Chapter 26

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JOHN GRENE

c1627 - 1705

Merchant

Secretary of the New River

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John Grene was born about 1627 probably in Dorset where his father Giles/Gyles Grene, Merchant and MP of Dorset  (1580 -  1696) and his mother Elisabeth Hill (1600 - 1673) were living. The surname Grene is spelt as he signed his name on his will written on the 27th January 1702.  His father Gyles/Giles and grandfather John spelt the surname as Greene. Probate for John Grene was declared  10th May 1705. The will is complex and also indicative of the various families and their shares in the New River Company which caused some dissension as John Grene married twice.

 

Firstly he married Elizabeth Middleton (c1631 - 1673) the daughter of Sir William Middleton (1603 - 1652) and Eleanor Harris (1615 - 1649)) and granddaughter of Sir Hugh Middleton (1559 - 1631) and his wife Elizabeth Olmstead (1580 - 1643). Sir Hugh Middleton had brought the New River to London. See following link: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol47/pp165-184 

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John Grene and Elizabeth Middleton married 27 February 1655 in Saint Martin Orgar and Saint Clement Eastcheap, London, London, England. John Grene was aged 27 years and his wife Elizabeth was 23 years. This gives an estimated birth dates for them both - c1627 and c1631 respectively. They had the following children:

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Gyles Greene (c1660 - 1696) baptised the 4th April 1660 at St John at Hackney, London  Gyles married Mary Soame (1660 - 1710) the daughter of  Edmond Soame (1632 - 1671) and Mary Middleton (1645). Edmond was the son of Sir William Soame (1561 - 1655) and Bridget Barnham (1596) of Thirlow Hall, Suffolk. Edmund Soame (1669 - 1706) is mentioned in John Grene's will. Mary was the daughter of Simon Middleton Esq (1620 - 1680) brother of Sir William Middleton (1603 - 1652). Giles died 10th August 1696 and is buried with his wife who died 10th August 1710 and his brother-in-law Edmond Soame at West Dereham Norfolk England (who died on the 26th June 1696).  See photographs of the church, a statue of Edmond Soames and Mary and Gyles grave at these sites: www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/westdereham/westdereham.htm  

www.flickr.com/photos/norfolkodyssey/3594668207/in/album-72157619416341245/   

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Katherine Greene (1664) was baptised 23 February 1664 at St John at Hackney, Middlesex and married Thomas Atkins of St Mathew Friday Street, London a bachelor of 23 years on  the 15th February 1683 at St Nicholas Cole Abbey, London England. She had the consent of her father John Grene Esq of Enfield and she was aged about 18 years.   The Atkins were left property at Enfield and at Dorset in her father's will written in 1702.

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Elizabeth Grene (1663 - 1693)  was born on the 4th October 1664 and baptised on the 18th October at St Andrew, Holborn, Middlesex, England.. Parents John and Elizabeth of Fetter Lane. She married John Hunt (1655 - 1697) Citizen and Brewer of London on the 13th October 1681 at St James Duke Palace, London, England. They had two children: Elizabeth Hunt (c1682) and John Hunt (c1685) Elizabeth was baptised in August of 1682 at St Botolph, Aldgate, London and her brother was baptised at St Botolphs on the 3rd January 1685. the parents address given as Houndsditch. According to the gentleman's Magazine Elizabeth married a Taylor and is referred to in her father's probate papers as Elizabeth Taylor.

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William Grene ( 1670) William was baptised on the 11th April 1670 at St Andrew, Enfield, Middlesex. He was the second son of John Grene and Elizabeth Middleton. His mother, Elizabeth, died when he was 3 years of age.

He married Jane Burwell (1691 - 1767) daughter of Hamey Burwell (1663 - 1753)  on the 23rd June 1709 at St Andrew, Enfield, Middlesex. They had one daughter Jane Grene (1714 - 1786) who married Reverend Richard Ellicombe (1715 - 1778) on the 18th July 1738 at St David, Exeter, Devon, England just prior to her father's death. Reverend Richard Ellicombe wrote his will on the 19th February 1778 and probate was declared on the 14th November 1778. Jane wrote her will on the 9th June 1780 and probate was proved on the 6th May 1786.

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https://www.british-history.ac.uk/lords-jrnl/vol19/pp172-174 

 

Green versus Green.

¶Upon reading the Petition and Appeal of William Green, Son and Heir of John Green deceased, by Elizabeth his First Wife, deceased, who was the Eldest Daughter of Sir William Middleton, and Grand-daughter of Sir Hugh Middleton deceased, against an Order and Decree made in the Court of Chancery, the Eleventh Day of November One Thousand Seven Hundred and Nine, in a Cause wherein your Petitioner was Complainant, against Johanna Green Widow, Relict and Second Wife of the Petitioner's late Father, and others, Defendants; and praying, "That the said Order and Decree of the Eleventh of November may be reversed and set aside; and that the Petitioner, upon the whole Matter and the Circumstances of his Case, may have such further and other effectual Relief in the Premises as to this House shall seem meet; and that the said Johanna Green and John Green, and the other Defendants, may answer thereunto:"

It is Ordered, by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, That the said Johanna Green and JohnGreen, and the other Defendants, may have a Copy of the said Appeal; and shall and they are hereby required to put in their Answer thereunto, in Writing, on or before Thursday the One and Twentieth Day of this Instant December, at Eleven a Clock.

