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Leek and Cheddleton

Leek

The Leveson-Gower family began their association with Leek in 1540 when James Leveson of Wolverhampton purchased the estates of Trentham Abbey of which Wall Grange was part. The family remained associated with Leek until the sale of Wall Grange in 1911. Leases for the farm and house from 1556-1610 survive in the collection today.

The Leveson-Gower family were involved with many aspects of life in Leek, including the Churnet Valley Railway line which opened in 1849. In 1867 a station on the line was opened at Wall Grange. In 1849 the family were also involved with the Staffordshire Potteries Waterworks Company and the construction of a pumping station in Wall Grange which functioned until its closure in the 1980s.

The Sutherland Papers also contain a number of documents relating to Leek in the early twentieth century. The fourth Duke of Sutherland provided land for a new Church in Longsdon during this period, and the collection includes a printed programme for the annual exhibition of the Staffordshire Agricultural Society held in Leek in 1910.

Click here to see Leek documents in the Sutherland Papers

Cheddleton

The Sutherland Papers contain a wealth of documents relating to Cheddleton, from Medieval times into the nineteenth century. Medieval deeds and sales papers from the early nineteenth century tell us about the development of land and property in Cheddleton. Plans of the Consall estate and a history of the Manor of Consall also feature here, providing an insight into the local history of Cheddleton written in 1835.

Click here to see Cheddleton documents in the Sutherland Papers.