purchase of the Manor in 1782 until the sale of the estate and its dispersal in 1921. The archive covers the entire period and continues beyond the sale of Coulsdon estate, with documents through to 1962.

The Byron Archival Collection (AR1057) is a substantial collection of papers covering the domestic, social, business and farming history of the family, their role and relationship as local squires with the wider community of Coulsdon and Surrey, and the extensive foreign travels undertaken by members of the family.

Papers relating to the early decades are relatively sparse and the strength of the archive lies with the years when Thomas and then Edmund Byron held the Manor and estate, 1845-1921, continuing with Edmund’s children through to the 1940s. During these years, the archive has the breadth and depth for thorough and detailed research into this middle squirearchy landed family who were deeply rooted in and committed to the small rural community which was their home. Attention is particularly drawn to Edmund’s six decades as Lord of the Manor. To him lies the distinction of preserving the traditional – and in many respects patriarchal – rural life of the village from 1863 until his death in 1921. The archive is very strong in its coverage of Edmund’s eventful life and that of his four children, as is indicated in the Series descriptions of the archive.

The archive was originally read, noted and arranged by members of The Bourne Society, Surrey and this work has provided a number of papers that supplement the catalogue entries. These papers include Excel spreadsheets, some of which are quite detailed, covering nearly the whole archive, and summaries of a large part of the personal family correspondence. Produced for the purpose of developing the catalogue, these entries identify only the name of the relevant Series for each item and the item accession number and there has been much further refinement in catalogue numbering since their production. They are available on request to support specific areas of interest and research.

The Collection consists of 14 series:

AR1057/1- Personal Correspondence
AR1057/2- Family and Non-Family Settlements-Marriage, Wills and Trusts
AR1057/3- Domestic and Family Expenses and Accounts
AR1057/4- Outdoor Sports
AR1057/5- Public Offices and Family Philanthropy
AR1057/6- Journal and Memoirs
AR1057/7- Personal Records and Ephemera
AR1057/8- Business Correspondence and Estate Management
AR1057/9- Property Purchases and Valuations and Property Sales Before 1921
AR1057/10- Valuations and Property Sales After 1921
AR1057/11- Leases and Deeds
AR1057/12- Ledgers, Rental Income and Account Books
AR1057/13- Shares and Bond Holdings
AR1057/14- Solicitors' Accounts