Jervis Family History

Jervis Family History

Please note that both forms of spelling ~ Jervys and Jervis are found in various records.

This page will be updated as confirmation of information becomes available.

James Jervys, of Chatcull (which is in Staffordshire, about 8 miles ENE of Cheswardine in north east Shropshire.) is the first recorded Jervis in this history. He was born in about 1490. His wife was Catherine Mary Sleigh by whom he had three sons, Robert Jervys of Chatkyll, John Jervis of Chatcull & Standon, and William Jervys of Ollerton, who died in May 1587. William's son, by his wife, was John Jervys of Ollerton, born about 1550 and dying about 1637. John Jervys of Ollerton married Helena Whittington of Eccleshall, born circa 1569, on the 25th October 1590, in Eccleshall. Records show that only two children were born of this marriage, Thomas Jervis of The Hill and John Jervys of Chatcull. John Jervys of Chatcull married his second cousin Elizabeth Halton, the grand-daughter of John Jervis of Chatcull & Standon, in 1623 at Chatcull. 

In 1614 or 1615, Thomas Jervis of The Hill (1596 to 1650) married Dorothy Cryche (born 1595), whose father Renald Cryche, christened in 1523 was the end of a long family line who had owned The Hill

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Ellen Jervis, the eldest of five daughters of Thomas Jervis of The Hill and Dorothy Cryche, was christened on the 29th November 1595,and married Obediah Addams probably in 1635. They had at least two children Robert Addams, of Childs Ercall born circa 1636, died 1689 and Anne Addams, who died in 1704. Anne Addams married Griffith Jervis (1), who was christened on the 26th February 1623 at Cheswardine. He was named after Dorothy Cryche's brother Griffith Cryche

Griffith Jervis (1) and Anne had, as far as we know, only one child, Henry Jervis Junior who was christened on the 30th April 1671 at St Swithun's church in Cheswardine. However Henry Jervis Junior married twice, his first wife being Frances Jervis of Chatcull, whose son was William Jervis, christened on the 7th October 1694 at Cheswardine, and who after education at Exeter College, Oxford and Trinity College , Cambridge, became rector, first of Standon and then Swinnerton, in Staffordshire. He was also prebendary at Lichfield cathedral, as well as being a Justice of the Peace for Staffordshire and died in November 1729, when he was only 35 years old. It is likely that his mother, Frances, died in childbirth, or shortly afterwards.

Henry Jervis Junior married for the second time Elizabeth Adams, the daughter of Thomas Adams of Forsbrooke, Staffordshire, on the 24th September 1695. From this union, six sons and four daughters were born.

1. Adam Jervis, was christened on 1st May 1696 in Cheswardine and died without marrying in 1757 aged 61.

2. Rev. Henry Jervis, christened 5th September 1697, was admitted to Exeter College, Oxford in 1717, graduating on 17th September 1720 with a B.A., and became deacon at Ashley the same year, before becoming Priest at Eccleshall in 1723, followed by being Vicar at Adbaston in 1726 until his death in 1768. He resided at The Hill, Chipnall from October 1758 onwards, after the death of his brother Adam. He did not marry and in his will, his estates in Cheswardine, Chipnall, Soudley, Goldstone and Adbaston were left, subject to certain life interests, to his nephew, Henry Zachariah Jervis (1).

3. Griffith Jervis (2) was born on the 2nd June 1699, and christened two days later at Cheswardine. He married Frances Williams at Hinstock on the 3rd February 1724, but sadly died only three years later in 1727.

4. Anne Jervis was born on the 27th February 1700 and christened on the 2nd March 1700. She married Benjamin Spendelow of Little Soudley, born 1689, of Little Soudley on the 11th June 1719 at Sandon, near Stafford. Records show that they had only one son, Henry Jervis Spendelow.

