Richard Jevon of Sedgley Hall, died and left a will in 1621. He was a rich and influential member of society in Dudley and the surrounding area, with close connections to Lord Dudley, the fifth baron, and his shadow family by Elizabeth Tomlinson based in Himley.
Richard Jevon’s name is present on a number of land transactions and shows that he accumulated vast estates around Dudley, Wolverhampton and as far afield as Herefordshire. His wealth was derived from a complex set of inheritances and his involvement in the iron industry. His financial relationship with Lord Dudley, known for his profligacy must, we presume, have worked to his advantage.
There is a baptism in All Saints Sedgley dated 29 Oct 1561 that is probably his, but it would logically be likely he was born a few years before that date. The name Jevon is of Welsh extraction and there are many Jevons in the area and especially in Sedgely and Rowley Regis.
Richard as far as we know was literate from childhood and was probably a cousin or nephew of Adam Jevon, vicar of Rowley Regis and Rector of Clent (d 1597) His parents were almost certainly Richard Jevon and Joyce Orme who were recorded as being married in St Giles Rowley Regis on 8 Aug 1553. This marriage was very likely officiated by Adam Jevon himself.
His lengthy will gives us an insight into his children and grandchildren, but needs to be read in conjunction with the will of William Orme, his cousin, who died in 1611. His wealth meant that all his children were able to marry well.
The Orme Inheritance
Richard was one of two executors of the will of the childless William Orme, who held substantial property in Rowley, Wombourne and Wednesbury. William lists five people as cousins, including Richard. Significantly he lists Lord Dudley as debtor to him of £160, a very substantial sum – the very same sum as listed in Richard’s will ten years later. Because the co-executor, Thomas Russell, had died in 1615 it can be presumed that all the responsibilities of the will fell directly to Richard.
The other main beneficiary of the will of William Orme was Margaret Dudley. By closely reading the two wills it confirms that Margaret Dudley, described like Richard as a cousin to William, is married to Robert Dudley alias Tomlinson. Robert was the eldest son of Lord Dudley and his mistress Elizabeth Tomlinson. Margaret died in 1619 leaving her son William born in 1610 as the legitimate heir. It is for this reason that Robert Dudley (acting for his son as a minor) is listed in the 1621 will with the other tenants all mentioned in the 1611 will.
Margaret Dudley was not a sister of Richard Jevon and is most likely of a younger generation, possibly a niece of William Orme himself. One supposes she is his closest blood relation from the text.
It would appear from William’s will that he was of a Puritan persuasion and beneficiaries like John Russell, William Steward and John Turton would also appear to fall into this camp. It is not clear where Richard would fit on this religious spectrum. We can presume he was chosen more as a favoured cousin and one of considerable financial and business acumen
Children
Richard’s oldest daughter was Mary (bap 2 Feb 1579/80) and married to John Scott of Great Barr. He was undoubtedly a member of the important Scott family there, but not from the main line, living at the ‘Over House’. The father of Robert Scott (1612-1675) was apparently a William Scott of Great Barr.
His second oldest daughter was Judith married to John Turner. Their son went on to marry Ann Shaw, daughter of Oliver Shaw and Elizabeth Woodhouse.
The youngest daughter is identified as Elizabeth (bap 18 Sep 1591) married to John Young.
The five sons all feature prominently in the will – Richard the heir (bap 22 May 1582), Samuel (bap 25 Oct 1584), Daniel (bap 3 Dec 1586), John (bap 2 Jun 1594) and finally Thomas (bap 31 Dec 1597). Daniel the third son went to Trinity College, Cambridge (MA 1612) and into the Church becoming Rector of Broome, Worcestershire. Both Daniel and Thomas (who moved to Stourbridge) left PCC wills, but Samuel and John leave little further trace.
The bulk of the amassed landed estate passed directly or indirectly to Richard Jevon, the son, with a large part of this earmarked for Richard’s grandson, also Richard who was 16 at the time of his grandfather’s death.
