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Hannah Holyland and the Duke of Buccleuch

How the name of a lass from a Leicestershire village became linked to Scottish nobility!

In 1886, a civil action (“Robinson vs The Duke of Buccleuch“) was brought in the courts by Benjamin Robinson, a labourer of Glen Parva, Leicestershire, against the 6th Duke of Buccleuch. Twelve years earlier, the Duke had bought property at Knightlow, Warwickshire; but Benjamin asserted that he was the rightful owner of the property according to the will made by a greatuncle, George Robinson, in 1821. The inheritance trail was complicated and Benjamin’s claim to the estate was disputed.

William Henry Walter Montagu Douglas Scott, 6th Duke of Buccleuch   and 8th Duke of Queensberry – the relevant duke!!

Benjamin’s grandfather was said to be George Robinson’s brother John, who had married Hannah Holyland. John and Hannah Robinson had had one son, also John, who was Benjamin’s father.

The case was widely reported in newspapers across England. 

There was some confusion over the bride’s first name- was she Hannah or Susannah? –as well as various suggested permutations of her surname. The question of validity of the marriage had arisen, and with it, the legitimacy of Benjamin to inherit.

As the Stamford Mercury put it, “A Difficulty arose as to the marriage certificate of John, brother to the testator, and Hannah Holyland, who were married  on the  18 Nov 1782, -- their son John was baptised (at Blaby) on March 15 of the following year”.

The son had joined the army in 1806, and was injured in the Battle of Waterloo. The Stamford Mercury continued, “Shortly after --- this son John – – returned (to his native village) as a pensioner from the army. --- The village traditions said that this pensioner was the son of the John Robinson  who had married Hannah Holyland, Holland, or Olrond, and almost immediately after the marriage deserted her and went to America. Applications were made to the clergymen of Leicestershire, and a reward offered for the certificate of the marriage of the elder John, and after great difficulty a record was found at Aylestone church of the marriage of John Robinson, miller of Enderby, batchelor, and Hannah Holyland.” (1)

How much easier it is now to find such evidence – a few clicks of my mouse and a copy of the much-sought certificate is there on the computer screen! John and Hannah married by licence; John was allegedly a batchelor, age 21 and Hannah a spinster, age 29.


But was John free to marry? The court heard testimony that John was a serial bigamist; he may already have been married prior to meeting Hannah, he may have married another three women subsequently after emigrating, and that anyway the fact of their son John’s baptism being four months later did not prove that he had been born in wedlock. Further confusion was caused by the baptism showing the mother’s name as Susannah, rather than Hannah. Apparently John the elder had become wealthy after emigrating to America and left a bequest to “John Robinson, the son of Hannah Holyland”, raising the question years later as to whether this amounted to a repudiation of paternity.

Nonetheless the judge initially found in Benjamin’s favour. The value of the estate at Knightlow was given as £2400 – a lifetime’s fortune for a labourer!

But who was John Robinson’s bride?  The marriage certificate shows her as Hannah; her son’s baptismal record as Susanna.

 

Luckily for me, the court case also mentioned that the younger John had been named in the will of his paternal grandfather and I was able to trace this. William Holiland, a grazier of Little Glen, Leicestershire, had left bequests in his will of 1794 to his daughter Hannah Robinson and her son John Robinson.

William “Hollyland” had married Ann Boswell in Aylestone in 1744. The church registers show that they baptised 3 daughters –Jane, Susanna and Sarah – but no Hannah. However there is no trace of Susanna after her baptism in 1749. I am left wondering if Hannah and Susanna were one and the same, using different names at various times. If so, Hannah shaved another 5 years off  her age when she married John Robinson, making her about 14 years older than he was (if his given age can be believed!)

And what happened to Benjamin and his newly-awarded riches? In 1886, The Duke of Buccleuch took the case to appeal, where it was decided that it should be reheard in its entirety. (2) I cannot find newspaper reports of the second hearing, but Benjamin’s luck may have ran out – Knightlow is still, to this day, paying “wroth money” (a total of 46p/year!) to the Duke of Buccleuch in his role as Lord of the Manor! (3)

(1)    Stamford Mercury 09 July 188

(2)    Birmingham Daily Post 15 March 1887

(3)    https://www.ourwarwickshire.org.uk/content/article/wroth-silver-ceremony-knightlow-cross

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