Charles Meyer and Thomas Welsh that the said sum of £7000 will be 
insufficient to pay the expences of the said works and he has requested to 
have further advances of money made to him to enable him to carry on the 
said works which the said Charles Knyvett Frederick Charles Meyer and 
Thomas Welsh have agreed to make Now it is agreed between the said 
parties and the said Alexander Robertson‘does engage to complete the said 
works with all the alterations and additions which have or shall be made by 
the direction of the said John Nash or which have or shall become necessary 
from any reason whatever in a good and workmanlike manner on or before 
the first day of January 1820 as aforesaid And that when the said work shall  
be fully completed the sum of money to be paid to him the said Alexander 
Robertson in addition to the said sum of £7000 shall be ascertained fixed and 
settled by the said John Nash but in case the said Charles Knyvett Frederick  
Charles Meyer and Thomas Welsh shall not be satisfied with the sum to be 
fixed by the said John Nash then the said sum of money so to be paid to the 
said Alexander Robertson as aforesaid (in addition to the said sum of £7000)  
shall be ascertaindd fixed and settled by William Ayrton of James Street 
Buckingham Gate Esquire the said Charles Knyvett and Thomas Welsh and 
the said Alexander Robertson loth agree to be satisfied with such sum of 
money and to receive the same in full of all demands and to give an absolute  
Release to the said Charles Knyvett Frederick Charles Meyer and Thomas 
Welsh and also to all the Members of the Regents Harmonic Institution and 
to allow in account all advances that have been or may be made over the said  
sum of £7000. In consideration whereof the said Charles Knyvett Frederick 
Charles Meyer and Thomas Welsh have this day advanced the said Alexander 
Robertson the sum of Six hundred pounds in addition to the aforesaid sum of 
£7200 for the purposes aforesaid and they do hereby agree to make further 
advances if necessary such advances not to exceed £500.
Witness         Chas. Knyvett
M. C. Burney    F. C. Meyer
                Thomas Welsh 
                Alex. Robertson
Sir Arthur Slingsby
Sir Arthur Slingsby, who purchased the Jacobean house Bifrons, near 
Canterbury, in 1662, was descended of a younger branch of the Slingsbys of 
Scriven in Yorkshire and was created a baronet at Brussels in 1657. Born 
about 1623, he was a son of Sir Guildford Slingsby (1565-1631), by his wife 
Margaret, daughter of William Wafters, Lord Mayor of York in 1620. He 
married "a Flemish lady" and was buried 12 February 1665/6 at Patrix- 
bourne in his fortysecond year. His widow was living on 28 April 1666.
20

   Sir Arthur's will confirms Dugdales 'Visitation of Yorkshire' 
(The Genealogist, NS, vol. 26 p.178) that they had two sons and two
daughters; Charles (the second and last baronet), Peter Francis, Anne 
Charlotte (born in 1662, baptised 4 Jan. 1664 at Patrixbourne, Kent) and 
Mary (born postumously and baptised 26 April 1666 at Patrixbourne). 
Anne married Edward Nightingale, de jure fifth baronet (1658-1723).
   The elder son, then Sir Charles Slingsby Bt, sold Bifrons in 1677 to 
Thomas Baker, a London merchant, after which nothing is known of him. 
It is conjectured that he may have been the husband of Dame Mary Slingsby 
"who was buried 1st March 1693/4 at St. Pancras, Middlesex from
St. James' ". The Dictionary of National Biography states that this lady 
was Mrs. Aldridge, afterwards Mrs. Lee, afterwards Lady Slingsby, and 
as Mrs. Lee from 1660 to 1680 and as Lady Slingsby from 1681 to 1685 was 
a well-known actress.
   The will of Sir Arthur is given in full as not only does it contain a 
wealth of detail but illustrates how valuable an estate owners will can be to 
a local historian.
   Sir Arthur Caley (1614/15-?) was the son of Edward Caley of Brompton 
in Pickering, Yorkshire, by his wife Anne, daughter of William Wafters, of 
Cundall, Yorkshire (Dugdales 'Visitation of Yorkshire' in 'The Genealogist', 
NS, Vol. 29 p.154). This William Watters is doubtless identical with the 
William Watters, of _Stubbing House in Gilstead, Yorkshire, who was the 
maternal grandfather of Sir Arthur Slingsby. However, 'Yorkshire 
Pedigrees' (Harleian Society, vol. 96 p.444) states that Mary Watters and 
not Anne Walters was the mother of Sir Arthur Caley.
   Sir Arthur Slingsby's "worthy kinsman Robert Walter Esquire" is 
probably either his uncle or Ms uncle/ s son Robert Watters (sic). His 
uncle was High Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1660 and great grandfather of 
Richard Robinson, created Lord Rokeby in 1722. ('Yorkshire Pedigrees' 
pages 444 and 445). Sir Arthur's elder brother Francis Slingsby was of 
St. Martins in the Fields (will proved 1670 PCC 141 Penn).
   For further information on this family please see 'Blackmansbury' vol.1 
No.2 (page 19).
Copy of the will of Sir Arthur Slingsby (PCC 51 Mico)
In the name of God Amen. I Sir Arthur Slingesby of Bifrons in the County of 
Kent, Knight and Barronett doe make this my last will and testament in 
manner and forme following, vizt I doe give and bequeath to my worthy 
Kinsman Sir Arthur Caley knight and to my deare brother Francis Slingesby 
Esquire And to my worthy kinsman Robert Walter Esquire and to their 
heires All my mannors houses lands Tenements and hereditaments whatso- 
ever whereof I have any estate eyther in possession or reversion upon trust
                                                                        21

