Archives and Special Collections: Subject guides - Religious Archives

Dunnington-Jefferson family

The papers relate to John Dunnington-Jefferson (1759-1840) who inherited family lands in Thorganby and West Cottingwith, Hook and Howden in East Yorkshire and his nephew, Joseph Dunnington-Jefferson (1807-1880), who became vicar of Thorganby in 1832 and prebend of York in 1852. By 1873, from his new house on the site of the Benedictine Thicket Priory, Joseph Dunnington-Jefferson controlled over 8000 acres with a combined yearly rental of £12,000. He published one volume of his sermons. There is a small amount of estate and election correspondence for the Reverend Dunnington-Jefferson [DDJ/34/20, 34; DDJ/40/2-10]. Papers for Howden include the 1582 letters patent granting tithes and prebends [DDJ/10/1]; 17th century leases of the bishop's manor house [DDJ/10/2-6] and a copy of a 1561 survey of the bishop's manor house c.1860 [DDJ/10/110]. There is a paper about the government of Sunday Schools in York and some rules for Sunday schools [DDJ/29/5; DDJ/34/118]. Papers for Thorganby and West Cottingwith include some 19th century notes and extracts relating to the history of Thickett Priory and the 1839 licence granted by the Archbishop of York for Joseph Dunnington to reside at Thickett Priory [DDJ/14/396, 398]. There is also a mandate of the Archdeacon of Cleveland for declaration of absolution of Ann Smithson from excommunication dated 1765 [DDJ/14/28]. There are six pamphlets of the Church Institution dated 1863 [DDJ/34/19].