• Located At: Staffordshire Record Office
• Document Reference Number: D1287/B
• Date: 1637-1982
• Level: Collection
• Extent: (11.26 cubic meters)
• Administrative History: The Bolton Estate was purchased in 1629 and remained in the ownership of the Bridgeman family until the last sections were sold in the 1980s and the estate Office closed in 1981.
• Format: Family and Estate papers
• Description: The Bridgeman estate in Lancashire with its nucleus at Bolton was the earliest of the family's estates. It was purchased as the Great Lever Estate in 1629 by John Bridgeman, Bishop of Chester, with lands in the neighbouring townships of Farnworth and Great Bolton. From the 1780s, the Bridgemans began to establish a regular system of agencies working under the direction of a chief agent, who was based in the Midlands, eventually at Walsall when Peter Potter became chief agent in 1820 [see main collection]. The Bolton Estate was run as a sub-agency with an estate office in Bolton, initially under the oversight of the chief agent and then becoming semi-automomous under George Piggot from 1843. The records in this collection, relate mainly to the period of the agency system. Unlike the records of the other agencies, the Bolton sub-agency records have been deposited virtually intact, providing vast quantities of agents' correspondence, estate accounts and maps from the late 18th century to the 20th century. The Bolton Estate Office closed in 1981.
  
  The Bolton agency records are a key source for the study of the urban and industrial development of Bolton. As the cotton industry took off the town expanded with growth assured through exploitation of rich mineral resources in the area, especially coal, and a plentiful supply of pure water for the bleaching industry. The fortunes of industry, with periods of expansion and decline, can be traced through these records. The estate correspondence and papers include much material about the development of the town and interaction between the estate and the corporation. Subjects covered include building of new streets, expansion of the Borough, improvements to water supply, new corporate facilities and buildings such as new cattle market and town hall, and transport developments. Industrial exploitation and development can be traced through the accounts (a complete and detailed series), separate colliery accounts, 1830-1923, and correspondence from the 18th century onwards. Property development, particularly in the building of new streets, can be traced through accounts, correspondence and the large series of building agreements and draft leases, which give occupations as well as names of lessees. At a regional level there is a particularly interesting comparison to be made with the family's Walsall Estate [see main Bradford Collection], for which a similar series of agreements and leases survive. The voluminous series of agents' correspondence and papers also sheds light on the relationship between the Earl of Bradford's chief agent and his other agents; and the career development and social networks of the agents is documented in the collection from the late 18th century onwards.
  
  Key series include:
  Estate rentals, 1723-1974, with separate sections or volumes for water rents and mine rents
  Estate accounts, 1774-1980, with detailed breakdown of expenditure, and at various times separate accounts for collieries, 1830-1923, sand extraction, water supply, repairs to buildings etc. Among the separate accounts are, street ledgers detailing expenditure on new streets, 1878-1941;
  Administrative records, 1725-1982, including agents minute books, memoranda and report books detailing the daily activities of the estate office, and employee records, largely for the 20th century;
  Records of industrial exploitation, 1778-1966, particularly collieries, 1778-1942, but also sand quarrying and water supply;
  Agency correspondence, 1721-1972, including indexed out-letter books (with separate series for Earl of Bradford and solicitors) and a voluminous in-letter series arranged in annual bundles and increasingly in subject bundles over time;
  Maps, plans and surveys, 1770-1971, including plans of the whole estate, individual properties, building plans, and surveys and valuations, largely for taxation purposes;
  Agreements to lease and draft leases, 1851-1957, arranged by township;
  Legal papers, [1677]-1957, relating largely to estate disputes, conveyances and the progress of Bills through Parliament;
  Sale catalogues, 1811-1919;
  Records of agency work for clients other than the Earl of Bradford, 1773-1884;
  Personal papers of agents and agency staff, 1729-1960 especially George Piggot.
  
  Agents for the Bolton Estate include:
  William Hobson, 1774-1803;
  John Charlton, 1803-1817;
  George Piggot, 1817-1867;
  Samuel Crowther, 1867-1884;
  George Richardson Carter, 1884-1903;
  Langton Mills Carter, 1904-1925;
  George Henderson, 1926-1942;
  Stanley Boardman, 1942-1968;
  Reginald Claude Feakin, 1968-.
  [See agency correspondence series for further information about individual agents]
• Related Material: See also main Bradford Collection (D1287). Other records held at Bolton Archives and Local Studies and Lancashire Record Office
• Access Conditions: Please give minimum of 2 working days' advance notice for production.
• Ref No: K301

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