1739 Monumental George II Vellum Indenture – Marquess of Powis – £12,000 Transaction
A remarkable and visually commanding English vellum indenture executed on October 2, 1739, during the reign of King George II, involving William Herbert, 2nd Marquess of Powis, and his son and heir William Herbert, Viscount Montgomery—the future 3rd Marquess of Powis.
Extending across several enormous vellum membranes, the document records a complex assignment and financial settlement involving mortgage securities, property, rents, and debts. Among the locations mentioned are Southampton Buildings in the parish of St. Andrew, Holborn, Middlesex. An endorsement on the reverse acknowledges the extraordinary consideration of £12,000, representing an immense fortune in early Georgian England.
Each principal membrane is framed with hand-ruled red borders and begins with an elaborate engraved “This Indenture” heading incorporating the British royal arms and exuberant calligraphic ornament. Original embossed revenue stamps appear along the margins. The document retains two red wax seals and numerous contemporary signatures and endorsements on the reverse.
William Herbert, 2nd Marquess of Powis, was a notable Catholic nobleman and Jacobite supporter whose titles and estates were restored in 1722. His son, styled Viscount Montgomery in this document, succeeded him in 1745 but died unmarried in 1748, bringing the family’s marquessate to an end.
The vellum displays extensive evidence of nearly three centuries of history, including heavy folds, creasing, staining, edge tears, scattered losses, splitting at fold intersections, and a large interior loss affecting portions of the manuscript. The seals are incomplete, although most of the densely written text remains dark and legible. Offered as an exceptional display and research piece associated with one of Britain’s historically significant noble families.
A remarkable and visually commanding English vellum indenture executed on October 2, 1739, during the reign of King George II, involving William Herbert, 2nd Marquess of Powis, and his son and heir William Herbert, Viscount Montgomery—the future 3rd Marquess of Powis.
Extending across several enormous vellum membranes, the document records a complex assignment and financial settlement involving mortgage securities, property, rents, and debts. Among the locations mentioned are Southampton Buildings in the parish of St. Andrew, Holborn, Middlesex. An endorsement on the reverse acknowledges the extraordinary consideration of £12,000, representing an immense fortune in early Georgian England.
Each principal membrane is framed with hand-ruled red borders and begins with an elaborate engraved “This Indenture” heading incorporating the British royal arms and exuberant calligraphic ornament. Original embossed revenue stamps appear along the margins. The document retains two red wax seals and numerous contemporary signatures and endorsements on the reverse.
William Herbert, 2nd Marquess of Powis, was a notable Catholic nobleman and Jacobite supporter whose titles and estates were restored in 1722. His son, styled Viscount Montgomery in this document, succeeded him in 1745 but died unmarried in 1748, bringing the family’s marquessate to an end.
The vellum displays extensive evidence of nearly three centuries of history, including heavy folds, creasing, staining, edge tears, scattered losses, splitting at fold intersections, and a large interior loss affecting portions of the manuscript. The seals are incomplete, although most of the densely written text remains dark and legible. Offered as an exceptional display and research piece associated with one of Britain’s historically significant noble families.
