Ryves, Thomas

Summary

Father: Thomas Ryves
Mother: Ann Cochin

Birth: 1691 bapt. 7 Apr 1691
Birth Source: Reliques of the Rives

Death: 30 Sep 1723, Bombay
Death Source: Ship's log of Prince Augustus with entries made by William Wells, Chief Mate.

Spouse1: Elizabeth Glynn (Kyffin)

Narrative

Children of Thomas Ryves and Elizabeth Glynn (Kyffin):

1. George Ryves, b. c1717
2. Thomas Ryves, b. c1721
3. Elizabeth Ryves, b. c1722, m. William Skipton
4. Susannah Ryves, b. c1723, m. William Girdler

Marriage from St Paul, Covent Garden, Middlesex Parish Marriage Registers:

• (July 1719) 30 Thomas Ryves of St Giles in the Fields in the County of Middx: & Elizabeth Kyffin of St Mary's White-Chappell in the said County: by Mr John Harris, with Licence.

Baptisms from Holborn, St Andrew, Middlesex Parish Registers:

• (1720 Jun) George son of Thomas Reves Esqr and Elizabeth 29
• (1721 May) Thomas son of Thos: Ryves Esqr & Elizabeth Red Lyon street 16
• (1722 Aug) Elizabeth Dar of Thomas Ryves Esqr & Elizabeth red Lyon street 2
• (1723 Aug) Susanah Dar of Thos Reeves Esqr & Elizth in Red Lyon Court Bap ye 12

Thomas, who resided at St Andrew's, Holborn, was engaged by the East India Company's Maritime Service. He married Elizabeth Glynn, the widow of William Kyffin, Governor of Fort Anjango (Anchuthengu), East Indies, on 30 Jul 1719 at St Giles's In The Fields, Westminster , London. It is perhaps noteworthy that William Kyffin had died on board the Duke of York when it was bound for England. Kyffin's will (dated 11th May 1719), or what was left of it as it had been targeted by rats, was transcribed by Thomas Ryves and one wonders whether advantage was taken of the many missing provisions of the will!

Thomas died when serving as Captain of the Prince Augustus on her inaugural voyage to Mocha and India. This voyage had started with the ship sailing from the Down Channell (the Downs Channel) on 26 November 1722 arriving at Bombay on 18 September 1723. The purpose of the stop off at Mocha was to deliver to the Chief and Commitee there, the guns and ordnance rescued from the Nightingale, a 30 gun ship which had been wrecked on Goodwin Sands in 1672.

The ship's log states that Thomas died of a 'violent flux & feavor (sic)' which would be consistent with dysentry. The date of Thomas's death is normally given as having been the 29th September 1723, however the ship's log indicates that he died at 1:00 a.m. on the 30th September. An additional 16 members of the ships crew died on the voyage. The voyage ended with its arrival at Woolwich, England on Friday 16th April 1725.

Thomas's will is dated 29th Sep 1722 and was proved 18 Jul 1724. He mentions his wife Elizabeth, makes provision for any children (not named), and appointed "my beloved Brother George Ryves Esqr and my good friend Mr Anthony Brucer Joynt Execrs" of his will.

Wife's burial from Iwerne Courtney, Dorset Parish Registers:

• Mrs Elizabeth Ryves the wife of Capt Thomas Ryves who departed this life on the 1st day of March, was buried the 4th day after (1723/4)

Reliques notes "He married Elizabeth, relict of William Kyffin, Governor of Anjango, East Indies, who was buried at Ewerne Courtney 4 March 1723."

There is a handwritten pedigree chart of the Ryves family available in the Somerset Archives dated to about 1774 entitled "The Pedigree of the Family of Thomas Ryves Esqr from the year 1688" which states that Thomas "who died before his brother George" had issue:

• George dead without issue
• Thomas who is now living suffered the Recovery in 1742 made the Settlement in 1749 & married Elizabeth Abdy who is since dead leaving issue by ...Thos Ryves...
• Elizabeth
• Susannah

Research Notes

In respect of Thomas's & Elizabeth's daughter, Susannah, there is a Baptism record for a Susannah Ryves b. 1731 bapt. 08 Sep 1731 at St Mary's, Sturminster Newton with a father's name given as Thomas and Mother's as Elizabeth. However, since Thomas Ryves had died in 1723 this record cannot be for the correct Susannah. No records found to date provide for an alternative parentage or baptism/date of birth.

Sources

Marriage1:  St Paul, Covent Garden, Middlesex Parish Marriage Register 1703-1739, STP/PR/1/3

Childs, James Rives. Reliques of the Rives, p38
1722 Will - Thomas Ryves, Esqr. - Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Piece 598 (Bolton), folio 294
Ryves Pedigree, History of Dorset, Hutchins, 1774 & onward revisions
The European Canton Trade 1723: Competition and Cooperation, Ed. Marlene Kessler, Kristin Lee, Daniel Menning, Pub. Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG, 20 Jun 2016
A Catalogue of East India Company Ships' Journals and Logs, 1660-1834, Farrington
Ship's log of Prince Augustus with entries made by William Wells, Chief Mate
Holborn, St Andrew, Middlesex Parish Baptism and Burial Register 1717-1726, P82/And/A/001/Ms06667/008
Iwerne Courtney, Dorset Parish Combine (BM&B) Register, PE/IWC: RE1/2
Somerset Archive - Pedigree of Ryves family, 1688-1774. c 1774, DD/PM/9/8/20