that they shall and will settle dispose convey and sell and dispose of the 
proffitts thereof according to the directions of this my will for the payment  
of my debts and the maintenance of my wife and Children Alsoe I doe give 
and bequeath unto the said Sir Arthur Caley Francis Slingsby and Robert 
Walter all that Lease Terme and interest and estate That I have of and in 
Five hundred pounds per annum payable out of the post office for the terme 
of one and thirty years or the life of Sir _Samuel' Morland or which of them 
shall have the longest continuance my Lease of the house at Pickadilly And 
all houses, lands and rents which remayne yet unsold of my wives beyond 
the seas And all shares and parts of any thing granted ranee by his majesty 
And all other my Leases money Debts, goods and Chattel's whatsoever, 
subject nevertheless to the Trust hereafter in this my will declared touching  
the same And my will and mynd is and I doe hereby desire and direct That 
the said Sir Arthur Caley Francis Slingesby and Robert Walter and the 
survivors and survivour of them and his heirs shall settle and dispose and 
suffer the rents fines and proffitts of all that my mansion house called 
Bifrons with all out houses yards gardens orchards and appurtenances in 
the parrish of Patrixborne in the said County of Kent And of all those two 
orchards thereunto nere adjoyning conteyning three acres and all my two 
Cherrye orchards with a part of the Forestall conteyning five acres And of
all those two peeces of arreable land called the Coaches conteyning eighteene  
acres and of one peece of arrable land called the horse Leaze conteyning 
Eight acres and of all that peece of meadow land called the Cowleaze 
conteyning eleaven acres and of all that peece of meadow ground called the 
lower meadow conteyning six acres all now in my owne occupation And of all 
that other parte of the forestall conteyning two acres now in the occupation 
of Valentine Staynes at the yearly rent of forty shillings and of all that 
Tenement with the appurtenances in Lease to Christopher Sympson at the 
yearly rent of fiftie shillings And of all those two tenements with the 
appurtenances and a pasture close above the house conteyning two acres and 
of one peece of meadowe conteyning fower acres called the Little horse 
Lease, two peeces of pasture being part of Colland field conteyning eighteene  
acres and of one peece of arrable land called the Tenne acres and of one 
peece called the six acres and of one peece called the eight acres And of
one peece called Magate conteyning seaven acres all lying in .Patrixborne 
aforesaid and in lease to Thomas Badcock at the yearely rent of Fiftie three 
Pounds And of one Tenement with the appurtenances and two peeces of 
meadow called the Upper and the middle meadowes conteyning nyne acres 
and of one peece of arrable land called the five acres and of one peece called 
Stone acres conteyning eighteen acres and of one peece being parte of 
Colland Field conteyning Eight acres in all five peeces conteyning forty
22

