Haskells of Old England Mattew: Groom to two Earls of Shaftesbury
by Iris GreenWhen tracing family history, it is always easier to find references to the titled, to large landowners. To find evidence of the life-style of others requires much searching. Probate documenetation in the form of wills, letters of administration and inventories is exceedingly valuable but a small percentage of the population left such records, and these have been further reduced by loss. Wills were nearly always death-bed statements. Sudden death or an uncomplicated inheritance made a will either unobtainable or unnecessary.
Disputes over land ownership, or merely the need to clarify such ownership after a death, were sometimes the subject of court proceedings at which plaintiff, defendant, witnesses or otyhers concerned, were required to make a deposition of identification. On 27 April 1704, in the third year of the reign of Queen Anne, the deposition of eighth great-grandfather Richard Haskell was token at Shaston (Shaftesbury) on behalf of his brother Thomas then living in Cann, Dorset.
'Richard Hascoll, of (Horton) Woodlands Dorset husbandman aged 67 The deponent states that he was eldest son of Richard Hascoll and that he had four brothers viz. Thomas, James, Matthew and Robert. Deponent is father of two sons and two daughters all now living. Richard, the father of deponent, died about 1683 and his will left £100 each to his daughter Susanna and son James, one shilling each to his other children and his son Robert executor. Robert died about ten years since.'
The discovery of such a document is an event too fortunate to contemplate leave alone experience. It neatly links the earlier testamentary evidence left by Richard senior, the connection with Cann and the establishment of Richard junior and his family in Horton Woodlands, Dorset. The parish records of the church of St Wolfrida, Horton record the baptisms of sons Richard and Matthew in 1664 and 1670 respectively, and daughters Susanna and Mary in 1666 and 1677. Mary their mother was buried at Horton on 22 January 1715 and their father on 19 December 1716. Furthermore, in a deed of 1665, Stephen Hascoll, yeoman of Cann, granted lands to his nephews Richard and Thomas, sons of Richard Hascoll the elder, yeoman of Muscliffe, Chrustchurch. A further legal record showed that the latter died at Hargrove Mill, close to Fontmell Magna. Further infromation on a member of the Horton EWoodlands family has been discovered among the papers of the Earl of Shaftesbury deposited at the Public Record Office. Their mansion was St Giles House, Wimborne St Giles. A 'Family Book' is to be found at Chancery Lane detailing the household establishment of Anthony Ashley Cooper, 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury, for the year 1707. Thirty members are listed divided into four groups: head servants of the higher table, head servants of the lower table, inferior servants and maid servants. Apart from the latter, all were male and each was named. Their total annual wage bill was just over £400. The first group included the court or manor steward, secretary and library keeper, auditor and head steward, home steward and receiver and housekeeper. Head woodman and gamekeeper, house clerk, head butler and bailiff were classed as head servants of the lower table. Among the inferior servants attatched to the estate was Matthew Haskell, groom, earning £10 per annum and provided with a livery. His wages were higher than those of both couchman and postillion.
The name of Matthew, born 1670, second son of Richard and Mary, first appeared in a communication from the 3rd Earl, dated December 1702 - 'instructions to my servants at St Giles on the breaking up of my family.' In this he was granted £10 a year above his wages (which were £5), for distribution in the parish 'during my absence' He was given orders for the shutting up of both great and little stables. He was told to collect an allowance of corn (for the horses) from Mr Gibbs, the bailiff, to whom he was strictly to give an account, being instructed to take 'only at such time as will serve for a week' Moreover no horse was to be used by any member of the family apart from Mr Dalicourt, the home steward, and 'much less by strangers.'
A second book of accounts of both the 3rd and 4th Earls, dated 1704-1719, is in this collection. The 3rd Earl died in Naples on 4 February 1712/3 at the early age of almost 42 and was succeeded by his only son the Rt Hon Anthony Ashley, an infant, born on 9 February 1710/1. A Bill of Complaint was brought to Chancery in 1714 by the latter's 'next friend' against Mr John Wheelock, auditor and Head Steward of the estate. A very detailed account book was submitted by Mr Wheelock for scrutiny and upon this he was required to pay a balance of £312. 8s 4 3/4d.
Within this book are many references to Matthew Haskell. His annual wage, two years in arrears, was then £10, but to this was added an annual board allowance of £10 8s also in arrears. He received many payments for 'things for the horses' and was responsoble for selling, amongst others, 'a blind nagg called Tyger' for £5 10s, 'a small nagg called Meiryman' for £5 and 'a grey shire horse' for 313, a sum well in excess of his own annual wage! Horses were valuable beasts. On 9 May 1715 he was paid £2 3s for 'getting the grey mare covered with the King's (George 1) stallion, and his expenses at Hampton Court.'
It is interesting that many of the entries use his Christian name only. He was a trusted servant, no doubt. Moreover, together with four or five others, he was granted an annuity of £5 in the will of the 3rd Earl, so here we have Metthew Haskell, groom, a beneficiary of the Lord Chancellor of England. On 23 December 1703 he married Joan Kelly in St Giles Church, Wimbourne St Giles, and in the records of this church are the baptisms of a daughter Joan in 1704 and a son Mattew in 1707. At a later date, two daughters Mary and Martha were married there. Strangley enough, neither of their baptisms, nor the baptosms of any possible further children, have been found either in the records of St Giles or the neighbouring parish of All Hallows to which it was united in 1732, or in adjacent parishes.
Matthew died at the age of 60 and was buried at St Giles church on 11 May 1730. His wife survived him by nine years. Although he was own to have been in the service of the St Giles estate on 1719 one wonders whether the changed circumstances of the Shaftesbury family with a minor as the inheritor caused a temporary run-down of the estate. An inventory of his goods and chattels taken on 14 May 1730 suggests that he turned to farming in the last years of his working life. He lived in a house with hall, wash-house and drink-house on the ground-floor and two sleeping chambers above. There was also a valuation for corn, barley, wood, 11 sheep, a heifer and a horse. Of the total asset value of £131, £105 was money in the house and money due from bonds. Perhaps money management was another talent of this member of the Haskell family.
Newsletter of the Haskell Family Society, Vol 3 # 1
Extracts Probate Records, Page 7
Joane Haskell of Wimborne St Giles, Dorset, widow
To ny son-in-law John Barford 1/-
To my grandson John Barford 3 Pounds and one gold ring
To my grandson Willism Barford 1 Pound and one gold ring (both Junder 21)
Residue to my son Mathew Haskell, executor
Dated 13 July 1731; Wits. Anthony King, Charles King, John Howard.
Proved May 1739 by Mathew Haskell