George Ravenscroft

According to Lloyd (5:266), Bartrum (Tudor Trefor 13 C2), and Earwicker (2:603), George Ravenscroft was of Bretton, Flintshire, Wales. Lloyd states he was living in 1517. Lloyd also states that he was High Sheriff for Flint in 1579, but according to the History of Parliament (sub Ravenscroft, George), that was in fact his grandson, also named George Ravenscroft. The Dictionary of Welsh Biography entry for Ravenscroft agrees with the History of Parliament.

Events

Living: 1512, 1516, 1517, 1526, 1534.

Lloyd (5:266) and the Dictionary of Welsh Biography (sub “Ravenscroft”) give the date 1517. George is mentioned in deeds of 1516, 1526, and 1534.

Relationships

Father: Ralph Ravenscroft.

Lewis Dwnn (2:315) names “Raff Ravenscroft” as George’s father. He is also given in the 1580 visitation of Cheshire (informant George’s grandson George Ravenscroft) and in a 1573/4 grant of arms given by Green. The Dictionary of Welsh Biography agrees in giving Ralph as the father. Ralph is named as George's father in a 1516 deed given by Green and a 1518 recovery in A Middlewich Chartulary (p. 155).

Mother: Anne Stanley

The 1580 visitation of Cheshire (p. 195) gives as the mother of George Ravenscroft “Anne 3d d. to John Stanley brother to Thos Earle of Darby” (informant George’s grandson George Ravenscroft). Lewys Dwnn (2:315) gives “...d to John Stanley.” Earwicker cites the inquisition post mortem of Anne’s mother, which names her as Anne, wife of Ralph Ravenscroft, Esq. (2:597 fn). She is also named by Ormerod (3:577).

Spouse: Elen ferch Richard ap Hywel.

She is named by Lewys Dwnn (3:307-308) and Bartrum (Tudur Trefor 13 C2). In the 1580 visitation of Cheshire (p. 195; informant George’s grandson, George Ravenscroft), she is called Elenor, but her father is incorrectly given as “Thomas Powell”. (Her father was Richard ap Hywel -- i.e., Richard Powell. Thomas, who assumed the surname Mostyn, was her brother.) Ellen is named as George's wife in a 1516 deed given by Green.

Children:

(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)

Anne Ravenscroft married someone surnamed Rodishe.

Thomas Ravenscroft married Catherine Grosvenor.

Peter Ravenscroft (unknown - May 1574) married firstly Jane, the widow of Henry Voyce 4 February 1550/1 in Horsham, Sussex; and secondly, Elizabeth Hall, the widow of Roger Voyce 5 December 1569 in Horsham, Sussex.

Evidence

A receipt for a rent (from the National Archives catalogue, WALE 29/371):

George Ravenscroft, esquire to Richard Goodman, esquire: Receipt for a rent from messuages and land in Chester: Ches.

Date: 4 Hen. VIII. [1512/3]

A recovery (from A Middlewich Chartulary, p. 155):

p. 60b. Recovery by Peter Page from George Ravenscroft of a salthouse and 2 1/2 acres of land in Middlewich and Leighs. 1518, April 13.

Dies martis proximo post Clausum Pasche 9 H. 8, Petrus Page recuperavit uersus George Ravenscroft armigerum unam salinam, duas acras terre et medietatem unius acre terre in Mediowico et Leighs, in a writt of entrie per disseisinam quam Radulfus Rauenscrofte pater predicti George fecit predicto Petro.

Left Margin: Leighes

Right Margin: supra 26d, 34s.

Deeds:

1516.

20.

June 18.

GRANT from James Smetheley and Edward Tirpyng, chaplains, feoffees of George Ravenscrofte, esq., to Anthony FitzHerbert, serjeant at law, Richard Bunbury of Stannoy, John Bruyne of Stapleford, and John Hokenhull, esqrs., of all their manors, messuages, mills, lands, etc., in cos. Chester, Northampton, and Flinte, or elsewhere in the lordships or townships of Hawardyn Denbighe, Northampton, and the city of Chester; on trust (as to lands of the yearly value of 20 marks specified in a deed of even date herewith) for Ellen, wife of the said George Ravenscrofte, esq., for her life, with remainder to the said George Ravenscrofte for his life, with remainder to his son and heir apparent, Thomas Ravenscrofte, and Katherine, daughter of Richard Grosvenor, esq., for their lives, with successive remainders to any other son of the said George Ravenscrofte who should happen to marry the said Katherine, or any other daughter of the said Richard, with remainder to such daughter so marrying, with remainder to the heirs male of the body of Rauf Ravenscrofte, the father of the said George Ravenscrofte; and on trust (as to the residue of the said properties) for the said George Ravenscrofte for his life, with remainder to the uses declared in a pair of indentures dated 13 May, 1516, and made between the said George Ravenscrofte and the said Richard Grosvenor. The grantors appointed John Ravenscrofte and Richard Gruffith as attorneys to give livery of seisin of the premises. Latin.

