The Revell’s Of Carnfield

THE LADIES AT THE HALL

Written and Researched by Joy Haslam and Contributed by the Local History Society (see Home Page for further detail)

In the middle of the sixteenth century Thomas Revell and his wife, Ann owned Carnfield Hall. She was the daughter of Edward Eyre of Holme Hall, Bakewell. They had three sons who survived to adulthood having lost a son and a daughter in infancy. It was during their ownership that the Hall was rebuilt. There is a medieval core at Carnfield so that it appears that the old house was not completely knocked down and a new one built. Ann would have lived in the newly built Hall. One of her son Edward’s notebooks has survived and in it there are several references to his mother. He lent her 5s in April 1576. The sum of 20s was paid to her in May 1583. There is an entry in 1782 that states he paid his brother, Adam for a benenoles which he gave to his mother on the feast of St Michael. Unfortunately I do not know what a benenoles is.

Edward himself married Ann, daughter of Ralph Cusworth. They do not appear to have lived at the Hall as Edward is described in several deeds as being ‘of South Normanton’. It is possible that they lived at the old manor house near the church. They had two sons and a daughter. Ann in common with many upper class women did not breast feed her babies but employed a wet nurse. Her son, Edward was sent to a woman in Alfreton who was paid 8d per week. Her daughter, Ann was sent to John Coke’s wife who was paid 6d per week.

Just before she died Ann made a gift to her son, Edward of all her leases, farms and terms of years and all her goods. In return she was to be allowed to make her will and Edward promised to pay any legacies as long as they did not amount to more than £40.

Edward died before his father, Thomas so he never inherited Carnfield. Ann died in 1595. Their elder son, George inherited from his grandfather. He remained a bachelor all his life and seems to have lived in only one wing of the Hall. After his death in 1626/7 the estate passed to his brother, Edward. He married Dorothy, the daughter of Roger Collunbell of Darley Dale. He had lived at Aspley Woodhall between 1608 and 1611. This property belonged to Henry Charworth, the first husband of Dorothy. It was during this time that he married Dorothy. They had no children. She died in 1613. However, Edward had two illegitimate children Francis and Mary. It is not known who their mother was. In a will dated 1629 Edward refers to both his children as ‘Revell alias Adiman’.

It was during Edward’s time at the Hall that some alterations were done. Both the main staircases date from this time.

Edward transferred his property to trustees for the use of himself and then his son, Francis by two deeds dated 1627 and 1628. His illegitimacy seems to have been no bar to his status. In 1634 he married Jane, daughter of Peter Collumbell of Darley Dale. Brookhill was made over to her as a jointure. However, she died the following April.

Francis then married Ann, daughter of David Ellis. They had two sons and three daughters. They lived through the Civil War, although Carnfield was never garrisoned as several local houses were. Francis supported Parliament and served on several committees during the war. He died in 1656. He left his wife an annuity of £22 as she had allowed him to lease Brookhill and lands in Pinxton which were her jointure. He also bequeathed £500 each to his daughters and younger son.

The eldest of the sons, Francis married Dorothy, daughter of Sir Nicholas Wilmot of Osmaston about 1666. The marriage settlement stated that the bride had bought a dowry of £2000 of which £1500 was to be used to provide portions for the groom’s sisters. Any daughters she had by her marriage would get £4000 between them. (If there was only one daughter who survived she would receive a portion of £2500.) They had fifteen children, seven of which survived their father. Francis died in 1681. His inventory includes ‘Mrs Revell’s plate, part her owne before marriage, the rest given to her by her friends the property thereof not altered’ worth £11 3s 8d. Dorothy went to live at Brookhill which was part of her jointure. Among the church plate is a silver flagon given by her. She died in 1717 and there is an ornate plaque in the church to her and her husband. In Dorothy’s inventory there is a list of the furniture in her chamber viz one standing bed and all belonging to it, two pair of window curtains and hangings, one fire shovel, tongs and fender, one chest of drawers, glass, five stuffed chairs, two stooled chairs, two rond cane chairs, a wicker chair and little tables.

