Greater Manchester’s oldest surviving archive collection saved by Manchester City Council

The Assheton of Middleton estate archive collection, purchased by Manchester City Council, will now have a permanent home in the Greater Manchester County Record Office at Manchester Central Library ensuring that people in Greater Manchester and beyond will continue to have access to this outstanding local history collection.

The archive sheds light on local life in the medieval and early modern era between Greater Manchester’s better-known Roman and industrial revolution stories.

It is an outstanding example of a medieval family archive with nationally important items relating to the English Civil War, the Middleton Bowmen, the Black Knight, and the royal court of the Plantagenets, as well as unique local history sources recording the local Middleton population.

The purchase of the 1400 items was made possible by generous funding support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, The V&A Purchase Fund, the Friends of the National Libraries and Manchester Central Library Development Trust.

The collection contains some fascinating items including the earliest surviving written document, the 1197 Articles of Agreement which divided lands within the Assheton estate between Roger de Middleton and William de Radcliffe in the Greater Manchester area. It was witnessed by ‘Adam, parson of Middleton’ so it is also the earliest evidence of a church in Middleton.

The Heritage Fund grant, made possible by National Lottery players, will also allow Archives+ to invest in the collection, developing a programme of education and outreach activities aimed at schools and local communities in Middleton, Rochdale, and Manchester.

Councillor John Hacking, Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure said:

“After many years of hard work behind the scenes, we are immensely pleased to have finally secured the future of this nationally significant archive for the future of Greater Manchester and to be able to give it a permanent home with Greater Manchester County Record Office at Manchester Central Library. This is a fascinating and rich collection of documents showing colourful glimpses into medieval English life and is an important part of Greater Manchester’s early heritage.”

 

Councillor Janet Emsley, Rochdale Borough Council’s Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Equity, Safety and Reform said:

“We are absolutely delighted that the Assheton Archive has been secured for future generations to enjoy. The historic significance of this collection of unique documents sheds light on the Assheton’s

family’s importance not only in the town of Middleton, but across the whole country. Our thanks go to all the funders and staff who have worked tirelessly to secure this wonderful collection of documents.”

 

Helen Featherstone, Director, England, North at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said:

“We are delighted that, thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, this important collection will now have a permanent home in Manchester Central Library and be preserved for years to come. It is exciting to know that local people will be able to experience the archive and have a glimpse into Greater Manchester’s lesser known but rich medieval history, connecting with the heritage that is right on their doorstep. The North of England is the home to fascinating heritage, and we know it is a great way of bringing people together and furthering a sense of pride of place in communities.”

 

Videos

Alison Gill, Manchester Libraries and Archives, Services Development Specialist explains the significance of the Assheton Collection in a video below which also includes Cllr John Hacking, Executive Member for Skills Employment and Leisure.

Short video 2mins 48 secs  -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVLrYIF5SY4 

Longer video 5 mins 48 secs -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIV3ZOnbFGk

Please contact the pressoffice@manchester.gov.uk if you require the video file.

ENDS

Further background information:

Sir Ralph Assheton (1421-1486) fought in the capture of Berwick upon Tweed and held several offices under Edward IV, including the High Sheriff of Yorkshire. Under Richard III, Ralph was rewarded for his loyalty to the Yorkist cause with the titles Vice-Constable of England and Lieutenant of the Tower of London. Ralph's death at Ashton-under-Lyne is commemorated by the Black Knight Pageant in the town.

Sir Richard Assheton (1483–1549), Ralph's grandson, was an English soldier who fought at the battle of Flodden. Richard raised a company of archers to fight in 1513 from Middleton; these longbowmen (renowned nationally as Middleton Bowmen) were crucial in the victory against Scotland. One of thestand-out documents in the collection is the contract for Robert Legg to serve Sir Ralph Assheton in the King’s Wars under the future King Richard III, 1474 .

Richard commissioned the "Flodden Windows" at St Leonard's Church in Middleton depicting himself, his wife and seventeen captains of the archers, commemorating them each by name in stained glass. The windows are one of the oldest war memorials in England.

To find out more about the Assheton collection and to make an appointment to view items from it visit gmlives.org.uk or email archiveslocalstudies@manchester.gov.uk.

 

About The National Lottery Heritage Fund

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Over the next ten years, we aim to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to bring about benefits for people, places and the natural environment.

We help protect, transform and share the things from the past that people care about, from popular museums and historic places, our natural environment and fragile species, to the languages and cultural traditions that celebrate who we are.

We are passionate about heritage and committed to driving innovation and collaboration to make a positive difference to people’s lives today, while leaving a lasting legacy for future generations to enjoy.

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