acres All scituate lyeing and being in the parrishes of Bridge and 
Patrixborne in the said Countie of Kent and in Lease to Valentine Rucke at 
the yearely rent of Fiftie eight pounds And of those three Tenements with 
the appurtenances in Bridge aforesaid in Lease to Mr. Robert Bargrave at 
the yearely rent of eight pounds and Tenne shillings And of all that Tenemtn 
with the appurtenances in Bridge aforesaid in Lease to John Cooley at the
yearely rent of three pounds And of all that Tenement with the appurtenances 
in Bridge aforesaid in the Tenure of widow Butcher And of all that Tenement 
with the appurtenances in Bridge aforesaid in Lease to widow Cheston at the 
yearely rent of thirty shillings and of one Tenement with the appurtenances
with two peeces of arrable land one behind the house and the other adjoining 
to Bridge hill towards Canterbury conteyning she acres All in the occupation 
of Richard Gilman at the yearely rent of Nyne pounds And of one Tenement 
with a Tanne Yard and the appurtenances in Bridge aforesaid and a peece of 
Meadowe conteyning three acres by the house And of one peece of arrable 
land called Tanners Field conteyning Foure acres in the occupation of one 
Thomas May at the yearely rent of Twelve pounds and of all rent Capons
rent Hennes and other such like rents or profitts payable by any of the 
tenants to be received and taken as. I have herein after appointed That is to 
say That they the said Sir Arthur Caley Francis Slingsby and Robert Walter 
and the survivors and survivor of them and his heirs shall permitt and 
suffer my wife to have the use of my said house called Bifrons dureing her 
naturall life for her habitation And my will is That she suffer her children 
to live with her in the house whether single or married soe as they marry 
not without the consent of my wife or the consent of my executors or of my 
brother Francis Slingesby but my will and mynd is That when my eldest 
sonne then liveing shall marry or come to the age of one and twenty yeares 
That his brothers and sisters shall not but with the consent of him and his 
mother by vertue of any Clause in this my will Clayme any right to live and 
inhabitt in the said house But my confidence is that They will not deny them 
that priviledge without very just cause and my will is that my said kinsman 
Sir Arthur Caley my brother Francis Slingesby and Robert Walter doe per-
mitt and suffer all my household goods now in my house at Bifrons to continue 
there after my death for the use of my wife and children and that the same
be continued there dureing my wifes life and after for the use of my heir And 
my further will and mynd is that my wife dureing her naturall life be per- 
mitted to have and receive to her owne use the Moyety or one halfe of the 
rents issues and proffits of all the perticularly before mentioned lands tene- 
ments and herditaments And that when the said messuages lands Tenements 
and hereditaments shalbe settled upon my children as I have in this my will 
directed That the said Moyety of the said lands be settled upon or secured
                                    23

    unto my said wife for her life And my further will is that the said Sir Arthur 
    Caley and my brother Francis Slingesby and Robert Walter doe out of the 
    other Moyety of the rents issues and proffits of the said particularly men- 
    tioned lands pay (during the minority of my sonne Charles the somme of 
    thirty pounds to my sonne Peter Francis and thirty pounds to my daughter 
    Anne Charlott Slingsby for their maintenance by quarterly payments at the 
    Feastes of our blessed Lady Saint Mary the Virgin the nativity of Saint John 
    the Baptist Saint Micha.ell the Archangell and the nativity of our saviour to 
    commence at the first of those feasts after my decease And that they pay the 
    overplus to my sonne Charles and that at the fullage of my sonne Charles or 
    of such sonne as shalbe my heir they settle the said messuages tenements 
    and lands in manner and forme following vizt. the house with the appurten- 
    ances and the one moyety of the messuageslands and tenements upon my 
    wife for her life. And the other moytie and also the said house (and that 
    moyety lymitted to my wife) after her deathupon my sonne Charles and the 
    heirs of his body And for default of such issue upon my Sonne Peter Francis 
    Slingsby and the heirs of his body And for defeault of such issue upon all and 
    every other sonne and sonnes that I shall happen to have by my wife And 
    upon the heirs of the bodyes of such sonnes severally and respectively 
    according to their seniority and ages the eldest and the heirs of his body to 
    bee preferred before the younger and the heirs of his and their body and 
    bodyes And for default of such issue to all such daughters as I shall happen 
    to have by my wife and to the heirs of their boydes And for default of such 
    issue to my deare brother Francis Slingesby for an dureing the terme of his 
    naturall life And after his decease to my Nephewe Guilford Slinesby and to 
    his heirs And my further will and mynd is That the said Sir Arthur Caley 
    Francis Slingesby and Robert Walter at the full age of my said sonne 
    Charles or such of my sonnes as at his full age shalbe my heire shall not 
    settle my estate upon him or them as is before by me in this my will 
    directed or suffer my heire to receive any of the rents issues or proffitts 
    thereof until he hath given security to the good likeing of the said Sir Arthur 
    Caley Francis Slingesby and Robert Walter That my sonne Peter Francis 
    Slingesby and my daughter Anne Charlett Slingesby shall at their respective 
    ages of one and twenty years or Dayes of Marriage or which shall first 
    happen have five hundred pounds a peece paid unto them and thirty pounds 
    per annum be in the meane tyme yearly paid unto them by equall quarterly 
    payments at the aforesaid fower most usuall feasts of the yeare The first 
    payment thereof to be made at the first of those feaster which shall next 
    happen after my death. And that my wife shall quietly have and enjoy her 
    habitation dureing her life in the house and the use of all the goods there
    And the moietie of all the rents and profitts of all the before particularly
    24








