Ryves, John
Summary
Father: John RyvesMother: Amye Harvey
Birth: 24 June 1536
Birth Source: Reliques of the Rives
Death: 1587
Death Source: Reliques of the Rives
Spouse1: Elizabeth Mervyn
Narrative
Children of John Ryves and Elizabeth Mervyn:- John Ryves, b. 4 June 1557
- George Ryves, b. c1559
- Lucy Ryves, b. c1561; m. Thomas Bellot
- Charles Ryves, b. c1564
- Henry Ryves, b. c1566
- James Ryves, b. c1568
- William Ryves, b. c1570
- Valentine Ryves, b. c1572
- Elizabeth Ryves, b. c1574, m. Thomas Salmon
- Ann Ryves, b. c1576, Mr. Budd
- Thomas Ryves, b. c1578
From the Reliques of the Rives:
John, heir to his grandfather and grandmother, was 20 years of age, 24 June 1556, according to Hutchins, who states also that he had a fortune of £20,000 a year, an enormous sum for the time, and a considerable part of which was laid out in Dorset. He was the first of the family to matriculate at Oxford University where he was entered as a scholar of Corpus Christi College in 1547; obtaining the degree of B. A. supd., in 1551 ; was made a fellow in 1554; and received the degree of M. A., 22 July 1555 (Foster, Alumni Oxon.). He passed thence to the Middle Temple of the Inns of Court for the study of law, where he was admitted on 27 January 1555/6 as "son and heir of John Ryve of Blandford co. Dorset, gent." (Ingpen, Middle Temple Bench Book). In a copy of Tresham's Accounts, 1556, quoted in Wood's Antiquities of Oxford, vol. ii, an item appears of 2 shillings "to Mr. Rive of Corpus Christie Colledge for writing lettres."
As "John Reve, senior, of Blandford, esquire," he purchased in 1560 from the Queen the manor of Compton, co. Dorset, lately belonging to the monastery of Milton, for a sum of £450:10:5.
The testimonies for him include also a will and an inquisition post mortem as follows:
P. C. C. 22 Spencer.
Dated 20 April 1587.
Proved 18 May 1587.
The 16th daie of Aprill in the Twentithe yeare of the reigne of our moste dreade soveraigne ladye Elizabeth .... I John Rives of Dammarie Courte within the parishe of Blandforde forum, esquier calling to minde the instabilite of man's leif and advizedlie mindinge to bestowe, set in order and dis pose myself towardes almightie God and my goodes and chattels by his bountiful grace and goodnes I received the same doe .... commende my soule to the handes of allmightie God beseechinge him of his infinite mercy and for the merites and passion of his deare sonne Jesus Christe our Lorde and saviour to receive the same into the everlastinge fellowshippe of his blessed spirites whensoever it shall please his eternitie to deprive my wretched bodie from this transitorie lief .... I bequeathe to Elizabeth Rives my welbeloved wief the rectorie of Litton co. Dorset .... 6 quarters of wheate and 12 quarters of malte with all my household stuffe and plate now at Litton exceptinge one dozen of silver spoones she making her choice, 6 of my best kyne and 6 of my best oxen and she to chuse them. I give her 140 weathers being at Litton, my ridinge geldinge, my sorell geldinge, one black trottinge nag with all other my horse beastes going at Litton in a grounde there called Looke. I give to everie one of my sonnes viz George, Charles, Henrye, James, William, Valentine and Thomas £ioo. I give to my daughter Luce £200 all out of my lease of Heathefelton which I have made over to my brother (in-law) Bartholomew Man and others and also out of my stockes of Dammarie, my lease of Dulishe and my graundge of Plushe .... I give to everie of my servants both men and maides (John Barnard, Ellys Churchitt onelie excepted) one quarters wages. I request my cosens Roger Hyle, Richard Swayne, John Pitt senior and my brothers (in-law) Bartholomew Man and Edward Man to be my overseers. All the reste of my goodes I give to my sonne John Ryves whom I make my executor. Witnesses : John Ryves, William Hill, Ellis Churchill, Robert Reve, John Barnarde.
Chanc. Inq. P. M.
Series II, 214:229.
Inquisition taken at Shafton (i.e., Shaftesbury) on September 14th the 29th yeare of the reign of Queen of Elizabeth (1587) after the death of John Rives esquire. The Jurors .... say upon their oaths that the said John Rives was possessed of a messuage, a garden, an orchard and 10 acres of land in Lancton alias Longeblanford and of land called Withers in co Dorset (there follows a long list of lands and houses belonging to him). Long before the taking of this inquisition a certain John Swayne of Blanford forum was possessed of a manor called Damarye Court near Blanford Forum and by a charter dated 31st August 5 and 6 Phillip and Mary (1558) granted it to John Ryves deceased and to a certain John Ryves his son who still possesses it.* Moreover Queen Elizabeth by her letters patent dated January 17th in the second year of her reign (1560) granted to the said John Rives deceased and to John Rives his son the manor of Compton Abbas who still occupies it. The manor of Damary Court near Blanford is held from the Lady the Queen and is worth per annum £18 :6 :8. John Rives is the son and heir of the deceased and is of the age of 30 years.
(A translation from the original in Latin)
John Ryves married about 1556, Elizabeth Mervyn, daughter of Sir John Mervyn of Fonthill, co. Wilts, Knight. The marriage is attested by Hutchins and confirmed by an action in chancery brought by John Ryves about 1566, "that whereas about ten years past in consideration of a marriage to be had betwixt your honor's said orator of the one part and Elizabeth one of the daughters of Sir John Merven, lent., of the other part, Sir John Merven faithfully promised to content and paie to me £100 for the marriadge moneie with his said daughter in consideration whereof I did . . . marrie and take to wife the said Elizabeth" (Chancery Proc, II, 152:79). She is mentioned in her husband's will (1587) as "Elizabeth Rives my welbeloved wief" and evidently spent her declining years with her unmarried second son, the illustrious Dr. George Ryves, Warden of New Col lege, Oxford, for the register of the parish of St. Marie the Virgin at Oxford records her burial there on 25 May 1609 as "Mris. Elizabeth Ryves, mater Doctoris (Georgii) Ryves" which being translated reads, "Mrs. Elizabeth Rives, mother of Dr. George Ryves.