John Gresham & Mary Warr and Earlier Gresham
Family 1 Ancestry tree- Jan Mcfarlane- in contact since 13/1/2020: her husband descended from Thomas Gresham 1844-1920
I do have a lot of information on my ancestry tree about the family including the house of Ivy farm where the Gresham family lived in the 1700s before they moved to Dunstable for John Gresham to take up the position of Headmaster of Chew's school. I have some newspaper cuttings about this. They seemed to have actually reside in Soulbury after Swanbourne and this is where his wife Mary died and his eldest daughter Ann married. They are very close villages. I'm not sure if you can see the records i have on my ancestry tree but i think i have a photo of Ivy farm there and we actually went inside on a trip there in 2008. I bought a historical book about Swanbourne and theres a page there that states that John Gresham owned Ivy farm. I'll photograph the page and send it. I have a copy of the administration of John Gresham's will and he states on this that his money is left to his children William Gresham , Ann Gostelow and Catherine Leonora Puddephat. The psalmodies that are still played in the churches in Dunstable and around were written by John and William Gresham so both must have been musical. William who married Martha Brown played the organ in the priory and taught music. Although John was headmaster William also taught at the school and after him William Gresham Puddephatt [Catherine Leonoras son] was a master at the school. There were a number of newspaper articles on FMP about them. William and Martha lived at Priory house.
in the early 2000s Paul's sister Jenny and i hired a professional genealogist and she traced the family back further and found wills which confirmed the information i have on my tree. John Gresham's uncle, a William Gresham, was a headmaster in Shenley and he left property to his nephew John Gresham of Swanbourne. there are quite a few photos of my ancestry tree under John Greshams gallery of the churches and houses and school. One of the Gresham family in New Zealand has the portrait of John Gresham with the dates of his birth and death on so we know its correct. I didnt even know about the portrait when i did the research so it was lovely to find out about it after.
is there any other information you would like. Some of the wills are large and too big to scan and not very legible but i can send you the letters from the researcher if thats helpful and attach some photos from a letter if you like.
Thomas Gresham married Mary Warr
Richard Gresham 1688 Shenley Bucks -1758 Shenley Bucks married in 1713 in Stony Stratford Elizabeth Gilbert 1688 Shenley Bucks -1762 Shenley Bucks
John Gresham 1716 Shenley Bucks -1746 Swanbourne Bucks married in 1742 Wolverton Bucks Catherine Webb Soulberry Bucks 1717-
John Gresham 1745 Swanbourne Bucks-1812 Dunstable married on 5/8/1765 in Newport Pagnell Mary Warr 17xx-1788
He was a barber when he married Mary Warr.
18/4/1757 in Winslow Bucks John Gresham was apprenticed as a peruke maker to Will de Blois of Winslow- image available in Register of Duties paid for Apprenticeships' Indentures , Ancestry
After his wife died he became the headmaster of the Poor Boys School in Dunstable and he was the organist at the local church. He was renowned locally as a musician & composer. Bedford Record Office holds contemporay information on him: a thesis by Colin Henry
1770. William Gresham was baptised to John Gresham & Mary Warr on 30/12/1770 in Swanbourne, Buckingham . Other children baptised there were: Catherine 1766; Ann 1767; Leonora 1769; John 1775 & Catherine Leonora 1777 . Three of them were buried there as babes too.
The Greshams lived at Ivy Farm in Swanbourne.
1784-1789. John Gresham was a trustee of Soulbury Charity
1788. Mary Gresham (nee Warr) was buried in Swanbourne in 1788 but she had been living in Soulbury. The Gresham family lived in Soulbury for a few years before Mary died and before moving to Dunstable where John took up the job of headmaster at the charity school , also known as Chews School : he was chosen from 48 applicants & made a detailed inventory of the school during his time there . Also a 1791 advertisement for the school
1789 "Mr John Gresham of Soulbury was this day elected Master, in the Room of Mr William Ward" -17/10/1789
William Gresham and his father John wrote a psalmody which is still played in churches today and Jan has a copy of it.
1812. John Gresham was buried 30/1/1812 in Dunstable . He died Intestate and his son, John, was the administrator. He left ~£100, divided between his 3 surviving children, John, Ann Puddephatt & Catherine Leonora Gostelow
John Gresham- courtesy of Jan
Steer Index
janneymc@hotmail.com