Ordsall Hall Museum - John Radclyffe
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John Radclyffe, the eldest son and heir of Sir Alexander, was born in 1632, and was admitted a member of Gray's Inn on the 29th of May 1650. He was in his twenty-third year when his father died, and he succeeded to the inheritance of Ordsall and Attleburgh. The rich estate was terribly depleted and mortgaged to the hilt. Amongst the Chetham papers occur the following notes, which clearly reveal the embarrassed state of the family finances:
- 31st March 1653 - 'John Radclyffe acknowledged a statute before the Lord Chief Justice St. John to Sir Alex. his father, for eight thousand pounds.'
- 7th July 1653 - 'ditto. before Lord Chief Justice Rolle to Wm Ellis and Jas. Winstanley, Esquires, for twelve thousand pounds (vacated).'
- 12th July 1653 -"'ditto. before the same to Sir Alexander, his father, for twelve thousand pounds (vacated)
Humphrey Chetham died on 12th October 1653, and in all accounts of his nephew and heir, Edward Chetham, appear the following items from is attorney, Joseph Lightbrowne:
- August 6th 1654 - 'drawing the draught between John Radclyffe and you ... 20s.'
- November 8th 1654 - 'drawing and engrossing twice the Long Release in fee with Covenant for the Earl of Derby about Ordsall for your plea at common law ... 10s.'
- August 1656 - 'charges for ffine about Ordsall for Mr Radclyffe, nine pounds and two shillings - and - for a copy of the great deed of settlement at Ordsall ... 11s. - and - postage of 2 letters for Cozen Booth about Sir Alex. Radclyffe ... 6d.'
In February 1657 John Radclyffe and Humphrey, his brother, acknowledged their obligation to Edward Chetham for a loan of seventy pounds, and again in June 1658 for a loan of sixty pounds. In July 1658 John Radclyffe acknowledges a loan of five pounds, and in July 1659 Dame Jane Radclyffe and Humphrey Radclyffe had a joint loan of twenty-six pounds. In 1657 John Radclyffe sold the manor of Attleburgh, with the avowson, to Sir Francis Bickley of Hackney, for eight thousand pounds, and in the following year he transferred the remaining moiety of Ordsall to Edward Chetham, with the hall, watermill, corn-mill and lands, on mortgage for three thousand six hundred pounds. Leaving the houses which had been the homes of Radclyffes for centuries, John established himself at Stoke near Guildford in Surrey, and there applied himself to a scheme for the establishment of a new waterworks to supply the city of London. In 1662 he applied to the King to be appointed Conservator of the New River. He died at Stoke on 8th April 1669 in his thirty-eighth year, a ruined and disappointed man.
His will is a brief document, dated 8th April 1668, nuncupative (declared verbally):
'I make Dame Jane Radclyffe my mother and Thomas Cressey, Esq. Exor. and make them all my right in the Waterworks upon the river Wye running from Gilford to London, forever. Witn.-Cuthbert Morley, Margaret Radclyffe, Raphe Ford (reduced to writing by James Siddall). Proved 21st July 1669 by Dame Jane Radclyffe, mother of decd. Power reserved to Thos. Cressy the other Exor.' (P.C.C. 88 Coke.)
John Radclyffe was twice married; his first wife, Sarah, was buried at Attleburgh on 5th May 1559, leaving issue of an only surviving son, John, baptized at Attleburgh 17th July 1654, and three daughters, Sarah, Jane, an Elizabeth, all born at Attleburgh, 30th May 1653, 19th October 1656, and 27th July 1658 respectively. After the death of his first wife he married a widow, Judith Bowcher, at the Church of St. Mary Woolnoth, on 2nd May 1661. She died in September 1665, leaving no issue
John Radclyffe, the only surviving son and heir, succeeded to his meagre inheritance in his sixteenth year. He is mentioned in the will of Susan Porter in 1693, but he died without issue on 7th January 1695. The representation of the Radclyffe family main line thereupon devolved to his cousin, Alexander Radclyffe of Foxdenton
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