Manuscripts and Special Collections

Biography of John Patricius Chaworth-Musters (1860-1921)

John Patricius, known as 'Patrick', was the eldest son of John Chaworth Musters (1838-1887) and his wife Lina, née Sherbrooke (1842-1912). His birth was registered as John Patricius Musters, but the family tended to use the name Chaworth Musters. In 1888 he took the dual surname and arms of Chaworth-Musters by Royal Licence. Patrick was educated at Eton and Christ Church College, Oxford. He missed his father's funeral as he was living at Lysne Lodge, John Chaworth Musters' fishing lodge on the Laerdal river, Norway. He was living with Mary Anne Sharpe ('Polly'), a former housemaid to the Chaworth Musters family, and their three children, all of whom were born in Norway. Patrick and Mary Anne subsequently married in 1888, and the following year returned to Annesley to take charge of the estates.

Patrick served as a magistrate for Nottinghamshire, as Deputy Lieutenant, and as High Sheriff in 1902. As owner of the land on which the colliery stood, he was also a director of the Annesley Colliery Company. It was during Patrick's ownership of the Chaworth-Musters estates that Colwick Hall was sold, in 1896. He also sold two smaller family seats, Edwalton Manor and West Bridgford Hall. He was a keen collector of birds' eggs and stuffed animals. He died in 1921, after seeing three sons and a son-in-law die in the First World War. See notes on the First and Second World War service of his seven sons.

 

Family

In 1888 he married Mary Anne Sharpe (d 1930), daughter of George Sharpe, and had:

  • Margarita ('Rita') Chaworth-Musters (1884-1954), married in 1913, John Joseph Baldwin Young (1868-1950), and had:
    • Patricia Mary Young (b 1914)
    • Michael Francis Young (b 1915)
    • Margaret Anne Young (b 1916), married Peter Hume Whitaker
    • Philip Mervyn Young (1919-1944)
  • Elsie Chaworth-Musters (1885-1954), married in 1912, Gervase Gwynne Milward (1885-1968), and had:
    • Gervase Annesley Milward (b 1916)
    • Herbert Roderick Milward (b 1927)
  • Ruth Frances Mary Chaworth-Musters (1887-1967), married in 1921 Colonel Henry Francis Askwith (1865-1938)
  • Patricius ('Pat') George Chaworth-Musters (1888-1915), Lieutenant in the King's Royal Rifle Corps, died of wounds received in action
  • Catherine Lina ('Lina') Chaworth-Musters (1889-1963), married in 1914 Captain Hugh Lee Pattinson ('Foulus') of the Royal Fusiliers (d 1915 in action), and had:
    • Bridget Pattison (b 1915), married Brigadier Tommy H. Rivers Bulkeley
    • Anne Primrose Pattinson (b 1915), married Captain Francis W. Sandars
  • John ('Jack') Neville Chaworth-Musters (1890-1970)
  • Anthony ('Tony') Chaworth-Musters (1892-1987), Major in the RFA, married in 1916, Marjorie Caroline Booth (d 1959), and had:
    • Marjorie Anne Chaworth-Musters (1916-1995), married Major Robert Eyton-Lloyd
    • Barbara Chaworth-Musters (b 1919), married Major David William Rayner
    • Diana Valerie Chaworth-Musters, MBE (b 1922), married Major Richard Charles Robertson Toller
  • Philip ('Phil') Mundy Chaworth-Musters (1895-1917), MC, Captain in the RFA, killed in action
  • Robert ('Bob') Chaworth-Musters (1896-1918), died of pneumonia contracted while in action
  • Douglas Chaworth-Musters (1898-1957), MC, Major in the Royal Artillery; married in 1924 Mary Nellie Bomford Emerson, and had:
    • Patricius Chaworth-Musters (b 1925)
    • David Mundy Chaworth-Musters (1926-1932)
    • Philip Robin Chaworth-Musters (b 1928)
    • Juliana Mary Chaworth-Musters (b 1935), married Louis Nazzareno Carmel Galea
  • James Lawrence Chaworth-Musters (1901-1948)

 

Archive Collections

  • Correspondence addressed to John Patricius and Mary Anne Chaworth-Musters from their sons on active service in the First World War form part of the Chaworth-Musters collection (ChM) held by Manuscripts and Special Collections at The University of Nottingham, in series ChM/C/12 to ChM/C/17. There are also some plans and estate papers from his time as owner. 

 

Published Sources

Although there are no works dedicated to John Patricius Chaworth-Musters, some biographical details feature in the following publications:

  • Patrick T.A. Musters, The Musters : a family gathering, 2nd edn (Oakham, Rutland : P. T. A. Musters, 2001) [King’s Meadow Campus East Midlands Collection Oversize Not 4N.V30 MUS]
  • Denis R. Pearson, Annesley through the Ages (Alfreton : Bailey & Sons, 1995) [King’s Meadow Campus East Midlands Collection Not 8.D14 PEA]
  • Frank P. Lyons, Hills of Annesley (new edn, ed. by Ruth Ansley Grant, Longwood, FL : R. A. Grant, c.1988) [King’s Meadow Campus East Midlands Collection Oversize Not 8.D14 LYO]

Manuscripts and Special Collections

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Nottingham, NG7 2NR

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