AdminHistory | Thomas Wentworth (1672-1739) purchased the estate at Stainborough from the Cutler family in 1708, and after substantial rebuilding Stainborough Hall was renamed Wentworth Castle. Thomas Wentworth was created 1st Earl of Strafford of the 2nd creation in 1711.
His son William (1712-1791) subsequently became 2nd Earl. He died without issue and the title and estate passed to his cousin's son, Frederick Wentworth (1732-1799), the 3rd Earl. After he too died without issue the 2nd Earldom became extinct. The estate passed to Frederick's sister, Augusta Wentworth (Mrs Hatfield Kaye), and after her death in 1802 was inherited by a descendant of the 1st Earl, Frederick W T Vernon (1795-1885), who changed his name to Vernon-Wentworth. He was succeeded by his son, Thomas F C Vernon-Wentworth (1831-1902), and grandson, Captain Bruce Canning Vernon-Wentworth (1862-1951). Captain Vernon-Wentworth, who died without issue, sold the estate to Barnsley Corporation in 1948. The house was a teacher training college until 1978 and is now used by Northern College. |
AcquisitionSource | The Vernon Wentworth muniments were deposited with Sheffield Libraries in October 1953, though no record of the accession has been found in the Sheffield Archives accession register. The collection was therefore ‘accessioned’ in August 2011. The papers were deposited by Major J. Vernon Wentworth of Park House, Friston, Saxmundham, Suffolk (though they were collected from Wentworth Castle). See the accession file for correspondence with the depositor. According to a note in the accession file the owner in 1983 was Mrs. A. C Vernon-Wentworth, who could be contacted via Mr J. A . G. Lees, Lancaster and Sons, Solicitors, 8 Regent Street, Barnsley, S70 2EL. Further consignments were received in May and August 1972, though again no entries in the accession register has been traced. |