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Who was Gevas Shelvy, now buried in St Clements Church, Sandwich, Kent?


Update: 9th September 2009
We now know the answer... He was Mayor of Sandwich!

Thanks to Sheila Dobson who found out this ground breaking information from somebody at the Sandwich history museum. Inside Sandwich Guildhall, within the Mayors debating chambers, there is a list of past Mayors.  Gervas is listed four times.  He had also been a Jurat apparently.  The plaque lists Gervas Shelvy as being Mayor during 1704, 1705, 1714 and 1719.


Another interesting snippet that I found whilst Googling one day is that there seems to have been another Jervas Shelvey also of Sandwich who was born at least before 1620, perhaps the Father or Grandfather of the Gervas that went on to become Mayor?

The section below is copied from the 'House of Commons Journal Volume 2: 29 November 1642', Journal of the House of Commons: volume 2: 1640-1643 (1802), pp. 868-870.
URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=4573&strquery=shelvey

Peake's, &c. Indemnity. WHEREAS Edward Peake, Thomas Wilson, Robert Freind, John Mandey, John Mace, Mathew Stocks, Jervas Shelvey, Thomas Basset, John Boatman, William Owen, have, by Warrants from the Deputy Lieutenants of the County of Kent, brought up to the Commons House of Parliament, Hopestill Tilden Jurate of Sandwich, Robert Jeggard Town Clerk, Robert Lovell Rector of St. Peter's Parish, in Sandwich aforesaid: The House doth Declare, That it is an acceptable Service in the said Persons, or any other that assisted them, in the Apprehending and Bringing up of the said Persons: And that they shall be saved harmless and indemnified by this House.

Mayors of Sandwich


Update: 25th Mar 2006
Excerpt from the book - "The Harleian Miscellany: Or, A Collection of Scarce, Curious, and Entertaining Pamphlets and Tracts"
This book was printed in 1810. I found this excerpt on Google Books - http://books.google.co.uk

Gervase Shelvey is mentioned in the first paragraph of the second page (below), it seems he wasn't too impressed with the King of the time.


Update:27th Feb 2006 -
Thanks to Chris Shelvey for finding this snippet of info.
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=39370

Well, by all accounts Gevas (or Gervas) Shelvey was a brewer.....

House of Commons Journal Volume 11, 12 January 1697

Excise Duties.
A Petition of Thomas Barber, Gervas Shelvey, Thomas Austen, James Neale, and Thomas Stone, on behalf of themselves, and the rest of the common Brewers, Inhabitants within the Town and Port of Sandwich, and the Parish of Deale, and Places adjacent, was presented to the House, and read; setting forth, That the Petitioners have, with great Hardships, paid several Duties of Excise, by virtue of several Acts of Parliament; but, by the Severities of an Act, lately passed, for laying several Duties upon low Wines, and Spirits, of the first Extraction, the Petitioners cannot any longer exercise their Trades, if continued: And praying, That they may be heard to make out their Grievances; and that they may be relieved therein, as to the House shall seem just and reasonable.
And a Motion being made, and the Question being put, That the Consideration of the said Petition be referred to the Committee, to whom the Petition of the Company of Brewers of the City of London is referred;
It passed in the Negative.
Resolved, That the said Petition be rejected.

From: 'House of Commons Journal Volume 11: 12 January 1697', Journal of the House of Commons: volume 11: 1693-1697 (1803), pp. 658-59. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=39370. Date accessed: 27 February 2006.


 

Below is another excerpt from the history of Kent book written in 1800 by Edward Hasted.

This one describes an inscription for Shelvy (a different spelling for Shelvey) in St Clements Church, Sandwich, Kent.  This is a tomb with the inscription for Gevas Shelvy (born 1665) and Elizabeth Shelvy (born 1674). 

The Inscription reads -

Here lieth interred the body of
Gevas Shelvy of this towne Gentlm. who departed this life the 5th day of July
anno D. 1726 aged 61 years.Also the body of Eliz.th his wife who departed
this life 25 of oct An.Dom.1735 aged 61.

CLICK ON PICTURE BELOW TO VIEW PHOTO OF INSCRIPTION

Does anyone know who this is, can we link it to any of our trees?

Photo below of St Clements Church, Sandwich, Kent.

CLICK ON PHOTO FOR LARGER IMAGE

Map of Sandwich 1877

Click the map below for a more detailed view

Image produced from the www.old-maps.co.uk service with permission of Landmark Information Group Ltd. and Ordnance Survey

Copyright © Landmark Information Group Ltd and Crown Copyright 2001. All rights reserved.

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