BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ashton Court references and information sources compiled by FAM volunteers January 2022.
Bantock, Anton (1980) The Smyths of Ashton Court. Malago Society.
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Bantock, Anton (1982) The earlier Smyth's of Ashton Court from their letters 1545- 1741. Malago Publications.
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Bantock, Anton (1984) The later Smyth's of Ashton Court from their letters 1741 - 1802. Malago Publications.
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Bantock, Anton (2004). Ashton Court. Images of England series. Tempus publishing.
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Bettey, J. H. (1978) The rise of a gentry family - the Smyth's of Ashton Court 1500-1642. Bristol Branch of the Historical Society.
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Bettey, J.H. The Smyths of Ashton Court, to 1680. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
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Bristol Archaeological Research Group Bulletin, vol 6, no 3 1977, p. 52-57 in abbreviated form. The full paper with catalogues being in Bowen and Fowler (eds.). Early land allotment in the British Isles. British Archaeological Reports 48. Oxford: 1978, p. 29-47. Professor Fowler on Ashton Court.
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Bristol City Council (1991) Ashton Court Estate Draft Management Plan 1991.
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Carter G., Goode P., Laurie K. (1982) Humphry Repton. [Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts].
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Collinson. R.W.J. (1791) History and Antiquities of the County of Somerset, vol. 2, p. 294-295. With Bonner view late 1791.
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Collinson. R.W.J. (1792) The History and Antiquities of the County of Somerset, p. 288-305. (New edition (1883) edited by Robert Dunning. Alan Sutton).
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Gardeners Chronicle. 1882, June 3rd, new series, v.17, p. 734.
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Gardeners Chronicle, 1885, Sept. 5th, new series, v.24, p.295. Ashton Court, Bristol. [Winter garden created by glazing over inner courtyard].
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Gardeners Magazine, 1908, May 16th, p.376-378. . [South front? no flower garden but broad borders along walls. 'Lower Wilderness garden' - vineries, plant houses, glass houses by Messrs. Skinner. Board and Co. Bristol - a handsome range].
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Girouard, M. (1980) Life in the English Country House. Penguin.
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Jackson-Stops. G., A Country House for a City Council. Country Life 1972, May 25.
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Journal of Horticulture, Cottage Gardener and Home Farmer.
1883, August 23rd, v. 7, 3rd series, p. 162-164.
1901, October 17th, v. 43, p. 353-354.
1907, February 28th v.54, p. 186-189.
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Land Use Consultants for Bristol City Council (1992) Ashton Court: study of the development of the designed landscape.
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Pevsner W. (1958) North Somerset & Bristol. Buildings of England Series (1958). Pevsner.
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Repton. H. (1803) Observations on the Theory of Practice of Landscape Architecture. Printed by T. Bensley … for J. Taylor.
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Stroud. D. (1962) Humphrey Repton. Country Life Limited.
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Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (1974) The Ledger of John Smyth 1538 – 1550. HMSO.
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Robinson, W.J. (1930) West Country Manors. St. Stephens Press.
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Southville People and Places. Fiducia Press 2004.
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Victoria County History. History of Somerset ,Victoria County History [42-43].
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Primary Sources
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Bristol Archives (Bristol Record Office, or BRO)
Ashton Court papers (AC)
Jarrit Smith papers (JS)
Woolnough papers (WO)
Accessions Add. 36074 and 36214
Bristol University Library
Manuscript notes by Smith family In Rider's British Merlin.
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British Library
Manuscripts -Views of Ashton Court by Buckler and Blore - Ashton Court Box.
Maps –OS Series.
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Gloucestershire Record Office
‘Nothing of Interest’ (re Landscape).
National Monuments Record
Ashton Court Box.
Somerset Record Office
Enclosure/Tithe for Long Ashton (Act 1813).
Sale Catalogues (1917 and 1948).
Secondary Sources
British Library.
Royal Horticultural Society - Lindley Library.
