A group of mysterious nineteenth-century photographs were recently discovered within the Dickson, Archer and Thorp collection. They were found alongside a bundle of envelopes and a copper plate, both embossed with the letters J D C P. Following extensive research these mysterious initials are believed to have belonged to John de Camborne Paynter.
Born in 1845, John had previously resided at Clarence House, Penzance before moving to Belvedere Terrace, Alnwick. He worked as a solicitor’s clerk and, although widowed early in life, had two sons, Captain John de Camborne Stackhouse Paynter and Major William Patterson Paynter. For around twenty-five years he sat as Secretary of Alnmouth’s golf club and also acted as the churchwarden for St Paul’s, Alnwick. Upon his death he left a large sum of £23,658 to be divided between his children. He also made provision in his will for his long-term servant Jane Charters by ensuring a £50 annuity and furnished cottage.
Who the sitters were remains a mystery. Were these pictures the creative product of Mr J de C Paynter, whose name was found on both the envelope and copper plate? Or do these photographs depict Paynter’s own family members? Alternatively they may have been examples provided to Paynter by professional photographers, with the view for possible commissions.
The following images show the sides of the engraved copper plate, found alongside the pictures (REF: NRO 11343/B/DAT):
The mysterious pictures (REF: NRO 11343/B/DAT);
A reverse side for one of the images, listing the details of the studio from which it originated. (REF: NRO 11343/B/DAT):
If anyone has any information regarding the production or identification of these images please contact us.
In 1868 a stranger arrived in the ruins of Dilston Castle in Northumberland. The unknown Countess of Derwentwater, clad in an Austrian military cloak, had arrived to enforce her right to the Radcliffe family’s Derwentwater Estate. She claimed to be the granddaughter of John Radcliffe, son of James Radcliffe, the 3rd Earl of Derwentwater, an English Jacobite executed for treason in 1716. The Countess told authorities that John had not died at the age of nineteen in London, as was thought, but had in fact fled to Germany, where he had married and had two sons. Amelia Matilda Mary Tudor Radcliffe, the self-styled Countess of Derwentwater, presented herself as the only surviving heir to the estate.
Amelia assumed the title Countess of Derwentwater soon after coming to public attention. She continued to use it despite having no right to the title as it was not inheritable by a female line of decent. Her occupancy in the ruins of Dilston Castle fuelled her public campaign to reassert her personal claim to the estate. After the resident cows had been removed from the castle’s ground floor, the Countess had tarpaulins stretched across the ceiling to cover the crumbling roof and hung Radcliffe family portraits on the walls to legitimise her presence. At this time the castle and the estate was owned by Greenwich Hospital, having been given to the hospital by the Government after the death of John, Amelia’s supposed grandfather, the last heir to the estate.
On hearing of Amelia’s residence in the only ruins of the castle left standing, Mr Grey, the Receiver of Rents from Greenwich Hospital, arrived to interview his unusual trespasser. After days of requesting she quit Dilston and sending over cooked breakfasts in an attempt to maintain cordiality between them, Mr Grey was left with little choice but to have the Countess forcibly removed from the ruins of the castle. She did not make her ejection an easy one. Amelia declared that she would rather face death than leave Dilston and barricaded herself inside the castle. When Mr Grey’s men started to remove her belongings and the make-shift tarpaulin roof, the Countess began thrusting her sword at them. She was quickly disarmed and carried from the room in the chair she refused to move from.
Rather than accept this defeat, or the carriage that was offered to taxi her wherever she wished to go (presumably so long as it was away from Dilston), she instead chose to camp in a roadside ditch close to the ruins. Her temporary tent became a popular attraction for all classes of local society, drawing the likes of the vicar of Newcastle and Northumberland gentry, to villagers from the local pits. It was reported that the road adjoining tent was sometimes impassable due to the crowd. After a week in her tent, a wooden hut was erected for her, which concerned the local magistrates as is obstructed the road. They fined the Countess ten shillings and ordered her removal. She was as inclined to move from her ditch as she was to leave the castle. The hut was soon dismantled around her and she eventually left with her belongings. Amelia was well-treated by local residents around Dilston, even selling them personal items when she became short of money. Charles Herbert Lawrence Alder was sold a portrait of Mary Queens of Scots in prison, a Waterford cut glass toilet jar with stopper and pieces of cut Rock Crystal.
