Family and estate archives
A list of the family and estate collections held at the Dorset History Centre, arranged alphabetically.
These collections will often include manorial records.
Some collections are uncatalogued, others are only part catalogued (meaning there is only a catalogue for part of the collection, or that the whole collection is only listed to a very basic level). For these collections please contact us in advance with your enquiry so we can help you find the documents or information you need.
Catalogued collections can be searched online. The reference shown below is for the collection as a whole - you would need to browse or search our catalogues to identify individual documents of interest.
| Collection name | Date | Collection reference | Notes |
| Anglesey Estate, Stalbridge | 1599-1936 | D/ANG | Catalogued |
| Bankes of Kingston Lacy | 1348-1925 | D/BKL | Part catalogued |
| Bond family of Creech Grange | 1224-1961 | D/BOC | Uncatalogued |
| Bond family of East Holne | 1610-1949 | D/BOH | Catalogued |
| Bowditch of Stoke Abbot | 1700s-1800s | D/BWD | Uncatalogued |
| Bower family collection | 1594-1923 | D/BOW | Catalogued |
| Brymer of Puddletown | 1702-1948 | D/BOP | Catalogued |
| Carver family of Melbury Abbas | 1860-1984 | D/CAR | Uncatalogued |
| Chafy family of Broadwindsor | 1578-1993 | D/CHA | Uncatalogued |
| Colfox family of Bridport | 1663-1944 | D/COL | Catalogued |
| Deane family of East Stour | 1661-1950 | D/DES | Catalogued |
| Farquharson estate | 1200s-1902 | D/FQN | Catalogued |
| Filliter family collection | 1451-1960 | D/FIL | Catalogued |
| Floyer-Acland of West Stafford | 1517-1936 | D/FLO | Catalogued |
| Forde Abbey estate | 1576-1907 | D/FAE | Catalogued |
| Fox-Strangways, Earls of Ilchester | 965-1900s | D/FSI | Part catalogued |
| Frampton Court estate | 1638-1677 | D/FCE | Catalogued |
| Frampton of Moreton | 1552-1905 | D/FRA | Catalogued |
| Glyn Estate | 1327-1902 | D/GLY | Catalogued |
| Goodden Family of Upwey and Broadwey | 1502-1917 | D/GOO | Part catalogued |
| Hanham of Wimborne Minster | 1583-1955 | D/HNM | Catalogued |
| Hayne, Bragge and Pinney Family Papers | 1562-1943 | D/HAB | Catalogued |
| Henbury Estate | 1675-1917 | D/HEN | Catalogued |
| Hilfield Estate | 1631-1943 | D/HIL | Catalogued |
| Johnstone Estate, Weymouth | 1600s-1934 | D/JOH | Catalogued |
| Knight of Evershot | 1619-1980 | D/KNT | Catalogued |
| Lester-Garland Family of Poole | 1719-1972 | D/LEG | Catalogued |
| Lock Family of Dorchester | 1829-1960s | D/LOC | Uncatalogued |
| Mapperton Estate | 1700-1917 | D/MAP | Part catalogued |
| Mansell-Pleydell Family and Estate | 1457-1944 | D/MPL | Catalogued |
| Martin Family of Rampisham | 1721-1940 | D/MAR | Catalogued |
| Mayo family | 1421-1953 | D/MAY | Catalogued |
| Michel Family of Dewlish | 1604-1864 | D/MIC | Catalogued |
| Motcombe House, Lord Stalbridge | 1700s-1800s | D/MOT | Part catalogued |
| Mowlam of Swanage | 1479-1898 | D/MOW | Catalogued |
| Pavey Family of Clifton, Charminster and Charmouth | 1652-1973 | D/PAV | Catalogued |
| Pitt Rivers Collection | 1294-1966 | D/PIT | Catalogued |
| Pleydell-Railston Family | 1200s-1923 | D/PLR | Catalogued |
| Polley Family of Dorchester | 1942-2003 | D/PLY | Uncatalogued |
| Puddletown Estate | 1576-1859 | D/PUD | Catalogued |
| Thomas Rackett Collection | 1558-1881 | D/RAC | Part catalogued |
| Ryder of Rempstone Estate, Wareham | 1544-1951 | D/RWR | Catalogued |
| Salkeld Family of Fifehead Neville | 1287-1920 | D/SFN | Catalogued |
| Scott of Encombe Estate | 1344-1923 | D/SEN | Catalogued |
| Seymer of Hanford Collection | 1550-1826 | D/SEY | Catalogued |
| Shaftesbury Deeds | 1725-1818 | D/SHS | Uncatalogued |
| Sherborne Castle | 1400s-1800s | D/SHC | Part catalogued |
| Sheridan Estate, Frampton | 1670-1934 | D/SHE | Catalogued |
| Smith Family of Stoke Abbott | 1821-1949 | D/SSA | Catalogued |
| Lord Stalbridge of Motcombe House | 1700s-1800s | D/MOT | Part catalogued |
| Trenchard estate | 1545-1920 | D/TRD | Catalogued |
| Walder Family of Langton Herring | 1800s-1900s | D/WLD | Uncatalogued |
| Weld of Chideock | 1191-1910 | D/WCH | Catalogued |
| Weld of Lulworth Castle | 1261-1951 | D/WLC | Catalogued |
| Williams Family of Bridehead | 1737-1924 | D/WIB | Catalogued |
| Williams Family of Woolland | 1508-1937 | D/WIW | Catalogued |
| Lord Wimborne's Estate | 1804-1840 | D/WIM | Catalogued |
| Wootton Fitzpaine Estate | 1700s-1800s | D/WFP | Uncatalogued |