Grandchildren
As well as his ‘Godson’ (ie son of his son) Richard Jevon, other grandchildren feature in the text of the will. Firstly the two daughters of Samuel, Mary and Elizabeth get mentioned twice. More enigmatically he bequeaths 20 pounds in money to Priscilla Jevon. This it is presumed is the daughter of Richard Junior baptized on 12 Dec 1601. But it contrasts with the bequest to her putative older sister Elizabeth (bap 5 Feb 1598/99) in a different section of the will, who receives no pecuniary legacy. Robert Young, another presumed grandchild gets £50 in the next bequest.
Priscilla went on to marry William Robbins of Bilston in 1624, with the huge marriage bond of £500. She is the great grandmother of Joseph Linton and progenitor of the Cheshire lines discussed on this web site.
Marriage
The will mentions Richard’s ‘well beloved wife’ called Elizabeth. She receives a handsome income of £40 per year for life. In some pedigrees it states that Richard Jevon was married to Elizabeth Cresswell, part of the wealthy Woolstapler family from Wolverhampton. This, however, presents difficulties. The Victorian genealogies that mention this, state that Elizabeth’s parents would be Richard Cresswell and Joan Dyott (married 29 Oct 1571 in Lichfield) – but this cannot be true as she would be too young to bear any of Richard’s children. Besides Richard Cresswell’s will of 1613 mentions no such daughter. It is possible that Richard Jevon married Elizabeth Cresswell from a previous generation ie daughter of Richard Cresswell and Margaret Southwick but even then it seems more likely she was a second wife rather than the mother of the children listed above.
Intriguingly one bequest in the will of 1621 leaves a ‘sugarloaf’ to Cousin Fowke for all his kindness. It should be noted that Richard Cresswell remarries Joyce Fowke after the death of Joan Dyott in Oct 1590, but this fails to answer the question. It remains open as to who Richard Jevon’s wife or wives were and who was the mother of his children.
There is no recorded burial of either Richard or his widow – given the good records at All Saints Sedgley this is a little surprising.
Sources and Notes
- Will of Richard Jevon, the Elder, written 23 Jan 1620/21, PCC Probate 5 May 1621
- Will of William Orme, Gent of Rowley Regis, PCC Probate 6 Apr 1611 (Cousin)
- Will of Richard Jevon PCC Probate 22 Apr 1648 (Son and Heir)
- Will of Daniel Jevon, Rector of Broome PCC Probate 25 Mar 1654 (Third Son)
- Will of Thomas Jevon, Stourbridge PCC Probate 20 May 1659 (Youngest son)
- Will of Thomas Russell, Rowley Regis, Worcester Probate 8 Feb 1615/16 (Cousin and Co executor)
- It is presumed that Thomas Russell’s wife (or even mother) was an Orme. He was the father of John Russell who married Joanne Ireland granddaughter of Edmonde Darby. These were all prominent members of the Puritan Chapel at Oldbury. His will of 1615 fails to mention any of his responsibilities as joint executor of William Orme’s will. This omission could well be showing us that Richard Jevon was very much in charge of the process.
- Oliver Shaw was the younger brother of Richard Shaw of Netherton (d 1657)
- National Archives D1798/666/3 and D1796/666/173 31 Aug 1624
- Agreement prior to the marriage of William Robins the younger and Priscilla Jevon with detailed particular of lands allotted to the use of William Robins the elder viz. Ballistyles and other closes in Bilston and land in the Colepitt, Middle and Over Fields
- Bond: Richard Jevon to William Robins in £500: deed of same date: 31 August.
- Staffordshire Pedigrees based on the Visitation of that county made by William Dugdale – 1680-1700..London 1912
- First ambiguous mention of ‘Cresswell’
- The will of Ricgard Cresswell (PCC Probate 20 Jan 1559/60) mentions a daughter Elizabeth who is likely an infant.
- ‘Cousin Fowke’ could mean William Fowke who gets mentioned in the debtors list where Richard states that he owes him money “but knoweth not how much”!