Her eldest son, Robert had already died and his widow, Ann had also moved to Brookhill Hall. Dorothy leaves all Ann’s servants that live in the house 10s and all her own servants 10s each over and above their wages. Ann was also left the residue of her estate. Dorothy’s son, Edward was the vicar of Heath at this time and he received £20 in her will. Her daughter, Mary received £20 and clothes ‘to keep or dispose as she think fit’. Daughters Dorothy Brown and Elizabeth Gladwin each received 20s to buy rings. These would have been mourning rings.

Francis and Dorothy’s eldest son, Robert married Ann, daughter of Robert Wilmot of Osmaston in 1689. Her marriage settlement gave her a dowry of £2000 and he transferred the greater part of the lands to trustees for her. His mother already held Brookhill and the Chesterfield lands for life. It is probably during their residence of Carnfield that the extensive alterations were carried out at the Hall. The east façade became the front of the house and the stone mullion windows were replaced with the more fashionable sash ones. Robert was appointed Sheriff of Derbyshire in 1700 and applied for a new coat of arms. (The old one had lapsed on the death of Edward in 1639.) Unfortunately Robert died in 1714 and Ann went to live at Brookhill with her mother in law. Robert gave in his will each of his children 5 pounds of gold. Ann was instructed after his death to allow his sister, Mary ‘dyet, washing and lodging’ for life and to pay her £30 yearly.

Ann in her will left £58 to her sister in law, Mary as well as a bed, bedding, the furniture from one room, a pair of sheets, a suite of table linen, a gold watch with a gold chain, a picture and seals, a pearl necklace, a tea table and a silver teapot. She wanted to be buried privately in the vault at South Normanton. She also wanted her coffin to be placed on top of her husband’s and her son, Eardley’s coffin placed on top of hers. These were to be bound by two or three iron hoops to keep them together.

Her inventory is an incredibly long and detailed document. Unfortunately it is damaged. All the pieces of pewter and silver are listed separately as are the pictures and books. The inventory even includes a mousetrap and an old box with a pair of rusty scales and some weights.

Her granddaughter, Frances was bequeathed among other things one diamond ring with one large stone in the middle, four lesser round it and four sparkes, one diamond pendant with one larger stone in the middle and nineteen lesser stones, two old pendant drops with two larger stones and six lesser, one diamond hoop ring with seventeen stones, one rose diamond with an emerald and ten sparkes and the larger of her pearl necklaces consisting of 117 pearls.

Robert and Ann’s eldest son, Robert inherited the estate on his father’s death in 1714. He married Frances, daughter of the late John Harpur of Twyford. Their only child, Frances was born in 1717. Robert, however, incurred a series of debts. In 1717 he seems to have left England for the Continent in a hurry. The cause was almost certainly financial. There is a letter at the DRO written by him from Calais to his brother, Francis asking for money so he could return. He sent his apologies to his wife for not writing to her.

Robert died in 1729 and in his will he asked his trustees to have a special regard for his wife’s jointure. His wife was also left a watch, all the furniture, jewels, rings, all the linen and the plate for life. Also she was left ‘my coach or charrott which she pleases to choose and such pair of coach horses as she best likes with pair of best harness’. She was also to have all the furniture in any two rooms that she chose. All the family pictures, guns, swords and arms, library of books, organ, harpsichord and dining room clock were to be considered heirlooms and left to his wife and daughter. The rest of the estate was to pass to his daughter, Frances for life and then to her sons. If she had no sons the estate was to pass firstly to his brother, Francis then his cousin, Edward and their sons. £3000 was left for a portion for his daughter.

