The
prompt for this topic read “Do you have an ancestor who seemed to do well for
himself? What about a family photo showing a big car or fancy dresses? How
about an ancestor with a "prosperous" name like Wealthy or Fortune?
Feel free to be creative with the theme!”
I
have been thinking, trying to find options, maybe an option that wasn’t the
most obvious. But here I am, still mulling it over. DO I have an
ancestor who seemed to do well for himself ?
I
think we all do – prosperity, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. For
the Ag Labs in our previous generations having continuous employment and
successful crops was as important then as it is today for our farmers and
market gardeners. Being able to grow and sell crops, feed and clothe families
is prosperity in anyone’s book. For those ancestors who made the leap to
emigrate; whether by free choice or legal enforcement, seeing their dreams
materialise through the opportunities available in new colonies to those who
worked hard – regardless of class or background promotes a sense of prosperity
too.
My
paternal line – the one we would follow with Y-DNA – has strong, deep roots in
Somerset, England for at least 300 years. Throughout that time they have done
pretty well for themselves.
An indenture
detailing the lease for three lives of a quarter share of Hagley Tenement in
the parish of Milverton (now Ashbrittle) Somerset is held in repositories in
England. I have seen a copy of one – and several family members have had a go
at transcribing it. Most repositories date the document at 1725, however the
copy we have been transcribing suggests there may be multiple documents, and
that the one we are working on is earlier.
The
piece of vellum encasing the document says it contains
“Leasehold Deeds of
Hagley Manor
Granted from Lord Lymington
and others to the first Thomas
Davysis (sic) that came from Wales”
– but this piece has no date. I have been
doing a bit of reading about Lord Lymington today.[i] John Wallop (a 3rd
son) inherited the seat and estate from his brother Bluet who died unmarried
and without issue in 1707. Their lineage stretches back to the reign of Edward
I – managing to manoeuvre their way through changing alliances; Plantagenet,
Lancaster, York, Tudor and Hanoverian. John’s father, also John, was also a 3rd
son. His uncle Henry or his grandfather (also Henry) are mentioned as
defendants in a dispute regarding rent at Hagley Manor in 1665. I haven’t found
when the family first came to be in possession of that particular manor, yet.
They had quite a collection of manors.
His
titles, Baron Wallop of Fairley Wallop in the County of Southampton and
Viscount Lymington of the same County were created on 11 June 1720, in the 6th
year of the reign of George I.
Here’s
is the thing – the indenture we have been transcribing was made in the 5th
year (1719) of the reign of George I. It is signed by Thomas Davys the Elder –
so is he the first Thomas Davys who came from Wales ? I’m not entirely sure
about that claim. There are other instances of Davys in Somerset earlier than
this, and early pre internet and microfiche researchers in this line have
potential parents for Thomas the elder…in Somerset.
My
interpretation of the indenture differs to others as well. Some say that Thomas
the younger was the leaseholder and was settling the quarter share on his
father. BUT to me it reads as if Thomas the elder was already in possession of
the entirety and is settling one quarter on his son at his marriage to Jane
Hellings which was intended to take place (and did) in 1719. It details a sum
of good and lawful Great Britain money, the cider wring, mill and more. The 2nd
life of the lease was to begin at the death of Thomas the Elder and his wife
Judith. Thomas died in 1724, his wife Judith reputedly lived to 100.
Thomas
the younger’s grandmother who died at Hagley Bridge bequeathed to him in her
will dated 16 September 1705, an oak carved bedstead. This supports the paper
trail research and refutes the statement that Thomas the elder was the first
Thomas Davys to have come from Wales. Perhaps something was lost in translation
and it was his father John who came from Wales (although he married into a
local Milverton family).
Thomas
the younger went on to buy the manor of Raddington in the adjacent parish and
styled himself as “Lord of the Manor” It is unclear who the third life of the
lease at Hagley passed to after the death of Thomas the younger, but it was
likely one of his sons. In 1830, and until early 1841 a William Davys lived
there. I believe this William was a great grandson of Thomas the younger. A
document written around 1830 states that William was in the possession of
several wills. Hopefully they are now all safely in a heritage centre or some
other archive.
It is
also unclear whether either Thomas the younger had siblings who remained in the area and
who may have inherited possession of other parts of the Hagley manor at their
father’s death. (Or whether thomas the eder had other family also in Somerset. Thomas (the younger) and Jane had 8 children and most of them married into
other local, landowner or farming families. Three married into the Yeandle
family of Upcott Farm in Raddington parish.
Things
took a turn for the worse though. Thomas the younger (who was Thomas the elder
at this point) died aged 88 in June 1783 without a will and left the manor at
Raddington encumbered in debt to his son the Reverend Thomas Davys.
The
Revd Thomas died in September 1783 just three months later. He left a will
though – dividing the manor between his three surviving brothers each to have
their own distinct messuages and discharge their father and brother’s debt.
His
brothers; Benjamin, James and George seem to have had mixed results as well. They
did all leave wills though (whew). George died in 1786 and left no children,
Benjamin in 1801 left two sons and James in 1802, left a very detailed will providing
for his widow, children and grandchildren.
The
family DNA is well represented in Raddington, Milverton and Chipstable parishes
– marrying into other families in these same parishes and also others nearby.
Cousins marrying cousins generation after generation. James though seems to
come out of the financial mess in a better position to his brothers. I haven’t
read George or Benjamin’s wills – I think I will need to go to Taunton to do
that. So I shouldn’t judge them too harshly yet.
Forty
years later at the 1841 census we are related to every family farming in the
Raddington parish – cousins, uncles, aunts. There is still money. My great
great grandfather James is at boarding school in Barnstaple, his brother Thomas
not quite full age will soon take over the ownership and running of the Manor
farm.
Life
is good.
[i] Arthur Collins, The Peerage of
England; containing a genealogical and historical account of all the peers of
England, now existing, etc, Volume 3, W. Innys, R, Manby, T. Wotton &
F. Gosling, 1741, pp361-396. Google Books.
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