5. Elizabeth Jervis was born on the 30 March 1703, and was christened on the 3rd April 1703 in Cheswardine.

6. Richard Jervis of Broadwell was born on the 23rd March 1704, christened on the 25th March 1704, was married twice, firstly to Sarah Jones on the 21st Jun 1741 at St George, Bloomsbury, Middlesex. who was buried at Chastleton, Oxfordshire. His second wife was Ann Barker, nee Jones from whom he inherited property at Broadwell. He died in 1784 and is buried in the family vault in Broadwell, Gloucestershire along with the remains of his first wife. There are no known children from either of these marriages.

7. John Jervis of Wolverhampton, was christened on the 8th December 1706 and died in June 1787. He married Sara Hollier on 21 October 1736. and of his six children, Henry Zachariah Jervis (1) eventually inherited The Hill and the Cheswardine Estate.

8. Frances Jervis (1) christened on the 21st November 1708 and she died on the 6th December 1708, less than two weeks later.

9. Thomas Jervis of Gouldstone was christened on the 27th May 1710 at Cheswardine, married  Elizabeth Butter, the daughter of John Butter Junior of Sowdley Park & Hanwoodon 6th January 1730. He died on the 27th October 1785. (Of which more possibly later, but also look at the Goldstone Manor website.)

10. Frances Jervis (2), was christened on the 17th August 1712 at Cheswardine, and married the Rev. Henry Wood on the 21st September 1748 at Hodnet, Shropshire. She died in February 1770 at High Ercall, Shropshire

The wills of Griffith Jervis' (1) son Henry Jervis Junior and his grandson, Richard Jervis of Broadwell, Gloucestershire have come to light. The major inheritor of his estate was his nephew Henry Zachariah Jervis (1), who eventually sold The Hill, Chipnall to Thomas Hudson in about 1833.

The full text of Richard Jervis' will can be accessed here - Will of Richard Jervis

The full text of Henry Jervis Junior's will can be accessed here - Will of Henry Jervis Junior.

John Jervis of Wolverhampton and Sarah Hollier had two other children apart from Henry Zachariah Jervis (1), namely Sarah Margaret Jervis, christened 23rd November 1735, who married John Brasier, and Frances Jervis, who was born some time later. Sarah Hollier was the daughter of Isaac Hollier, who was an iron founder in Wolverhampton with whom John Jervis was indentured.

In 1754, John Jervis and the Earl of Shrewsbury made a partition and exchange of land, and he acquired about one hundred acres at Little Soudley and Soudley Park. He was left a life interest in The Hill, Cheswardine, by his brother the Rev. Henry Jervis, but Ruth Donaldson-Hudson could find no evidence that he ever lived there.

Jervis Pedigree from Ruth Donaldson-Hudson's book - The Parish of Cheswardine

Henry Zachariah Jervis (1), who later became a Major, was born in  1739, married Sarah Pigot, the daughter of Charles Pigot of Peplow in Shropshire, on the 12th February 1774, at St Luke's Church in Hodnet. She was the second daughter of a family of two girls and three boys, being christened on the 7th September 1749, at All Hallows Church in Staining, in the Fenchurch area of London.

Her brother Thomas Pigot (1754 - 1794) married Charlotte Tayleur, the daughter of Cresswell Tayleur and Phillis Walker, in March 1777 at Great Bolas Church, Shropshire. Their son, Cresswell Pigot, (1779 - 1864), was one of the named executors in the will of Henry Zachariah Jervis (1). The other executor was the Rev John Isaac Brasier, the son of Henry Zachariah Jervis (1) sister.

Henry and Sarah Jervis had three children, Captain Henry Jervis, born on the 12th December 1774, Emma Jervis born in 1781 and died in 1782, and finally Anne Emma Jervis, christened on the 29th November 1786.

Capt. Henry Jervis married Mary Wilcox on the 30th June 1802, in Aston, near Birmingham, and it would appear that his father did not approve of the marriage. As a result in 1803, Henry Zachariah Jervis (1), decided to alter the terms of the settlement that he had made on his estate in 1776, when Henry was only two years old, the effect being to prevent Henry from inheriting the Estate.