Royal Institute of British Architects – Library.
Bristol Archives (Bristol Record Office, BRO) selected holdings
Drawings at BRO
AC/E/18. 1818 Estate Survey.
AC/PL/67. Proposals to stop up roads c.1800 – 1810 marking up earlier plans.
AC/PL/74-83. Plans (proposals?) for Lodges, gates, fences including South Lodge 1805.
AC/PL/86. Measured 1730 drawn 1765. Map of the Parish of Long Ashton. [Includes 2 elevations of Mansion, approx. 2m x 1.2m].
AC/PL/94. Dated c.1827 but probably pre 1800. Map of the Parish of long Ashton. [Approx. same size as PL/86].
AC/PL/105. 1826 Estate Survey.
AC/PL/106. Pre 1826 Estate Survey?
AC/PL/1641. 1904 plans by Edward Gabriel, architect, for alternations to the terrace.
42763/1. Two plans of Ashton Court. 1944.
1865 Estate Survey.
1885 First Edition Ordnance Survey.
Correspondence at BRO
AC/F7/3. John Smyth's will Included money to be used in dressing the Cawsey (Causeway) that ledeth from the ende of Bedmynster towarde my mansyon house at Longe Ashton.
AC/21-22: C26 and C31/5. Letter from Jane to her husband Matthew, Jane d. 1594. She greatly extended the park and estate.
AC/C26. Letter from Charles Somerset to Mathew Smyth.
AC/C21. Mathew Smyth enquires to Nlcholas Poyntz's former keeper.
AC/C38. ACC 36074 (158). Purchases by Jane Smyth – widow of Mathew Smyth.
AC/36074 (72) & 33134. Weekly Accounts in 1630s for Sir Thomas for House & Park.
AC/C21. Ref. to 'greene courte'; 'courte'; Oulde Courte.
28177 (?). Astry family 1693-1721 includes letter Garden Wall stones.
AC/JS 11 (7). Florence Smyth to Jarrit regarding steps and ‘court’ being laid.
Reports at BRO
40369/1-19 [HK564]. Report carried out by Gilmore Hankey Kirke Ltd., examining the history and development of the Mansion, the current buildings, and their uses in the future.
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40369/1. Amanda Bruton Report 1. History and sequence of development. [Includes 3 weeks of historical research by Jean Manco looking at extent of Ashton Court history content and Geophysics report. Appendix 3].
Miscellaneous
Loxton drawing of Clifton Lodge c.1920 & ‘Park Lodge’ – misattributed to Clarken Combe in Loxton’s Bristol the Edwardian Years. Redcliffe Press, 1992.
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Journal of Horticulture, Cottage Gardener and Home Farmer. 1907. Bedding.
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Terrier of 1818: Orchard Horn (19 acres of Pasture). The Ice House. Deer Park (168 acres of pasture. excluding plantations and roads), Upper Lodge. Lower Lodge. Pleasure Ground ID front of house (1.02.34 arp), PG adjacent to house (1 acre). Summer House plantation. Keepers House. Sheep sleight, etc.
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Terrier of 1818 also included paper from J. Smyth’s house Conveyance 1749: Mansion House, Outhouses, Garden Courts with Park adjoining (254.0.0 arp); Old Orchard (3.1.32 arp): New Orchard (5.02.26 arp.); (Conygre (7.01.23 arp) and Orchards Horn (15.01.30 arp).
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Views of Ashton Court by Buckler 1810-1829, including House, entrance and Keeper's Lodge.
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1829 Rutter, external views of Ashton Court.
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1937 Draft scheme approved for the City to acquire the estate to use as a public open space.
Additional references
Bibliography from Women of Ashton Court, Tish O’Connor.
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Follow link for image of Florence and Thomas Smyth.
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Follow link for image of Emily Smyth.
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General References
Ashton Court Mansion and Stables. Official Historic England listing.
Ashton Court Park and Garden. Official Historic England listing.
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