Forbes-Adam, Nigel, fl 20th century

The Thompson/Lawley family owned large estates centred on Escrick between the Ouse and Derwent rivers, a few miles south of the city of York. The two families merged with the marriage of Jane Thompson, heiress to the Escrick estates, to Sir Robert Lawley, 5th baronet Wenlock, whose family had held lands in Shropshire since 1471. Lawley family papers and title deeds for their Shropshire estates number some 138 items and date back to 1544 (DDFA/26, DDFA[2]/15). In 1639 the Lawleys acquired the site of Great Wenlock Priory (DDFA/26/17). Papers for the manor of Escrick date back to 1387, though the Thompson family's connection with Escrick dates from 1668.

Through the sixteenth century the capital manor of Escrick belonged to the Knyvett family (DDFA/31-2, 34-5, 67, 72, 74) and in 1607 Sir Thomas Knyvett was created Baron Knyvett of Escrick (his armorial seal can be found at DDFA/5/33 and on a defeasance at DDFA/5/36). The crown manor of Escrick was granted to John Bardolf in 1339 and it was given the name Bardolgarth. The earliest document in the collection relates to this manor; on 17 August 1387 some land on it was gifted to John and Helen Daunay (DDFA/5/28). This land later descended through the Legard family to the Thompsons in 1726. The larger part of Bardolgarth came into the hands of the Knyvetts, so joining the capital manor, in 1584 (Allison, The Victoria history of the county of York East Riding, iii, pp.20-1).

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