After a period of disharmony between Henry Zachariah Jervis (1) {HZJ (1)} and Capt. Henry Jervis during which time, HZJ (1) made his will, dated 16th December 1820, when he was already 81 years old, and his son Henry was 46.

Capt. Henry Jervis had instituted a law suit to try to overturn a conveyance whereby HZJ (1) had purchased part of the Cheswardine Estate from his son. Capt. Henry had apparently not been a model son and had behaved badly towards his father. However, HZJ (1) had not wished to be unkind to his son and grandchildren, and so made provisions for them in his will. He also said that if his son, Henry, was unsuccessful in his legal proceedings he had instructed his executors to make improved provisions for his son and grandchildren, and that should his son become bankrupt or dispose of any income unreasonably his executors were to withhold further payments. They were then instructed to make provisions for his grandchildren after his son, Henry, had died. In the codicil to his will, he was more forthcoming with his son, Henry, directing that he should receive half the silver plate from his dwelling house in Cheswardine, and also his cluster diamond ring.

Henry Zachariah Jervis (1) died in 1821, and his will was proved in London on the 30th April 1823, with his nephew the Rev John Isaac Brasier and Cresswell Pigot (his brother in law's son) as executors of the will.

Henry was forced to make his own living after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, as the Militia was disbanded. He unsuccessfully attempted to go into business in Stourbridge, and he returned to live in the Vicarage House in Cheswardine between 1822 and 1824. As a result of financial problems he fled to Boulogne in France, with his wife, evidently to escape his creditors.

After 200 years of occupation of the The Hill and the Cheswardine Estate by the Jervis family, it was with the arrival of Capt. Henry Jervis on the scene that the fortunes of the estate changed. In due course in the mid 1820's, the Cheswardine Estate was put on the market.

Whilst technically, the connection with the Jervis family ends at about this time, there is further history about Capt. Henry Jervis and his son, Henry Zachariah Jervis (2) which is indicative of how the family morality and honour changed after the death of Henry Zachariah Jervis (1). Capt. Henry Jervis was (Add Details) His son evidently became a solicitor, but seemed to have some difficulty in following an entirely honest lifestyle. Below is an extract from The  Times, dated 25th March 1843.

THE TIMES, LONDON, SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 1843.

Re HENRY ZACHARIAH JERVIS, a bankrupt. – The creditors of the above bankrupt, who lately practised as an attorney and solicitor in Queen Street, Cheapside, and lastly of 44, Moorgate Street, Bank, are hereby informed that the LAST EXAMINATION of the said bankrupt will take place at the Bankrupt Court, Basinghall Street, London, on Wednesday next, the 29th instant, at 11 o’clock precisely, at which time and place they are earnestly requested to attend. Information respecting the affairs of the above bankrupt may in the meantime be obtained on application at the offices of the undersigned, WILLIAM JAMES NORTON and SON, Solicitors, New Street, Bishopgate.

March 23 1843.

In May 1846, he was involved in a court case (Ramsbottom v Freeman) where evidently his behaviour was unsatisfactory.

In a later court case in 1857, where he claimed to be the son of Sir John Jervis and brother -in-law to the Turkish Ambassador, he was charged with obtaining money from a Mrs Sarah Parker, who was upwards of 70 years of age, and alleged to be insane, by false representations. Henry Zachariah Jervis (2) attempted to have the case adjourned, but was prevented from doing so. Evidently Mrs Parker had requested his help to find her non-existent children, and although she was obviously of unsound mind, he had proceeded on what were unreasonable grounds. The outcome was that he was sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment and hard labour. Had Henry Zachariah Jervis (1) been alive to witness these events he would have been most aggrieved, but of course he had died in 1821.

The Cheswardine Estate was initially purchased by Thomas Smallwood of Hales Hall, but the sale fell through, and eventually it was sold in about 1833 to Thomas Hudson from Cumberland, about whom further information can be found on the Main Page

The full text of Henry Zachariah Jervis' will can be accessed here - Will of Henry Zachariah Jervis (1)

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