Countess encamped in a lane in Dilston
Soon after her removal from the ditch a new phrase in the Countess’s agitation began. The farm tenants on the Derwentwater estate, who paid their rents to the hospital, were encouraged to stop paying their rent to Mr Grey, and start paying the Countess, as the rightful owner of the estate. When rents were not paid to Amelia, one of her supporters rounded up the livestock from the farms and sold them at auction, with all profits going to the Countess. Another farm auction for Amelia’s benefit, in which she intended to sell farm equipment and property, descended into a riot when two-thousand of her sympathisers arrived at the sale. Despite the swell of public support that bolstered her cause when she first came to public attention, sympathies waned when it was found that Amelia refused to give a penny to support those who had been reprimanded or fined for their part in the auction. Innocent supporters were beginning to suffer for her cause.
Her public campaign had a financial impact too and in 1871 Newcastle County Court declared the Countess bankrupt and her possessions, which she claimed were Radcliffe family heirlooms, were put up for auction at Mr Sutton’s Sale Rooms in Newcastle. The sale attracted very little attention, partially due to Amelia’s dwindling popularity and the dilapidated and dubious condition of her belongings. Several bankruptcy examinations followed in which Amelia either refused to attend or refused to answer any questions. In 1872 she was imprisoned in Newcastle for contempt of court and in less than a year was released. In a wonderful act of consistency, the Countess of Derwentwater refused to leave her cell and had to be carried out of prison.
Amelia, the self-styled Countess of Derwentwater, died in February 1880 of bronchitis, aged 49, still claiming to be the rightful heir of the Dewentwater estate and rallying against the authorities. She died in poverty and was buried in an unmarked grave in Blackhill Cemetery, near Consett. In 2012 the Northumbrian Jacobite Society erected a small plaque on her grave to recognise the final resting place of the eccentric and determined Countess. The real identity of Amelia, Countess of Derwentwater has never been uncovered. Ralph Arnold, a biographer of the Radcliffe family, has suggested that Amelia was a school teacher from Yorkshire who was able to forge documents to support her claim in Latin and French and produce an imaged Radcliffe pedigree. Others have suggested that she may have been a governess in Germany to noble family. Some have said that she was simply an emboldened West Country servant girl with knowledge of the Radcliffe family. Whoever she may have been, the Countess of Derwentwater remains a fascinating mystery that continues to intrigue today.
Self portrait of the self styled Countess of Derwentwater
Signed Sealed Delivered by the within named John Yelloly being first duty stamped in the presence of us
A. Mitchell
J. Poivell
Signed Sealed and delivered by the within named
William Robson, Richard Robson, James Elder, Luke Mattison and Robert Robson being first duty stamped in the presence of us
Margaret Collingwood
William Chambers
This Indenture made the fourteenth day of September in the thirty eighth year of the reign of our sovereign Lord George the third by the Grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King defender of the faith and so forth and in the year of our lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety eight between John Yelloly of Chatham Barracks in the County of Kent Doctor in Physic and son and heir at law and also administration of the goods and Chattels of June Yelloly of Alnwick in the County of Northumberland widow deceased William Robson late of Dunstonhill in the said County of Northumberland but now of Milfield in the same County Innkeeper Richard Robson of Humbleton buildings in the said County of Northumberland Farmer James Elder of Alnwick in the said County of Northumberland Grocer Luke Mattison of the same place Hardwareman and Robert Robson late of Belford but now in Alemouth in the said County of Northumberland yeoman of the one part and William Annett of Alemouth aforesaid on the other part Witnesseth that for an din consideration of the sum of five shillings of lawful money of Great Britian to the said John Yelloly by William Robson Richard Robson James Elder Luke Mattison and Robert Robson in hand well and truly paid by the William Annett as on before the sealing and delivery of these presents the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledge they the said John Yelloly William Robson Richard Robson James Elder Luke Mattison and Robert Robson have and each of them Hath bargained and sold and by these presents Do and each of them Doth Bargain and the said William Annett his Executors Administrators and Assigns All that piece and parcel of Ground in length Eleven yards from South to North with apputances situate lying and being in Alemouth in the said County of Northumberland on the East side of the said Town Boundering on the other piece of Ground lately belonging to William Coulter and now Ralph Annett on or towards the South a piece of Ground formerly belonging to Edward Gallon or John Watson and now to