At Robert’s death all his lands were left to trustees to be leased, mortgaged or sold to pay his debts. The only active trustee was Godfrey Watkinson of Brampton. The rents of the manor of Carnfield were taken by Robert’s widow, Frances who continued to live at the Hall with her daughter until she died in 1731. There is an account of monies paid out and received on the death of Frances at the DRO. These include various rents received from John Wood, Jermy Braddow, Thomas Preneston, William Spalton and George Jepson. The expenses include £3 15s 11d paid to Martha Boot for wine etc for the funeral, £6 to George Pears for a lead coffin and 5s to Richard Booth for churchwarden and sexton’s fees. Some of Frances’ goods must have been sold at this time and 1s was paid for ‘crying sale at Derby, Chesterfield and Alfreton.’ £71 12s 5d worth of goods were sold.

Frances, the daughter, now aged 14 went to live at Brampton Moor. Godfrey Watkinson’s account book has survived. In it he recorded rents received and monies paid out. On a more personal level there are several entries relating to payments made for Miss Revell. On September 14 1732 he paid 19s 6d for three volumes pf Barrow’s Pedigree and another book. On September 30 he paid Isaac Smith 8s for shoes for Frances. On October 30 He paid 1s 9d for shoeing her horse. November 30 he paid to Miss Revell £4 to buy Holland etc and Mr Lamb was paid £12 12s on December 9 for teaching her to play the spinet etc. On March 15 1733 Mr Parker of Derby was paid 4s 6d for mending her watch.

Frances married Strelley Pegg of Beauchief in 1735. However, she died of smallpox the following year in Nottingham.

Her father’s brother, Francis now inherited the estate. He had been vicar of Youlgreave (1721-9) and rector of South Normanton (1718-29). After his brother’s death he had made himself unpopular with the rest of the family mainly because he appears to have tried to destroy the entail on the estate. There is a record of a case in Chancery between Edward Revell of Alfreton and Francis Revell. Francis, as soon as he had taken possession of the estate pulled down and destroyed one stable, one coach house and one brewhouse belonging to the capital mansion house at Carnfield. He had also felled and cut down several timber trees and opened up new works ‘were none was opened before’ and got a large quantity of coal from them. Edward complained that he was still committing waste and spoil upon the estate.

On his niece’s death he moved to Carnfield. He married Elizabeth, daughter of John Johnson, a schoolmaster from Nottingham. A letter from Matthew Hoyland in 1721 to Francis Revell gives some melancholy news. Elizabeth’s father had been found dead in the water below Trent Bridge, Nottingham about 5 o’clock on the evening of October 25th. He had taken off his gown and hat and had put some things such as his knife in the hat. They concluded that he had committed suicide. Matthew also states that ‘Cos Johnson desires you will acquaint Mrs Revell as you think proper’. ‘Cos Johnson’ intended to bury Mr Johnson the following night as privately as possible.

Francis and Elizabeth had no children although Francis had an illegitimate son, Tristram and at least two daughters.

The estate on Francis’ death passed to his cousin Edward who also died without heirs in 1770. At Edward’s death it passed to John Eardley Wilmot, but he transferred it to trustees for the use of Francis’ illegitimate son, Tristram. He had entered the Army in 1746 and later in 1773 he became a major in the Derbyshire Militia. He continued to live at Carnfield except when away on militia service. By 1787 he was a lieutenant-colonel. He died on active service at Horsham, Sussex in March 1797.

When Tristram died his wife Elizabeth had ordered a monument for at Horsham. She had also ordered a quantity of mourning including cloth of various sorts presumably for making mourning clothes for herself and the servants. Four pairs of gloves were ordered for Hunt, Breedon, Vernon and Saunders (Colonel Revell’s men servants), at a cost of 6s, one pair of gloves for herself at 1s 10d and a pair for her maid at 1s 5d. Crape hatbands were provided for the men and silk for hoods for the maids. There is even listed a black handkerchief at 5s. She appears to have assumed that the bill would be paid out of her husband’s estate. However, his executors refused and when Elizabeth died the following year the account was presented to her executors.

Elizabeth, widow of Tristram Revell died in 1798 and was the last of the Revells of Carnfield.