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Genealogy of the Middleton and Ellicombe family and information re the New River Shares are here: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/daadfdb9-e912-4830-9e50-fbdf48d32898 

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/a59791b3-cf2d-459f-b14a-d41b15701a38

 

Jane and Richard Ellicombe had the following children:

Richard Hamey Ellicombe (1742 - 1804) married Mary Brown (1747 - 1805) on the 10th July 1769 at Silverton.;

William Ellicombe (1745 - 1831) married Hannah Rous (1751 - 1821) on the 2nd March 1773 at St Martin, exeter, Devon.;

Hugh Middleton Ellicombe (1748 - 1868) and

Jane Ellicombe married John Yonge on the 14th September 1771 at Stoke Cannon, Devon.

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John Grene Esq secondly married a Johanna. We have no idea of her surname or ancestry.  John and Johanna had the following children:

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John Grene (1677 - About 1740) married on the 13th November 1716 at Felkirk, St Peter with Brierly, St Paul, Yorkshire, England.Mary Lockwood, the daughter of Richard Lockwood Esq (1609 - 1696) and Susannah Cutts (Abt 1613 - 1709) Richard Lockwood was a descendant of the  Dingley and Gayton, Northampton Lockwoods. Susannah was the daughter and sole heiress of Edward Cutts Esq.  through whom he acquired Malden Island, a Mayland estate and an estate in Lambourne. (Ref: A genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland) The will of John Grene of Enfield, Middlesex was challenged by John Hunt, presumably the husband of Easter Salter and descendant of John Grene and Elizabeth Middleton,  and it was declared a "Pretend Will". There are three wills involved  dated 1737, 1740 and 1744. The latter giving probate to John Hunt.

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Johanna Grene (1678 ) was  baptised at St Andrew on the 4th January at St Andrew, Enfield. She married, aged 20 years,  on the 11th November 1699 at St James Duke Palace, London William Luce (c1674 ) aged 25 years. William Luce died in about 1719. he wrote his will on the 6th August 1716 and probate was granted to his wife on the 9th February 1719. No children are mentioned in his will.

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Strangewayes Grene (1679 - 1680) was baptised on the 3rd Jan 1679 at St Andrew Enfield and was buried on the 30th October 1680 at St Andrews, Enfield, Middlesex, England.

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Robert Grene (1680) was baptised 11 February 1680 at St Andrew, Enfield and married on the 23rd February 1698 at St James Duke Palace, London  - Mary Lamb. At the time of his father's death he was undergoing an apprenticeship.

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Strangewayes Grene (1683) was baptised on 4th December 1683 at St Andrew by the Wardrobe, London, London, England. At the time of his father's death he was apprenticed to become a druggist.

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WILL of JOHN GRENE of London Esquire

 

Johannes Grene wrote his last will and testament on the 27th January 1702.

 He leaves to two sons Robert Grene (1680) and Strangeways Grene (Druggist) - (mother Johanna to control)   so they can finish their apprenticeships and set up their business €1000 each plus  annuity of £60 per annum to be paid in 4 quarters until they finish their apprenticeships.

He makes his second wife Johanna executor of his will.

He talks extensively about the New River Shares that came to him through his first wife Elizabeth Middleton (and her grandfather Sir Hugh Middleton) and his own investments in the New River Company.

He mentions the following:

Mary Grene nee Lockwood now wife of his son John Grene

Robert Grene (1680), William Grene (1670 -), Strangewayes Grene (1683) and John Grene (1677 – 1740) sons; His son Gyles Grene (1660 -1696) having died in 1696 – married to Mary Soame.

Thomas Darwyn of London

Giles Grene and Ephraim Grene, gentlemen of London.

Suzanne Lockwood of Gayton, Northampton mother of Mary Lockwood

Charles Smith – Citizen of London;

Charles Buckingham, Linen Draper of London;

William Andrews, William Luce and Thomas Pitkin, Linen Draper;

Katherine (1664) his daughter and her husband Atkins

Bartholomew Soames – goldsmith of London;

Roger Gillingham;

John Hunt Citizen and Brewer of London (1655 - 1702 – 1719) who had married his daughter Elizabeth Green (1664 – 1693)

William Wilkinson, Citizen and Mercer;

Sir Hugh Middleton (1559 – 1631)

William Grainger

Copy hold lands and tenements in Foxhall Surrey being held by his nephew Giles Grene; and Property in Enfield, Middlesex – in trust for son and daughter Atkins;

Edmund Soames; William Ettrick Esq occupying his property/ lands in Corfe, Isle of Purbeck, Dorset

Leaves money to the poor of Corfe, Dorset;

Son-in-law – William Luce; Linen Draper, London;

Thomas Gilbert of London, Scrivener;

The complex division of New River Shares and property led to court cases between the second wife and children and the children of his first wife was  a descendant of the Middleton family. He also lists various agreements and the dates made between varying people and himself.

Further wills down through the generations of descendants also deal with bequeaths of the New River Shares including Easter Hunt nee Salter  whose will mentions these shares 1773.

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Siblings of John Grene (1627 - 1705)    See Giles Grene (1580 - 1656)

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Katherine Grene (1619 - 1638) married Roger Hill (1605 - 1667)

Sarah Grene (1624 - 1712) married John Bland Jnr (1612 - 1680)

John Grene (as above) married Elizabeth Middleton (1631 - 1673) and Johanna (c1652)

Roger Grene (1629)

Alice Grene (d1678) married Walter Yonge (1608 - 1667)

Rebecca Grene married Lawrence Chambers