mirsorraras Tram 111172Thrff ME Via.■■■111■..-

mentioned lands And my further will is that dureing the minority of my heire 
the said Sir Arthur Caley Francis Slingsby and Robert Walter or any of 
them shall with a servant have free egresie and regresie into my said house 
and there reside as long as hee or they please for the ordering and settling 
my affairs according to the direction of this my will And I doe perticularly 
recommend it to my deare brother to comfort assist and advise my deare 
wife and children in their affairs aswell in England as beyond the seas and
to live with them as much as his affairs will permitt him And if my brothers 
affairs will permitt him and that he will looke after such estate as doth or 
shall belong to my wife or children beyond the seas in Flanders Brabant or 
elsewhere that he shall allowe himselfe the charges of his Journey And I doe 
heartily recommend it to my deare wife to make him a present according to 
her ability and the efforts of his negotiaton And my further will is that for 
lands from all engagements and the satissfaction of such legacies as I have 
given by this my will the said Sir Arthur Caley Francis Slingesby and 
Robert Walter doe with what convenient speed they can sell these perticular 
messuages and landes following or soe many of them as shalbe necessarie
to doe the same vizt. one tenement with the appurtenances and eleaven 
peices of arrable land pasture and meadow ground in the parish of Bridge 
aforesaid in Lease to Daniell Ovenden at the yearely rent of Thirty and six 
pounds The parcell of which lands and the quitrents and proffitts which 
Daniell Ovenden enjoys and pays by vertue of that Lease appeares in my 
booke of the perticulers of my estate kept for information of my trustees 
And also one other Tenement with the appurtenances And tenne fields of 
arrable pasture and meadow ground conteyning one hundred and forty acres 
or thereabouts in the Parish of Bridge in Lease to John Castle at the yearly 
rent of Fiftie pounds and also one other Tenement with the appurtenances 
and fower parcells of land conteyning fourteene acres or thereabouts in the 
parish of Bridge aforesaid in Lease to Nicholas Fasman (?) at the yearely 
rent of eight pounds and tenne shillings And alsoe one peece of Woodland 
called P hill conteyning Eleaven acres or thereabouts And one other peece 
of woodland conteyning three acres or thereabouts all in my owne hands in 
the parrish of Bridge aforesaid which my will is should be alsoe sold un- 
lesse my executors shall thinke fitt to keepe it and annex it to my sonne 
Charles his estate and to settle it as I have directed the estate that I have by 
this my will appointed to be settled on him with the like remainders as I 
have directed to be lymitted upon that estate to my sonne Charles which I 
doe here give them power to doe if they shall soe thinke fitt And my will is 
that the said Sir Arthur Caley Francis Slingesby and Robert Walter with the 
money that shalbe raised by the sale of the aforesaid Lands and tenements 
appointed to be sold as aforesaid and by the sale of my leases and of such
                                     25