the said Edward Gallon on or towards the North a place called Holme or Howle Kiln on or towards the East and the Kings High Street on or towards the West and also all those Freehold ( ) Burgages Granaries or Tenements gardens and Common of Pastures there unto belonging with the appurtances situate standing lying and being in Alemouth aforesaid in the said County of Northumberland which said ( ) Burgages or tenements and premises were formerly in the possession of William Reavelley his tenants undertenants or assigns late of Richard Robson deceased and lately in the possession Tenure or occupation of Thomas Adams and George Richardson William Stephenson and others as tenants thereof and now of _____________________________as tenants thereof to and under the said William Robson and Robert Robson and are boundered by a lane called the Middle Lane on or towards the North by a ridge or piece of Ground belonging to Edward Gallon Esquire on the South by the Kings High Street on the West and Alemouth Common on the east And also that Maltkiln or Maltsteep and other conveniences and appurtances there unto belonging situate standing and being in Alemouth aforesaid boundered by a piece of Ground formerly belonging to Michael Coulter and now Ralph Annett on or towards the South by a piece of ground belonging to Edward Gallon Esquire and towards the North by a place called Holme or Holme Kiln towards the East by a piece of Ground formerly belonging to the said Richard Robson deceased now to the said William Robson and Robert Robson on towards the West and by the other the Right ( ) and bounds formerly in the possession of John Grey a bankrupt late of the said Richard Robson deceased afterwards in the possession Tenure or occupation of Thomas Annett Tenant and William Watson and Tenants thereof and now of Thomas Annett Tenant to and under the said William Robson and Robert Robson And also all and singular other Messuages Burgages or Granaries Tenements Maltkiln or Malt steeps and part and part share and shares of Messuages Burgages Granaries or Tenements of him the said Richard Robson deceased and now of them the said William Robson and Robert Robson situate and standing lying and being in Alemouth aforesaid in the Parish of Lesbury in the County of Northumberland Together with all and singular houses outhouses Edifices Granaries Maltkilns Maltsteeps Buildings Barns Byars Stables yards Backsides (scites) of old buildings Garths Gardens Orchards Lofts Crofts lands arable and not arable Meadows pastures headings Commons and common of pasture ( ) Moors Marshes Heathes waste grounds warrens Woods Underwoods and tress Piscaries fishings and fishing places Ways Watercourses and watering Places Paths Passages Easements Priviledges Liberties profits Commodities Advantages Emoluments Herediments and Appurtances whatsoever to the said premises and to every or any of them belonging or in any wise appertaining on to or times herefore demised letter held used occupied possessed or enjoyed or accepted reputed taken or known to be as part parcel or member thereof one of any part thereof respectively and the reversion or reversions remainder and remainders rent issues and profits thereof and of every part and parcel thereof
TO HAVE AND TO HOLD this said part and parcel of Ground Messuages Burgages Granaries Gardens Maltkilns Tenements Here and all and singular other the premises therein before by these presents Bargained and sold or intended so to be with their and every of there appurtances unto the said William Annett his Executors Administrators and Assigns from the day next before the day of the date of these presents for and during and unto the full end and term of one whole year from thence next ensuing and fully to be complete and ended yielding and paying therefore unto the said John Yellowly William Robson Richard Robson John Elder Luke Mattisson Robert Robson there Heirs and Assigns the rent of one peppercorn on the last day of the said term if the same shall be lawfully demanded to the intent and purpose that the virtue of these presents and by force of the statute made from transferring of use into possession he the said William Annett maybe in the actual possession of the said piece and parcel of Ground Messuages Burgages Granaries gardens Maltkilns Tenements Herediaments and all and singular other the premises herein before by these presents Bargained and sold or intended so to be with their and every of their appurtances and may hereby be enabled to accept and take a grant and Release of the reversion and Inheritance thereof to him and his Heirs to for and upon such cases ends intents and purposes as by an Indenture to bear date of these presents shall be mentioned expressed and declared of and concerning the same In Witness where of the said Parties to these presents have here unto set their Hands and Seals the day and year first above written.
Signatures and Seals of
John Yellowly
William Robson
Richard Robson
James Elder
Luke Mattisson
Robert Robson
We would like to thank the volunteer who carefully transcribed and researched these documents. This particular item comes from a very rich sub-collection within the larger Dickson, Archer and Thorp collection, giving us a fascinating view of a bygone time.
