Burton, David Fowler, 1857-1931

The papers in this collection fall into two basic categories: title deeds and related papers from 1396 for estates in Cherry Burton bought by the Burton family from Sir James Pennyman in 1783 (papers for the Burton family themselves before this date do not feature significantly in the collection) and title deeds and related papers for estates, in County Durham and Sunderland in particular, owned by the Robinson family, and Robinson family papers. The Cherry Burton and Durham and Sunderland estates became amalgamated through lateral inheritance. David Burton (who assumed the name Fowler to satisfy the conditions of a will) died childless in 1828, whereupon the Cherry Burton estates devolved upon his great-nephew, David Robinson (b.1787), who was the grandson of the sister of David Burton (Fowler), Elizabeth Burton. Her daughter, Sarah Hicks, had married Marshall Robinson of Sunderland in 1785 and their eldest son, by the terms of his great-uncle's will, assumed the name and arms of the Burton family in 1828. Papers about this are in the collection. Papers about the Robinson family, including a rough pedigree and much correspondence, are also quite extensive; they predate Burton family papers in the collection and indicate that the Robinson family had held considerable estates in Durham and Sunderland from at least the late seventeenth century (Ward, East Yorkshire landed estates, pp.62-3).

David Robinson (Burton) married in 1813 Isabella Fawell and they had two sons and four daughters. The Cherry Burton estate inherited by them was enclosed a year later, in 1829, giving them 1085 acres and the family continued to own just over 1000 acres until the early twentieth century. David Robinson (Burton) was a justice of the peace and became deputy lieutenant of the East Riding. He died in 1854. He was succeeded to the estates by his eldest son, David Burton (b.1820), who carried on his father's tradition of being very active in local affairs. He also became a justice of the peace and deputy lieutenant of the East Riding and in addition he became the first chairman of the East Riding County Council. His first wife predeceased him and in 1845 he married Fanny Cowper, the daughter of Frederick Cowper of Carleton Hall and Skelton in Cumberland. There are papers in the collection relating to his will (Ward, East Yorkshire landed estates, pp.62-3; Huzzard, Cherry Burton, passim).

David Burton died in 1890 and was succeeded to the estates by his son, David Fowler Burton (b.1857), who pursued an army career. He married Mary Sophia Whitaker in 1884, daughter of the rector of Leconfield and Scorborough. They had three sons, David Cecil Fowler Burton (b.1857), Robert Claude Burton, Ralph Thornton Burton, and one daughter, Evelyn Mary Burton. In 1916, David Fowler Burton split up and sold the estates, just retaining the mansion and surrounding 42 acres. The family continued to live in Cherry Burton Hall, David Fowler Burton dying in 1931. His eldest son died without issue while on active service in India in 1897 and his other two sons were ultimately outlived by his daughter, Evelyn. In 1915 she had married Edward Bickersteth and she moved back into the Hall in 1933. It was finally sold off in 1945 and the family papers passed down to the trustees of her estate before being deposited in the East Riding Record Office (Ward, East Yorkshire landed estates, pp.62-3; Blewett, Cherry Burton, pp.9, 21, 29; Huzzard, Cherry Burton, passim).

From the guide to the Papers of the Burton Family (Incorporating the Robinson Family of County Durham) of Cherry Burton, 1396-1931, (Hull University, Brynmor Jones Library)