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Archifdy Ceredigion Archives
PE: Records of the Priory Estate and the Miles Family.


Acc. 1527, 2560, 2840

Ref: PE

Reference: [GB 0212] PE
Title: Records of the Priory Estate and the Miles Family.
Date(s): 1810-1917
Level: Fonds
Extent: 0.116m3

Administrative History:
The Priory Estate is situated on the east side of the town of Cardigan; the original Priory was a Benedictine one founded by Gilbert de Clare in 1108, but was used as a private residence from at least the late 1500s when it was in possession of the Philipps family, with whom it remained until the late 1600s. One of its notable inhabitants was Katherine Philipps, a well known poet who went by the name of ‘Orinda’.
By the 1740s the estate had passed into the ownership of the Pryses of Gogerddan, until 1774 when it was sold to Thomas Johnes, the father of Colonel Johnes of Hafod Uchtryd. The estate then passed to a member of the Bowen family of Troedyraur, who had the house rebuilt to a design by John Nash between 1793 and 1803.
In 1807 the estate was purchased by the Marquis of Lansdowne, but did not long remain in his possession, as by 1815 it was owned by a Richard Hart Davies Esq. However, by 1828 the estate was owned by George Wollgar Griffith Esq. JP for Pembrokeshire.
By 1840 the estate had passed into the ownership of Philip John Miles, Esq. Of Leigh Court, Somerset, who was a Bristol banker and a millionaire. Upon his death in 1845 the estate passed to Rev. R. H. W. Miles, Canon of Lincoln Cathedral, and then to George Miles, and eventually to Colonel Charles Napier Miles. The estate remained in the hands of the Miles Family until it was sold by Charles Napier Miles in 1897. It was bought by Dr. John Pritchard of Rochester, New York. After World War I the estate mansion was bought and converted into a hospital which it remains to this day.

Archival History: The collection represents the Priory Estate's period of ownership by the Miles family, and includes many records of the estate and the Miles family’s holdings in the area during this period, also included are various other records of the family. The records were held by Forrester & Forrester (formerly Jones and Forrester), solicitors to the Miles Family, presumably from the time of creation to the time of their transfer to the Archives.

Source of Acquisition: Given to Wiltshire and Swindon Record Office (now Archives) by Forrester & Forrester, Solicitors, of Malmesbury; transferred to the Ceredigion Archives 28 January 2004.

Nature and Content: The Collection is divided into 8 Series, as listed below:

PE/1: Records of the estate: tenants, rents, audits and maps

PE/2: Records of the estate: leases and conveyances

PE/3: Records of the Cardigan Brickworks

PE/4: Records of the estate: insurance

PE/5: Records of the estate: sales

PE/6: Records of the estate: improvements

PE/7: Records of taxes and other legal and financial matters

PE/8: Records of railways; PE additional: sale catalogue of the Estate

Publication Notes:
Jones, Francis (2000), Historic Cardiganshire Homes and Their Families. Brawdy Books: Newport, pp. 40-41.
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