other parte of my estate as I have by this my will given unto them which are 
all my goods and ChattelIs (except those household goods which I have dir- 
ected by this my will to be left in my said house called Bifrons my will is 
That in the first place they soe discharge all such debts as my lands or any 
parte thereof are ingaged for And after those ingagements discharged that 
they satisffie all my just debts And if it shall happen that my wife shalbe 
with child at my death That then they dis'pose of Five hundred pounds to be 
lmployed as a portion for that child wherewith my wife shalbe with child at 
my death And then my will is that the remaine and overplus of my estate be 
equally divided amongst all my children then living share and share (a) like 
And my will is that such estate as shall fall or come to my wife and children 
by their Aunt D'hautron (? D'hanton) if she order it not otherwise may after 
my wives death be equally divided amongst my children And mywill also is 
that what Legacies I shall give in any Codicil hereafter written with my 
owne hand to be subscribed by my selfe with my owne name and sealed with 
my owne seale shalbe paid after my debts and before any division of my 
estate amongst my children or as I shall appoint them to be paid And where- 
as I have given a security to Mr. William Tompson of Bruxells merchant by 
a certain Smithes house and shop and land in the occupation of William 
Gilman in Bridge at the yearelly rent of Nyne pounds which is to be voyd 
upon condition That my sonne Peter Francis Slingesby shall at his full age 
make voyd a rent charge of Fiftie Florence Brabant money charged upon a 
house that my wife and I sold in Bruxells to the said Mr. Tompson I doe 
hereby devise That when my sonne Peter Francis Slingsby shall avoyd that 
rent that my sonne Charles shall pay him one hundred pounds over and above 
the five hundred pounds devised to himas aforesaid And then my will is that 
the said house shop and lands in Bridge be settled upon my Bonne Charles in 
such manner and for such estate and with like remainder as the rest of my 
lands hereby appointed to be settled on him as directed to be setled and of 
this my will I doe constitute and appoint my said kinsman Sir Arthur Caley 
and my said brother Francis Slingesby and my said kinsman Robert Walter 
Executors And I doe give to every of them twenty pounds a peece to buy 
every one of them a horse And I would have mourning apparrell only allowed 
to my wife and children my executors Collonell Walter Slingesby and my two 
sisters My body I would have decently buryed without any pompe whatsoever 
desireing that if I dye within any reasonable distance it may be buried in the 
Chappell belonging to my house in Patrixborne Parish Church In witness 
whereof to this my last will written in twelve sheets of paper affixed together 
at the toppe thereof with a red silke ribbon I have to every sheete thereof 
subscribed my name and upon the last sheete there of and alsoe on the knott 
of the said ribbon have sett my seale on hard wax and have published the
26

same to be my last will this six and twentieth day of January in the sixteenth  
yeare of the raigne of our Soveraigne Lord King Charles the second 1664 
Arth Slingesby signed sealed declared and published by the said Sir Arthur 
Slingesby as his last will the day of the date above written in the presence of 
G, Benion William Singleton Bar Carpenter
probate. The above written will was proved at London before the Venerable 
Man Thomas Reade Doctor of Laws Surrogate of the pre-eminent Man 
William Mericke, Kt. , also Doctor of Laws and lawfully constituted 
Commissary of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, on the first day of the 
month of March A.D. 1665/6, by oath of Francis Slingesby one of the 
Executors in named the will to whom the administration was committed 
(being) sworn (to) well (and faithfully administer) reserving a similar grant 
to Sir Arthur Caley, Kt. , and Robert Walter the other executors named when 
they shall come.
Queries
REGINALD TURNER (1869-1938)
Starley Weintraub, Editor of 'The Shaw Review', wrote, in a letter to "The 
Times Literary Supplement" (10 December 1964 page 1127) " .... in 
'Reggie', my forthcoming biography of Reggie Turner, I am demonstrating 
the equally plausible cases for Turner's having been fathered by Lionel 
Lawson or by his nephew Edward Levy-Lawson (Lord Burnham), as well as 
the curious problems involved in tracing Reggie Turner's mother - another 
intricate puzzle. " The Editor would be pleased to receive any evidence for 
inclusion in an article entitled 'Who Was Reggie Turner?' which is due to 
appear in the next (June) issue of 'Blackmansbury'.
EMLEY FAMILY
Information would be welcomed regarding this famiiy in England. Please 
reply to James 0. Emley, 2118, S. Park drive, Santa Ana, California, U.S. A.
PICTURES AT BIFRONS
Bifrons, near Canterbury, the property of the Conyngham family, was 
demolished about ten years ago. A valuable and interesting collection of 
pictures hung in the house before the last war but no information can be 
obtained regarding their fate. Enquiries of the Conyngham family have not 
met with any response, but it is known that a painting of Bifrons by Wootton, 
which was in the house before the war, recently passed through the hands of 
a London dealer. Can any reader help, please?


                                    27