1526.

23.

Dec. 10.

BOND in the penalty of 100 marks from George Ravenscroft, esq., to Hugh Aldersey of Chester, merchant, for the observance by the obligor of the covenants contained in a pair of indentures of even date herewith.

1526/7.

27.

Jan. 22.

BOND in the penalty of 100 marks from Fulk Hope, esq., and Thomas Bambelt of Chester, merchant, to George Ravenscroft, esq., to abide the award of Richard Cadman, esq., Hugh Aldersey, Willyam Godeman, alderman of Chester, and Wyllyam Holecroft, gent., touching divers disputes between the said Fulk Hope and George Ravenscroft concerning the title to a close of land called Cyndero in Bretton, and a close called Geldffyld in Broughton, in the lordship of Hawardyn.

1534.

29.

Aug. 2.

GRANT from William Leche of Hawarden, yeoman, to George Ravenscroft, esq. , of a mease place and lands in Hawarden aforesaid. Consideration, 5 marks and 10s., and a further 5 marks and 10s. on the ensuing feast of St. Hilary.

30.

Aug. 2.

GRANT from William Leche of Hawarden, yeoman, to George Ravenscrofte, esq., of a messuage and lands in Hawarden aforesaid, in the tenure of the said grantor and his mother, Elizabeth. Latin.

1573/4.

93.

Feb. 3.

GRANT from Robert Cooke, esq. Clarencieux King of Arms, to George Ravenscrofte of Bretton, co. Flint, (son and heir of Thomas Ravenscrofte, son of George Ravenscrofte, son of Ralfe Ravenscrofte, son of Henry Ravenscrofte, son of Hugh Ravenscrofte and of Isabell his wife daughter and one of the heirs of Ralf Holland and of Rose his wife, daughter and heir of John Scavington, son of William Scavington and of Mary his wife, daughter and heir of Hugh Brickhall), of the arms borne by his ancestors.

From the Calendar of Patent Rolls:

1564/5.

1868. Undated. Commission to John Gryffithe, John Conwey, George Ravenscrofte and Peter Moston (or two of them, Griffithe being one) to inquire in the County of Flint touching the lunacy of Humphrey Hanmer.

References

Bartrum, Peter Clement. An Electronic Version of Welsh Genealogies AD 300-1500.

Calendar of the Patent Rolls preserved in the Public Record Office: Elizabeth I, Volume III, 1563-1566. (London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1960).

Dwnn, Lewys, and Samuel Rush Meyrick. “Harden. Breton” in Heraldic visitations of Wales and part of the marches between the years 1586 and 1613 by Lewys Dwnn. (Llandovery: William Rees, 1846).

Earwaker, J. P. (John Parsons). East Cheshire, past and present, or, A history of the hundred of Macclesfield in the county Palatine of Chester - from original records. (London: Printed for the Author, 1878-1880).

Green, Francis (compiler). Hawarden Deeds. (Carmarthen, 1931).

Jenkins, Robert Thomas. “Ravenscroft”. Welsh Biography Online.

Lloyd, Jacob Youde William. The history of the princes, the lords marcher and the ancient nobility of Powys Fodog and the ancient lords of Arwystli, Cedewen and Meirionydd. (London: T. Richards, 1881-1887).

A Middlewich Chartulary. Joan Varley, ed. (Chetham Society v. 105 and 108: 1941 and 1944).

Ormerod, George; Peter Leycester; William Smith; William Webb; and Thomas Helsby. The history of the county palatine and city of Chester:compiled from original evidences in public offices, the Harleian and Cottonian mss., parochial registers, private muniments, unpublished ms. collections of successive Cheshire antiquaries, and a personal survey of every township in the county, incorporated with a republication of King's Vale royal and Leycester's Cheshire antiquities. (London: G. Routledge, 1882).

Ravenscroft, William, and Raymond Bathurst Ravenscroft. The Family of Ravenscroft. (London: Mitchell, Hughes and Clarke, 1915), page 5.

RAVENSCROFT, George (d. by 1592), of Bretton and Hawarden, Flints., in The History of Parliament.

Rylands, J. Paul. The Visitation of Cheshire in the Year 1580 ... (London, 1882), p. 195, citing Harl. 1424, fo. 120.